The gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1798-1799, 1798-12-31

WE fhall aep out Of our prcIcribcd drec-
ton this day to give an opinion Of the Pref
dents Speech 70 far as the fame relates to
France. Jacobn' may call us By hard names,
Z Dor il IS fome ialif4dion To know their hearts
better than they 90 tEemG-ives, and 10 be ct1-
tam that they can find fault in this ipeech,
however they may viljfy it, while It the fame
time every hone& American is perfectly fitished
with il. May We not indulge hope that
comfortable number Of the ridiculous enemies
OF their own country and Of their own felves,
vii take this opportunity of expecting fome
dimlnuti0n Of their temper, and fone recon
citation with principle and honeGy? This is
really to be dehred, though the feafon for Pc
titionary hopes and argumentative remembrance
IS far gone by, and will never again return.
They will for the future be only conlulted BY
each other, and the time they cho0f. TO lole will
lie ncbody's time, thank Cod, but their own.
There will always b. in al fuch contens
inch nme as the prcitnt, when there is no
longer any queltion but fuch as defeated crrcr
may continue to raile from triA NJ circumtan-
ces and fractional doubts. To be 1ure this i
the only country where lueh doubts could main
tam he character Of party, becau'e in all 9th
ers the ExscH.iUe5 have an immemorial cufom-
AIRY authority become 70 ha5tual rs not mo-
ment 10 be reh4ed, to enforce whatever the
deEJeTafi5n of the reflective nations, under what
ever form it exits, may have determined
Thus in England, the King, the Executive
Of that nation 70 beautifully illuarated BY Mon
telquieu and De Lolme, however his preroga-
tive may have amahed in many regns a wait
number of uncomfortable and oblolete particu-
lars, has fulfilled in this great and rnomentous
period whatevtNthe admirers Of thac govern
Tnent have ever anticipated. Il would not be
doing me ultice Cor this oblervation 20 anfTer
me with French unpIncipled reflections upon
the kingdom Of England BY the mouths Of
= JacoUias Who understand no goyeTnTIlnt II aI
in 1eIped Of the utility Of power nor in fact,
perhaps IN any relpe9 whatever. We NUT yea
Ion On luch governments as the world affords,
for we have 10 other. England is a free gov
ernment though qualified 1nonarchy-and It
IS enough for ny pre1ent purPole to fay that
whatever its made Of aaioH or c0nRitu,ed auth
critics may he, It has better an1wered the inter
EFT Of the lubie9 and the nation than any other
which exits, not excepting our own. It has
an executive, which when supported b. act Of
parliament, can cruih rebellion, repel invaGon,
and lccHre PROPERTY. In the cou. le of thee
communications it has been fhewn that all the
American governments are carnations Of the
Engllh form, and whatever may yet be laid,
they are none the woyfe for that, Especially as
the long accumulated Prcrogatives OfIhe Eng
lilh executive, are rejected in our more juvenile
cOnltitution3. Long may thsy continue rure
bur that the Executive ihall not be trampled
upon becaufe he IS not King, tie people have
had he good ienle to fay repeatedly, and yet
viii fay.
admire the juG judgment Of Mr.. ADAMS
N excrciing the Office Of Prelident of the United
States, as much rs l glory in the fine fenfe Of
our nation uPon which it has 70 boldly, yet
Lruf 70 lafcly, been made to depend. The
beautiful charaderi9ic Of the fpeech BY which
it declines the triumph Of the PreGdent and
Congre(s for a mere manly, lenible, and adc-
quate Gatement of our affairs with France,
muE give pleafIre, and for my own part can
fdv unexpected plealrre. We ZEE III The correct
condua Of the officer The reward Of our fupport,
and the promile Of lafety. We Zee that the
Amer can people need not now De afraid of
France nor Of themflves, and this is enough
for u to fee, We behold mere Prehdent Of
the United States untndured with relitical
theories ard perlondl considerations, doing fer
the nation what he ought to co, and le2ving
undone what be onght not to do, pohetling
perfect cor chnGon Of the fubiea, and re-
garding nothing clie. Long may the Procef.
which the people have adopted for feleding
this officer have the iuccefs which it has vet
had Of producing to their inexperienced eyes
The Office itleif iu&ead Of barely honors tomen
MAY We none OF us Zee the time when The Oh.
prsllim and vexatioa with which It IS 70 libe-
rally endowed fhal make tire people fenhble
that they NUT 50 the way Of all the earth and
have King
This my couatryn1en may depend upon, that
while w i've nothing will tend 70 much 10 The
prevention & arbitrary power as true diicern-
n nc ard decided iupporr Of TIE rreddeu,ial
Office. Il This problem Writhcr has for.
eign influence and domeaic faction ,enJsd but
TO deLToy rs precious coni,qrence and what