This was checked by the action of the municipal authorities and certain of the principal inhabitants, who called together the civic-guard to protect any further tumultuary attacks by marauders and ne’er-do-wells on private property.  The guard were joined by numbers of volunteers of the better classes and, under the command of Baron D’Hoogvoort, were distributed in different quarters of the town, and restored order.  The French flags, which at first were in evidence, were replaced at the Town Hall by the Brabant tricolor—­red, yellow and black.  The royal insignia had in many places been torn down, and the Orange cockades had disappeared; nevertheless there was at this time no symptom of an uprising to overthrow the dynasty, only a national demand for redress of grievances.  Meanwhile news arrived that reinforcements from Ghent were marching upon the city.  The notables however informed General Bylandt that no troops would be allowed to enter the city without resistance; and he agreed to stop the advance and to keep his own troops in their encampment until he received further orders from the Hague.  For this abandonment of any attempt to re-assert the royal authority he has been generally blamed.

There is no lack of evidence to show that the riot of August 25 and its consequences were not the work of the popular leaders.  The correspondence of Gendebien with De Potter at this time, and the tone of the Belgian press before and after the outbreak, are proofs of this.  The Catholique of Ghent (the former organ of Barthels) for instance declared: 

There is no salvation for the throne, but in an ample concession of our rights.  The essential points to be accorded are royal inviolability and ministerial responsibility; the dismissal of Van Maanen; liberty of education and the press; a diminution of taxation ... in short, justice and liberty in all and for all, in strict conformity with the fundamental law.

The Coursier des Pays Bos (the former organ of De Potter), after demanding the dismissal of Van Maanen as the absolute condition of pacification, adds: 

    We repeat that we are neither in a state of insurrection nor
    revolution; all we want is a mitigation of the grievances we have
    so long endured, and some guarantees for a better future.

In accordance with such sentiments an infuencial meeting on the on the 28th at the townhall appointed a deputation of five, headed by Alexandre de Gendebien and Felix, count de Merode, to bear to the king a loyal address setting forth the just grievances which had led to the Brussels disturbances, and asking respectfully for their removal.