Jenks's Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland [Me.]) 1799-1802, 1801-06-15
ANSRER or 4nx HOUSE


renewed teIfimony of the public confidence, at
this period, muG he highly grateful, as i AT
| rds the ltrongeR evidence Of your having oil
charged the cfutics of your high trutt with vii
| dom and impartiality. notwithstanding the
dfhdenee you have been plesfed 20 expreis, the
whole tenor Of your public life iniplraS US with
| the fulleh confidence, that your belt sndeayofs
will be Iueccisfully continued TO advance the re
putstion and welfare Of your conisituents, to
preferve their rights upimpaired, and 70 ieiett
thofe only for public Office. who are moR di.
tinguithed for abilities and integrity.
Although in the late election of Prehdent ct
the United States, the refult may not have
| corr etPonded with the wifhes of many OF our
fellow-citizens, yet we do mott fincerely hope,
and are encouraged to believe that the haPpi
nels 10 confidently anticipated by lome, and 10
cordially dehred by all may ultim tely enfue
from that important event. AS members OF a
republic, whole BATS is the will Of the people,
we coniider, that the belt claim 10 the character
OF good and faithful citizens is founded on a
cheerful obedience % the laws, and Nniform
reiped for The conituutional authorities OF our
nation. And We canBot refrain from indulging
the hope, that he who was 70 emihenuy con.
eerned in eltablfhing our independence, will
n, { be betrayed into a derelidicn of the pure
principles of ihe Federal fyRem which has a.
iiien out Of that Independence. But i theie
anticipation, ihould not be realized, ALL re-
gard TO truth, 10 iuilce, and e the public vel
fare, or. ht 10. s1clude .l--fprrity and f lie CO
loring from the difcuilion Of pubic realures,
for II the free predes Of our country, ere dii
gracefully proRtuted to Faction and Faliehood
they will greatly endarger, If not eventually
lubyers the NOR as, & the liberties Of the people
The organization and dife pline Of The Mill
tia, being entruGed 10 the State Governments,
VIZ lhall give osr frequent attention 10 objsas
70 eiIentislly connected with the public iafe y.
We folly agree with your ExetNehey 10 opin
ion, that there is no fubj.6t Of State Legiilaton
more important to the preleivation OF our free
governments, or more interelting TO the hap
Pinels of focety. than the inarustien of the
people. and particularly the education e youth.
Il is not enough TO ir0rua children in uieful
learning, it is Of 6ill higher concern, to habitu
ate them 10 relraint, 10 form their tenperS
and mannersby the principles of benevnlenee
ard iuGice, 20 awakea The ufeful energies of
their Understandings. to che'ih the virtuops
propenfites Of their hearts, AMI 20 teach them
the t;npcuait ltfon Of ielfeommand ;--thus
educated they feldom fail to make quiet and
ufeful members of fociety, while thoie who are
idleesnd unrenrained in early life, generally be
GENE turbulent and fictitious at mature age.
Our wife and pious aroeRors were llrongly
impJe6ed with the-importance Of this Iubie6f.--
Scarcely had they reached this then inhofpits-
bic fhore, when they provided fthools for the
education Of their children IN literature, and IN
~ al - lt,sr
early founded the Univerlily AZ Cambridge, TO
which our eounlIyi Sindebtedfer- 70 many great
and uleIpI men. We cohiider the q I'll and re.
ligious inaiiutions which we have inherited from
thoie venerable snce1ors. as Invaluable To
thole inltilutions under Divine Providence. we
aftribe the prefent honorable and prosperous
condition Of this Commonwealth. We there
fore elieem il our hlghea wiidom 20 eherfh,
and fpofkble, 10 improve them, and one OF our
6ra duties to tranfmit them unimpaired TO our
poRerity.
We are deeply impreGed with the importance
and necefity Of providtog for due obfaTvance
of the Sabbath, which we eonlider as client al v
connected with the preferyation RI religion, he
only fure foundation Of human virtue and hap
pines. If our laws IN this refped are defective,
we Will endeavor TO amend them. paying al
the fame time, that regard 10 tile rights Of con.
leienee, which wife and liberal policy, as well
as our State Combinations recommends.
Every one mult acknowledge that Public
Worthip is uGeful, even as School Of good
manners. and Of decent and orderly deport-
ment, and that the meeting together Of the PEG
pie to be n(tru6ed in their religious and moral
duties. and to contemplate the wildom and
goodneis with which the Almighty governs the
world, mutt tend 90 impress on their minds that
regereBtal love for the Supreme Being, which
is the highelt and noblel motive of human &C.
tons. If any Of the towns or plantations in
the Commonwealth are unable to provide the
means Of inaruaion for their children we con
ceive that the PUBLIC good requires they fhould
have iueh alIiitance as may be required for this
Purpoie. We doubt not your Excellency's
ready concurrence in every Inealure conducive
to the public welfare, which the Legislature
| may deemit expedent to proPolc.-