[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] the oath of fealty to the Netherlands republic. " To protect its com-merce and dependencies, the company was empowered to erect forts and fortifications; to administer justice and preserve order; maintain police and exercise the government generally of its transmarine af-fairs; declare war and make peace, with the consent of the States-General, and, with their approbation, appoint a governor or director-general and all other officers, civil, military, judicial, and executive, who were bound to swear allegiance to their High Mightinesses, as well as to the company itself. The director-general and his council were invested with all powers, judicial, legislative, and executive, sub-ject, some supposed, to appeal to Holland, but the will of the com-pany, expressed in their instructions or declared in their marine or military ordinances, was to be the law of New Netherland, excepting in cases not especially provided lor, when the Roman law, the imperial statutes of Charles V., tin-edicts, resolutions, and customs of Patr'tii— Fatherland— were to be received as the paramount rule of action."1 One of the primary aims in the construction of this mighty corpora-tion being to establish an efficient and aggressive Atlantic maritime power in the struggle with Spain, very precise provisions were made for that purpose.