Jenks's Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland [Me.]) 1799-1802, 1802-01-18

----l@EEzsF4EEs ss1Elssr----
Governor Monroe. f,Virginia, aping ,he
conduit Of PreiJcn. 4. ~, has fent letter
to the Legi1 .turs W that STATE, lnQead Of
tmeatng them and add5eiing them oraIy. Il
is gxt'emely long, filling TX columns Of he
largef newspapers.
In the courfe Of ii, he eyjews tie American
Revolution, in its rir-. progrers and if1e--a not
u. he f4ys) for the f.te Of evJl.a,ion," but
chiefly to inform that toJy " what w4s already
done to promote he happi7eIs Of orr country%
from which We may conclude il does rot con-
tain many OF our revn u.i0nIry paJri1s He
particularizes lhat poiu. at Vi he, " v hich was
TO degrade the American people to a condition
Of the laves Of the Eat !" but he certainly
need not have travelled 20 far for examples of
nlvsrY : the 1Ives Of the S5at5 m-ht much
eatitr have been brought 10 yi-1u He has Tome
levere Iefe6ions uPon the people OF bis States :
declaring " its only when the people become
ignorant and corruP-, that their representatives
forget their dut7, and alrire to their lOvefelgR-
ty." He erdeavors 60 make the Legislature
ienilb!e that the exlilE ignorance AM coFruP-
ton Of which he complains is the reiuit q
bad lylem Of education in that State, and that
It is their duty 60 make rrOvihon for IT'S I'M
ptorement. In this leion of education, he
fays, il is nor neceflry that every perlon
.honld be qualified TO fill every of6ce IN The
State" This antidemocratic fentment, 70
contrary to the we'll undsrtOod principle otTo'
t4tion in Office, blaas the expectation with
which the public have 70 long been Hlttered'
that every dag GsuH bavs bis day. IL dwel5
much On the importance Of The Militia ana
fnggeRs that il ought to be in Gtnaion to oP..
poie the execution Of any law of the GenerI
government which ihsuld BE- pahed toI the r.
Gig Of Handing army. His aeeon.t cf tne
Virginia Militia flows that at Pre'ent i Is not
good for much" that thei. dlciPne + very
mPeried-that their regiments IN genera ais
very .feIive il the knowledge Of military eVo-
buttons, and other duties which they o'gnt 10
poHels-that the mu1ers of the TeeimenVs, oaV,
talions and companies are tbinly attended, anu
but little advantage derived to thoie who 90 az
tend" III fort, his whole account proves Fn4I
the Ancient Dominion is not YET ID htuatlon
10 give law to the ref ofthe country, except Oy
intrigue aud delufon. Thanks to he eEerLloA'
of our freeborn citizens, the Militia OF new
England il in a far different lituaion; IT'S wen
organized, armed and diIciPIined, and at t,H'
moment affords force fully adequate to tns
maintenance Of thofe rights md Liberties th1y
have 70 often fought and bed for. W. hneereY
hope that Congrefs will not, by any new la~'
undertake to diHurb this excellent a'raags'
ment. The highways of that 6ta'e, the Gov s
ernor fays. are It no time good, and y "
winter aimoH imPafable" Tbs ferrous eVue
as we'll AZ the bad Rate Of education, aao u
The militia. he traces up to The want Of go9.
laws, a. the grand fouros- Indeed ha ie,a
prove. by his obi5rvAIiops on every iunl'1cr
which he msn'ious, the melR opinion he h' i.
Virginia legiaation whichmu& excite d0P0''