The constitutionalist — Exeter, N.H., 1810-07-30 00:00:00, page 1

^, To the Independent Electors of New-Hampshire.
ON the last Monday of August next, you wi^be called upon to give
your suffrages for Representatives to the 12th Congress of the United States.
This is one of the highest and most important privileges enjoyed by freemen.
Without maintaining and using this blessing our liberties cannot long remain.
Your rights and interest require that you should not fail to exercise this con
stitutional privilege at this time. The situation of our country was never
more alarming ; the prospects were never more gloomy.
During the administration of Washington, this republic was dignified
and respected by foreign nations. Our neutral rights were preserved invio
late ; at the least encroachment of them, the most prompt demand was made
for satisfaction and unremitting exertions were used' to obtain just and hon
orable reparation. No country on earth could boast of greater prosperity.
Every sea was whitened with the canvas of enterprising Americans, and in
numerable avenues were opened to enrich the nation. The husbandman, the
mechanic, the merchant and every class of the community were crowned
with unusual success. What is our present situation ? There is a total stag-'
nation in every branch of business. Our neutral rights are infringed with
impunity. Our treasury is exhausted. Our government is treated with con
tempt by foreign nations, and our administration detested at home. The
whole energies of the nation are paralized. To what cause must be attribut
ed this fall from the zenith of national prosperity to our present degraded
condition ? It Originated in the wild experiments, the base hypocrisy and
French partiality of Jefferson : A man whose name strikes every intelligent
Republican with horror; one, who justly deserves the curses of an injured
people for employing a hireling to vilify the founder of our liberties ; one,
whose talents have been exerted to prostrate that liberty and happiness which
Was established by the illustrious Washington. To trace this strange medley
of vice and folly through all his various windings and expose all his plots would
be a task too severe and arduous ; It would be too painful to the advocates
of this destroyer of our National Glory.
The prejudices of Jefferson were so firmly established in favour of
France, that he either wilfully or blindly disregarded the interest of this
country. If Napoleon infringed our rights, all was husk and silence, and
every document was kept secret lest the voice of the people should be raised
against him. But if any attack were made by the English it was sounded
through the continent and every exertion was made to influence the passions
of the people. His object was to elevate France and prostrate Great-Britain
even at the expense of this country. The Embargo was laid for that purpose.
By this measure our commercial rights have been destroyed and the nation
brought to the verge of ruin. The poisonous effects will remain for years.
Through the appearance of economy, Jefferson stripped the nation of
all its efficient force, and our commerce, the greatest source of wealth, was
left unprotected and became the sport of foreign nations. When it suited
the whim or caprice of Napoleon, our vessels were burnt, sunk, and destroy
ed, and our seamen cast into loathsome prisons and treated with inhuman bar
>barity. Napoleon has long been preying upon the vitals of this country.
All our vessels within his control halve been seized and condemned and the
Americans have been plundered of property to an immense amount. Do we
bear the advocates of Jefferson complain of these outrages ? No—ls they
regard the interest of the country, why do they rest easy under such op
pression ? Why do so many palliate these gross violations on our rights?
Some even deny the fact that Napoleon has made ravages on our commerce,
lest popular opinion should be raised against France. But those, who have
any love for the rights of the people and wish correct information, will be
satisfied that we have great cause of complaint by reading the following ex
tract from our Minister in France :—" I will not affront your understand
'' ing so much" says Gen. Armstrong to the Duc de Cadore (French minis
ter) " as to offer to prove that America has cause of complaint against
" France whenyou have not less than one hundred American vessels under
" seizure or condemnation." Why is there such a profound silence in the
present administration ? Do they intend to suffer the liberties and rights of
the people to be arrested from them without a murmur ? What but a love of
France can induce them so tamely to permit such encroachments on the in
valuable rights and libertyof this republic? If our rulers have been actuat
ed by a spirit of patriotism, why are we thus deprived of our former pros
perity ? Washington carried us through an eight years war, established our
independence and left the nation enjoying the greatest prosperity. Have
there been greater difficulties to encounter for tight years past than during
the administration of Washington ? Certainly not^ Why then are we
brought to the brink of ruin ? Why is our Commerce annihilated and our
neutral rights infringed with impunity ? Why is our Treasury exhausted ?
Why do our rulers tamely suffer such ravages on our commerce ? They cer
tainly do not regard the rights of the people.\
s
o
Vol. I.]
[REPRESENTATIVES for the 12th CONGRESS of the
UNITED STATES.]
Men devoted to the UNION OF THE STATES, AND
the RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE— -who writ preserve in
violate THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.
THE CONSTITUTIONALIST.
Hon. GEORGE SULLIVAN,
„ WILLIAM HALE,
„ JAMES WILSON,
„ ROGER VOSE, and
„ DANIEL BLAISDELL.
WASHINGTON TICKET.
AGAINST THE INSIDIOUS WILES OF FOREIGN INFLUENCE, THE JEALOUSY OF A FREE PEOPLE, OUGHT TO BE CONSTANTLY AWAKE Washington.
EXETER, (N. H.) MONDAY, JULY 30, 1810.
MR. BEALS,
Every body knows that the mass
of people, having no interest to con
sult but that of the public, are always
well disposed to form correct ideas of
public measures and to act patriotical
ly. Their fault is their unhappy pro
pensity to give themselves up to.the di
rection of unprincipled and interested
demagogues. It is believed that noth
ing more is necessary to bring into the
ranks of Federalism every "honest man
in the United States than to place be
fore him a correct view of the conduct
of the party now in power. For this
purpose I would request the insertion
in your paper of the following extract
from an Oration delivered at Ports
mouth, on the late anniversary of the
Declaration of Independence, by P. R.
Freeman, Esq. The fullest proofs of
the damning suggestions it contains
will be found in the history of the day,
the laws of the United States, the jour
nals of Congress, the Archives of the
Secretary of State, and the democratic
prints in every section of the country.
P. Q.
Should men, of no Superior claims
to virtue or talents, and manifesting
in their conductno extraordinary re
gard to their civil and moral obliga
tions, attempt to elevate themselves by
the basest means,' by detraction of
men of probity and worth—Should
they raise a clamour against the gov
ernment for endeavouring to maintain
an honorable neutrality towards for
eign nation's at war with each other—
Should they earnestly strive to draw
the country into alliance with one of
the contending powers—-Should the
nation in whose fate they would in
volve us have discovered a disposition
to intermeddle in the affairs of others,
and the most inordinate ambition —
Should she have abolished the institu
tions of religion, openly and publicly
abandoned herself to atheism, and have
let loose all the hateful and malignant
passions to rage with infernal fury—
Should this nation set on foot military
enterprises, within our territories, a
gainst the will of our Government-
Should its Minister, an insolent Genet,
make a public appeal to the people a
gainst the Government and invite them
to Insurrection—Should these men still
adhere to that nation and approve the
the maxims of its government—Should
they, fallowing her ruinous example,
organize permanent societies for ex
tending their influence and controling
the government—Should the head and
secret spring of this party at the same
time be in the Cabinet of our Govern
ment, and should he maintain towards
the foreign Minister a language official
and a language confidential- —
Should this party faithlessly attempt
tp prevent the execution of a treaty
with the other beligerent, by which,
causes of contention were amicably
and honourably adjusted, and the
wealth and prosperity of our Country
highly promoted—Should they take
occasion by this treat, to excite jeal
ousy and distinct, representing it as
the effect oT corruption, ^ and exciting
light and vain persons in various parts
We must, Fellow-Citizens, be re
lieved from our distresses. We have
already suffered too much. We have
great cause of comr^nt, aud we must
have a change in the administration of
the government if we wish to enjoy the
blessings of freedom. We must place
^nen in office on whose wisdom and
fidellity we may rely. We have too
long tried the philosophical experi
ments of Jefferson and Madison. We
have suffered too much from their love
of France. If no change take place,
the time will not be far distant when
Napoleon will sway the sceptre over
this land of freedom.
Let us unite like a band of brothers
to support the gentlemen composing
the Washington Ticket —Men de
devoted to the union of the States and
the rights of the People—who will
preserve inviolate the federal con
stitution. AN ELECTOR.
of the country to burn or hang in effigy
the minister of peace by whom it was
concluded, a man of tried integrity
and patriotism—-Should the Nation of
Infidels and Atheists, taking umbrage
at our friendly relations towards her
adversary, plunder our citizens of their
wealth, and attempt the destruction of
our growing commerce, and, when
reparation and security against the con
tinuance of these outrages were sought
by amicable negotiations, should she
treat the friendly messengers with con
tempt, insolently demanding a tribute
as the price of her condescending to
negotiate—-Should the same faction
still adhere to that nation; should
they endeavour to thwart all means of
defence, maintaining the policy of sub
mission, and representing her power
as irresistible-Should the Government,
notwithstanding, succeed in protecting
the rights and property of the citizens
and preserving the public tranquillity,
and should the same faction then at
tempt to render the necessary means
used for this purpose odious in the eyes
of the people, alledging the fears of
the Government to be groundless;
falsely accusing the Administration of
a design to oppress the people with
taxes, to increase Executive influence
and patronage, to subvert the Consti
tution and establish monarchy ; re
presenting a law for the punishment
of false and malicious publications a
gainst the Government, as a violation
of the liberty of the press; a law for
sending away alien enemies, as a viola
tion of the rights of the people—Should
they constantly represent all the ex
penditures for the support of Gov
ernment, the defence of the Country,
and the discharge of the just debts of
the Nation, incurred in establishing its
Independence, as a waste of its wealth ;
accusing the Government of extrava
gance and peculation, and repeating
their accusations though often refuted
—Should this faction, by this system,
unremittingly persisted in for a course
of years, by falsehood, fraud, art and
intrigue, spreading false alariris among
the people for their liberty and rights,
weakening their confidence in the Gov
ernment by imputing to it the worst
motives, and to their utmost exciting
suspicions and jealousies, and by caus
ing themselves all the while, to be ex
tolled as the true Patriots,the cham
pions of Liberty and the People, the
friends and promoters of Economy,
the genuine Republicans, imposing on
multitudes of honest citizens, finally
gain the ascendancy in the government
and the Idol of this party obtain its
highest seat
When obtained, should the Chief
Magistrate set out with smooth words
and fair speeches, seeming to conciliate
all the citizens as brethren, and pre
tending the strictest impartiality—
. Should he afterwards indiscriminately
remove the tried and faithful servants
of the public, to make room for oth
ers to whom the doors of honor and
confidence had been burst open, as
signing as a reason for this procedure,
that vacancies must be created, deaths
were few, resignations none, his parti
zans must be provided for, and, after
their claims were satisfied, the qualifi
cations of office would be, honesty,
capacity and fidelity to the constitu
tion —Should he, & his party stigma
tize the men, whom they have thus sup
planted, and those who have support
ed their measures, as "a weak and
con tern ptible faction," ‘'the most woth
less portion of the community," and,
by constantly exciting the public odi
um against them, endeavour to exclude
them from all, even the smallest trust
and confidence ; and should they final
ly succeed in a great measure in their
schemes of exclusion, and the different
branches and departments of govern
ment become subservient to their
views—
Should the same Administration per
sist in their foreign partialities and
prejudices—Should they repeatedly re
fuse advantageous treaties with a na
tion which is disposed to be at peace
wjth us and has offered to make hon
orable reparation for the unauthorized
injuries done us by her subjects, and,
at the very time they pretend to be in
the way of friendly negotiation with
her, pursue measures favoring the de
signs and meeting the approbation of
her enemies (by whom the same meas
ures had been predicted,) treating her
repeated messengers of peace with con
tumely, and by various arts exciting
and promoting the progress of mutu
al resentment till it may proceed to
open war; Should they, on the
other hand, boW with humble submit
sion to a haughty Tyrant who has.de
creed that there shall be no neutrals in
his wars, tamely suffering our citizens
on the high seas and in the ports undec
his control, to be, without any just:
cause, seized, strippedand thrown into
loathsome dungeons and millions of
their property to be plundered, burnt,
sunk and destroyed, by his orders, for
no other reason than because they are
Americans, and with no other pretenca
of justification than our dependent and
abject state, quietly deceiving insult
and accumulated injury instead of re
paration, until room is hardly left us
for further degradation, and calmly
observing only, that "These Munici
pal Regulations will thicken the cloud
that hangs over the amity of the two
nations"—Should that Administration,
basely surrendering our Independence,
l aster vapouring about the freedom of
,the seas and unrestrained trade with
. all nations, on the requisition of the
; same haughty Despot, prohibit to our
; citizens a pofitabie trade with one inde
' pendent people, because they were
; coloured and he had decreed them to be
slaves, and with another, because ha
Ihad decreed their destruction —Should
I the blast of their breath cause the fair
. spreading tree of Commerce to wither
. and dry up its roots—Should their
tboasted economy, when reduced to
practice, consist, not in retrenching
I any of the expences about which they
had clamoured, but in multiplying
offices and agencies, and increasing the
expences of government, in squander
ing the public money on quiddling ex
periments, in committing the fiscal con
cerns to greedy adventurers who should
consume or abscond with thousands
and hundreds of thousands, in accum
ulating the public debt and in drying
up the springs of the public revenue,
while the people were mocked with
their enquiries— how the useless sur^
plus should be disposed of ?
Should this party bring about am
important alteration in the Consti^
tution, merely for securing the election
of their favourite—Should the same
Administration, in various instances,
manifest a contempt of the Consti
tution, abolishing Courts of Justice,
endeavouring to render the admin
istration of justice subservient to their
system of state policy ; the Legislature
surrendering important rights to the
Executive, and both encroaching OIL
the Judiciary—Should they attempt'
to subject the liberty of the citizens to ,
the arbitrary will of an Executivesl
Magistrate, by taking away the priv-I
ilege of the Habeas Corpus, and put-'
ting it jn his power to send them into
perpetual imprisonment, in a Bastile,
without judge or jury—Should the h
Chief Magistrate, in fact assume $ ex
ercise this power, in defiance of the
laws and the Constitution—Should the
Government prohibit the citizens in t
different parts of the country, front
any dealings with each other, except
at the will of the Executive or a
ministerial officer, and then not With
out security with enormous penalties
against the happening of inevitable ac
cidents—Should they provide, that;l
persons informed against for forfei-1
tures, should not have the privilege of
trial or defence, but under restrictions
impossible to be complied with, or
that the facts should be tried without
jury—Should they attempt to subject:
the houses and property of the cit
izens to search and seizure, on the mere |
suspicion of petty officers—Should!|
whole trades and professions of useful |
citizens, comprehending a large portions|
of society, be prohibited and prevented 1
by such administration from following;|
their occupations, 'and thereby man, I
of them, when advanced in years re- |
dtreed to indigence—Should they sa, I
to the merchants, the ship-builders, the I
sailors, the fishermen, and all the vari-|
ous classes of industrious citizens, who, |
by contributing to commerce, gain are |
honest livelihood and promote the
wealth and happiness of the Country |
—" Go, leave the business, in learning , I
which you spent your youth, and iul
pursuing which you have grown old, I
learn apprentice-ships in other traded I
which we may think more profitable, I
or live in idleness on what you have, or |
may get by such means as you can"— |
Should that administration carry their |
measures by surprise, with extreme si- |
lence and secresy, manifesting a dis-I
trust of jthe people, and should they, I
attempt to take away altogether thag
privilege of free debate, deliberation J
and enquiry in the Legislature and a-|
mong the people, studiously conceal- J
[No. 11.