In 1872, when the Netherlands was busy preparing to attack Aceh, Multatuli sadly recalled a confession when speaking at a meeting in Wiesbaden. He said: "When the Dutch fought for their independence from Spain, the kingdom of Aceh was the first to recognize the Netherlands as an independent nation. However, now the Netherlands is the only country that wants to eliminate Aceh's sovereignty. How honey reciprocated by poison".

About two centuries earlier, on August 23, 1601, a third Dutch group arrived led by Commissioner Gerard de Roy and Admiral Laurens Bicker with four ships (Zeelandia, Middelborg, Langhe Bracke and Sonne) at the Port of Aceh. Their arrival was at the behest of Prince Maurits. Both received orders to give a letter and several gifts to Sultan Ala'uddin Ri'ayat Syah Saidi Mukammil, The Sultan of Aceh. This letter was written in Spanish which contained Prince Maurits' remorse for the bad behavior of the Dutch people in Aceh; requesting improved relations between the Netherlands and Aceh; willingness to pay compensation to make up for the previous bad behavior of the Dutch in Aceh, and to deliver various gifts.

Furthermore, the Sultanate of Aceh instead sent delegates to directly observe the Netherlands. On 20 July 1602 a group of Dutch ships together with the Aceh delegation arrived safely in Zeeland (the Netherlands). The departure of the Acehnese envoy to the Netherlands, it can be noted that the sovereign kingdom first recognized the birth of a newly sovereign Dutch state at that time by de jure and de facto is the kingdom of Aceh. In fact, the Dutch economy and international relations were greatly helped by Aceh. Therefore, Multatuli strongly denounced the Dutch action on Aceh.