Portland gazette, and Maine advertiser (Portland, Me.), 1807-01-01 00:00:00

News-Boy's Address.....1807.
Address of the Carrier of the PORTLAND GAZETTE, TO ITS PATRONS.
BEHOLD the printer's boy once more appear, To wish his gen'rous friends a happy year, Hail ! bounteous patrons of the printer's toil ! As rolling years pass on, may fortune smile, May roseate health, and cheering plenty bless, And many years, be yours of happiness. THE carrier's muse should not withhold her bays But give to Faustus' sons their meed of praise, Whose various labors ev'ry class embrace, Yeomen, Mechanics, Merchants, all the human race. Whate'er of wit or taste past ages show, Or art, or science, we to printing owe. The doctor, lawyer, and the grave divine, In fame's immortal roll could never shine, But for the printer's aid, to whom belong The Sage's tribute, and the poet's song. News-papers too, their share of merit claim, When truth, impartial truth's the printer's aim— As heralds of the past, and present times, T'announce th' events of distant, foreign climes— Guardians of freedom, when they're rightly us'd ; But nation's scourges, when they are abus'd. Truth fill our pages, while a page endures, And an important duty, friends, is your's— Protect an honest press, when foes assail, But let all lying printers LIE in goal.
HEAV'N frowns, alas ! on these degenerate times, And nations groan beneath their weight of crimes— Millions oppress'd at murder'd freedoms cost, By truth deserted, and to virtue lost. Where Governments in Europe, peaceful stood, Now barren wastes, lie drench'd in patriot blood. Lo where, in France, the bloody tyrant reigns, Who claims a subject world for his domains ;— Which, conquer'd, could his arts, or arms subdue Another, and another world, he'd claim them too. Yet Bona is, foresooth, republican , And fights his battles for th' rights of man ;— And for those rights are war and ruin hurl'd, To make republics of his subject world.
WORDS change their import, and, in modern time, Republican's a name for ev'ry crime. When WASHINGTON, our country's nature's pride, Rank'd true Americans on virtue's side ; Vain were those arts, which governments annoy, In vain, would " people's friends " their rights destroy. The foes of virtue ev'ry aim had lost ;— "His head a Senate, and his arm a host."
UNDER the government of Quincy's sage; Our prosp'rous country prosper'd more in age. From forests wild, an infant navy grew, T'encrase our commerce, and protect it too. National faith, and credit firmly plac'd, And our respectability or honor bas'd. No mammoth speculations then, no fairly dogs , No mines of lead, or salt, no toads or frogs ;
No philosophic blarney then, could gull Or calm reflection's sober truths annul.—
MARK, now, the sad reverse ! behold, indeed, At ev'ry pore, Truth, Honor, Virtue bleed !— Thousands, now, quit the paths their father's trod, Abandon freedom, and forsake their God— Since modern doctrines free indulgence teach, To " worship twenty gods or one ," no matter which ! !
To Europe turn, on whose encrimson'd plains; Desart, and wild, pale visag'd horror reigns. There, murder'd millions cannot glut the rage, 'Yelet republican in modern age.
War's blackest tempests over Europe lower, Threat every nation with the tyrant's power ; While, through the pale gleam of a single ray, Hope points at Britain to restore the day.—
Th' event's momentous, and should Britain fall, Our country's next ; nor only ours, but all. But Britain firm, let haughty France essay, To loose the dogs of war, and cry, away For British thunder keeps her dogs at bay.
FROM Europe turn, and homeward bend our way, Observe our country at the present day. Mark the confusion made by knaves and fools, Whose gun-boat policy the nation rules. While shallow statesmen in our councils wait, Fresh water sailors work the bark of state.
LOUISIANA now our notice claims— We bought a quarrell with her wast domains. With Bonaparte , indeed, it firmly stood— He claims the whole world for the " people's good ." But Spain , by Bona prompted, or alone, Claims this whole tract of country for her own ! ! Another gull ! ! ! these worthless wilds to gain, We buy of France , a worthless peace with Spain ; First, THIRTY MILLIONS Bona's pirates gain'd ; And FIFTEEN more, of debt, to France remain'd ; While treaties, wars, and TRIBUTE more engross Arrah ! as paddy says, " we've gain'd a loss ! ! ! "
BEHOLD where Bona the friend to " Rights of man " Heads a bold army, all republican ; And tow'rd our new-bought country leads the way, To hold, for " people's good ," a monarch's sway.
ECONOMY's our nation's ruling passion— Armies, and navies, now, are out of fashion. And this new broom has swept our nation clear, And sev'ral thousands sav'd us by the year. 'Tis thus, " the sov'reign people " to amuse, We save by dollars, and by MILLIONS lose.
OH ! had the wealth economy has lost, Encreas'd the infant navy once our boast ; Its rising pow'r were competent to brave Our pirate foes, our NATION'S HONOR save. What foreign nations will our rights respect, When we, ourselves will not those rights protect ? What's independence, but an idle boast;
With pow'r, respectability, and honor lost ?
In vain non-importation acts at Britain's frown ; And finch her rev'nues, while they starve our own. Our pygmy giant John Bull saw, and smil'd, Like Mrs. Spriggings on her vengeful child. She had two boys, and they, in winter weather, For company and warmth, oft slept together— Tom and John quarrel'd—loud the clamor rose— Up started Tom—from both remov'd the clothes Shiv'ring he sat—half shiv'ring too lay John— Up ran the mother—What's the matter Tom ?— What are you doing ?—Why your brother tease ?— Freezing myself, quoth Tom, that he may freeze. Like Tom, NON-IMPORTATION rag'd in vain, Like Tom, half frozen, he lies down again.
HOPE gives the muse, a faint, but cheering ray ; And, tow'rd the close, shall cease the gloomy lay ; As nights dark hours are just before the day. Let modern politicians have their scope— They'll hang themselves, if we but give the rope For when a democratic phrenzy reigns, 'Tis like a raging fever in the veins ; Burns till its crisis ; medicine defies ; Exhausts its rage ; and, in the struggle dies. Hope bids us say the patient will survive, And better rulers make our country thrive ; When Jacobins no more our councils stain ; But principle, and truth, and virtue reign.
THE means, which such a glorious end secures Are, friends of WASHINGTON, and VIRTUE yours. Shall FRENCH INTRIGUE forever lie in wait ; And TREASON lurk within our halls of State ? Forbid it Heaven !—Remove from pow'r your foes, And save your country from its weight of woes. Watch " people's friends ," who people's rights subvert, Let temporizers find us all alert : Strip from hypocrisy ev'ry veil it wears, 'Till all its black deformity appears. 'Tis harder toil, for foes to gain their ends, By fair attack, than by perfidious friends . Let Constitutionalists , unite your choice, And abler, better men, the peoples voice : Such are the men, whose virtuous struggle, long, 'Gainst " people's friends ," secur'd the people's STRONG . The people chose him, but the " people's friends " Found right of suffrage clash with private ends. Mark such men well, ye, who your country love ; Let " people's servants " ne'er their masters prove. Protect your freedom with your father's spirit, And your own children shall your rights inherit. And spite of " people's friends " long may our pride, The wise, and virtuous STRONG , o'er us preside.
SUCH are the news boy's wishes, ill express'd ; Would they were better, but he did his best. If you approve, yours, patrons be the praise, For your full purses tun'd the poet's lays.
Gazette Office, January 1, 1807.