Although highly incensed by this outrage, the English Government did not feel itself strong enough to take decided action.  The Estates of Holland expressed through Joachimi their abhorrence at what had occurred; and the Parliament instructed Strickland to approach the States-General again with friendly advances.  The States-General refused to grant him an audience, while receiving the envoy despatched by Charles II from Scotland to announce his accession.  The English Council of State had no alternative but to regard this as a deliberate insult.  Strickland was recalled and left Holland, July 22.  On September 26 Joachimi was ordered to leave London.  The breach between the two countries seemed to be complete, but the Estates of Holland, who for the sake of their commerce dreaded the thought of a naval war, did all in their power to work for an accommodation.  They received Strickland in a public audience before his departure, and they ventured to send a special envoy to Whitehall, Gerard Schaep, January 22, to treat with the Parliament.  By this action the Provincial Estates flouted the authority of the States-General and entered into negotiations on their own account, as if they were an independent State.  The Hollanders were anxious to avoid war almost at any price, but circumstances proved too strong for them.

In order to carry out this pacifist policy the Estates of Holland now resolved to effect a large reduction of expenditure by disbanding a portion of the troops and ships.  When the peace of Muenster was signed the States possessed an army of 60,000 men, and all parties were agreed that this large force might safely be reduced.  In July 1648, a drastic reduction was carried out, twenty-five thousand men being disbanded.  The Estates of Holland, however, demanded a further retrenchment of military charges, but met with the strong opposition of the Prince and his cousin William Frederick, who declared that an army of at least 30,000 was absolutely necessary for garrisoning the frontier fortresses and safeguarding the country against hostile attack.  Their views had the support of all the other provinces, but Holland was obdurate.  In Holland commerce reigned supreme; and the burgher-regents and merchants were suspicious of the prince’s warlike designs and were determined to thwart them.  Finding that the States-General refused to disband at their dictation some fifty-five companies of the excellent foreign troops who formed the kernel of the States’ army, the Provincial Estates proceeded to take matters into their own hands, and discharged a body of 600 foreign troops which were paid by the Province.  In doing this they were acting illegally.  The old question of the sovereign rights of the Provinces, which had been settled in 1619 by the sword of Maurice, was once more raised.  The States-General claimed to exercise the sole authority in military matters.  There were not seven armies in the Union, but one army under the supreme command of the captain-general appointed by the States-General.  The captain-general was now but a young and inexperienced man, but he had none of the hesitation and indecision shown by his uncle Maurice in the troubles of 1618-19, and did not shrink from the conflict with the dominant province to which he was challenged.