The gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1798-1799, 1798-06-18
ANSWER OF THE HOUSE.


Nay i 9iqG yoar Exs.AaH.y,
THE Houfe Of Representatives Of the Common
wealth Of MaGachulcits, climate more highly the an
cisnt and audable cunom Of addrefing the fri Magif
rae Of free people il affords them the peculiarly
grateful occaGon Of congratuating your Excellency,
upon your unesampled, and almoa unanimous re-elec
tion yonr dignihed and important office an event.
which fully evnces the public appreciation Of your Exc
cellencys pa well the highc confidence in your
future admInilration. To liberal and enlightened
mind, accuRomed 10 furvey with attention the focal
and political tuatiOn Of the world, this tribute Of ref
pea mutt be the more acceptable al a moment, when
amo every government in Europe either convulfed
by inteine factions threatened with external inva-
hon, lubugaticn, and deltru6tion.A novel and alarm
ing principle, overwhelming ia IFS delruStve progrcis
Religion focal order and happiness violating the rights
of properly, and demoralizing the human mind, has
been permitted by divine providence, courqe the
European world. This dreadful principle has been the
dangerous as it has been propagated under the
endearing and interttng 81 bs y Ia4 sgul yTr5f
But fad experience has fully proved thar whatever
may have been the pretext Of aru and unprinciDled
to deceive the people, and to render them the I'M
confcious nltruments Of wicked ambition their real
foope has become tyranny their object domination. In
the pd accomplishment OF thee nefarious dcigrs 70
fatal 10 true liberty weapon has been more artfuY
and more fucoeisfuly employed than the one which
your Exeellency has with 70 much proprety noticed
He is a Repubhcan-He cannot be friend 10 free
dom-He is cur foe and mutt mediate the deGruetion
the offctTsofa free government have different
intereh from that OF the people ne art OF feDara-
ting the people OF every nation from Its government
when directed to that end is the mo important engine
OF dorganizaton and anarchy, ever invented BY the
ingenuity of man.
We heartily concur with your E1cclencv. in TIE
fcntiment, that whatever may bs the uaton of other
countries ia oq5a, the ntere of the people and Of
their government, are inleparahly connected. The
idea IS too abfurd TO be INDUCED, that the rulers of
country 10 Tree, will ever counteraG their own nterc
infringe the rights and liberties Of their own famie,
and connexions for the purpoe Of oppreing the Deo
pie The good lenie and information Of the citizens Of
the United States IS the lure(t pledge of their fidelity
That they cannot, and will lilt,n TO furpeRions
injurious to the government sfther choice that thew
will not entertain unreasonable ealoufes, but will al
waysgive decided iuPPort 70 the contutional mea-
furts Of their administration, their paa hinory and
the events Of the preient moment moa IN " evince
We regret with extreme fenilbili;y that the Gtua-
tioH Of foreign relations eompes Us reluctantly TO
withdraw cur attention from the local concerns Of
this Commonwealth and TO view with anxious lolieudc
thoe of our nation at large When we review the CON
du Of the government of the United States during he
late convulfons Of Europe We recognize the truth
and uitice of the picture which your ExceIlency has
drawn. In the commencement Of the prelent war diff
atrous and calamitous beyond example prudence ara
the oundeit policy required that the United States
fhould aiume and maintain n uraI pofton
Removed from thofe local caufes which have per.
petuay occaloned and nhamed the contentious Of Eu
rope, and polefing eSteniive commerce luxurient
foil, and enterpring fprr, we had right to caIcu-
late upon the immenie advantages and emolumens ar
fling from encreang commerce, under the protection
OF an impartial neutrality
Dwelling oufieves as far polibe Of national
Partially, cannot dilcern in the conduct of eur ad
miniaration, any departures from the obligations I'M
poled by neutral ituaiion--on the other hand il il
be concealed that have experienced from Eome
Of the begercnt nations, apgrefhons and outrapes not
warranted ~ the fair and liberal conduct, which we
have uniformly exhibited With two Of tho(e nations
have already fcttled exiting difficulties upon
terms Of amicabe compromise and we regret with your
Exceiency thar the government of the other has not
been equally dfooied TO meet concia:ory advan-
with liberal ipIrIt Of accommodation. This want
Of candor the lels to have been eKpeGed az tie
government of the United States, have been the FRI TO
chcr1l honcft and ardent enthuam for their caufc
70 long it elteemed the cauie Of libery-haye
faithfully fulfilled every obligation ariGng from exiting
compacts-and have Afforded every aid confident with
the impartial htuaton which they had alIumed-Con-
trad with this farnels-this iberaity-this punCtii-
good faith the part Of the United States, we have
behcld with regret with aoni.hment and Indignation
segreions unpTovoked only countcnanced aud en-
eouragcd but authorized; repeated attempts at uego
citation fpurned at, and meengers Of peace treated
with neglect aud contnmely. unprecedented in the
diplomatic hiaory OF civilized nations Not content
with heaping injury upon outrage. have fecn info
lence fuperadded 10 inuflice We have been CHARGED
with intene dvillons and the humating example ~
Venice has been held Up territy mo compliance