He left the Netherlands to become a minister in Batavia in the Dutch East Indies, and worked there until, in 1848, he received an official reprimand from the Dutch government; he returned to the Netherlands the year after.
He left the Netherlands to become a minister in Batavia in the Dutch East Indies, and worked there until, in 1848, he received an official reprimand from the Dutch government for publicizing his views critical of colonialism. He was forced out of his position by the Governor-General; he returned to the Netherlands the year after.