The gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1798-1799, 1798-06-11

| Tie lGnumcnt that the officers OF . tree
government hare a dLBsreut intersF from
that Of the people, whom they repre-
tent, to whom they return at the expi-
ration Of their Office, divefed of all
authority, and fubjea to the COME
quenccS Of all the laws and regulations
made, while they were velted with the
powers OF government. The oppofte
petition, | conceive, cannot be main
tanned on any other ground, than upon
iuppohtion, that the officers Of govern
ment, elated by the people, and relpon-
fible for their conduct while in Office,
will countera6 their own intcrca, in
fringe their own rights and liberties,
with tho1e of their families and con
ne6tions, for the Purpoie of oppreAing
the people. A iuppoftion extremely
abiurd and unnatural. Therefore hold
it an article in my political creed, that
the people and their government are
inleparably united and that whoever
attempts to divide them, cannot be
viewed in any other light, than as aim
ing blow at the main pillar, on which
the whole fuPerffru6ture refs.
The good fenfe Of the American peo-
pie, trult will not fuffer them to Iiitcn
TO iuggeltions, at once 70 erroneous,
and 70 dangerous to the very exifence
OF free government, but infead Of
countenancing UNREASONABLE jealoufes,
will give firm lupPOrt to the con&itu-
tional mealures of the government Of
| their own choice without which, no
people can long enjoy the invaluable
bleflings Of fuch a government.
The events Of the prefent day draw
our attention from the more local con
Germs Of the Commonwealth, To con-
template thofe Of ouI nation AZ large.
The Gtuation Of our foreign relations,
you are not inlenGble has become criti-
cal and alarming, and calls for the Uni
ted Wifdom, Decihon and FirmnelS Of
the American government and for
the uneQuivocal aid and aiiiltance Of
each member Of the Union. We were
led to hatter OurielveS, that the fyfem
of impartial neutrality adopted by the
| Executive, and which we have frug
| gled 70 long to maintain, would have
iheltered us from the caIamitieS incident
TO fate Of War.-When the troubles
Of Europe commenced, the United
States were at peace with the W0rlt.
and happy in the reflection that no o.
legation compelled them to intermeddIg
in their CONTEXT but had every induce
ment to avoid it Having wiIely a
dopted this fyfem, our government en-
deayOred to avoid every juf cauie Of
complaint, and when uniultihable de
| precautions were committed on our COM
mcrce by one of the belligerent powers
a treaty opened a way for removing
juf grounds Of unealinelS by adiufin
mutual demands. Thus CONTEXT witt
that power which then threatened US
was happily prevented, and peace an
harmony refored: When Gnilar eau
les Of complaint and uneafneES Will
another Of thofe powers exiHcd, the
PRECEDENT Of the United States, anxiou.
TO preicrve the good underfandin.
which had 70 long fubffed between the
French and American Republics, pur-
ued Gmilar meafures, for the reltora-
ion of amity and friendihiP betweet
hem. Theie overtureS, after a. con
! lcmptuous rejection in the frI infance,
from an extreme deGre to remove every
reafonablc ground of complaint, were
renewed and with what fuccefs, let
| the communication from the Enunra