 However , a grass @-@ roots democratic movement began to form in the Summer of 1795 , consisting of popular societies ( clubs ) and <unk> ( precinct meetings ) , demanding popular influence on the government . A kind of parallel government in the form of " general assemblies " sprang up next to the city governments and the provincial States that repeatedly came into conflict with the established order . In the Fall of 1795 the States @-@ General started to work on a procedure to peacefully replace itself , " by constitutional means " , with a National Assembly that would possess full executive , legislative and constituent powers . This project at first met with sharp resistance from the conservatives . In some cases even force was used ( as in Friesland and Groningen ) to overcome this opposition . The new National Assembly convened in The Hague on March 1 , 1796 . 
