Yes, the wording there was carefully chosen. It was a rationalist thing and not about democracy, but it was open to the idea at least a bit, while the other thing was a monarchy and an empire (and also slave-owning).

Liberal thinkers at the time definitely tended to side with the Patriots. After the war, going with a new monarchy was considered, but in the end they were nudged into a republic about as democratic as any that had existed to that point.