Jenks's Portland gazette., 1802-06-28

NO perion bows with more reverence before
the najelfy of he people than does the writer
OF this. The viii Of The people, conaituIionally
expreGed, Is, ard hope. ever will be, the fu
preme law Of the United States. But there IS
a kind Of popular phienry, which is more % be
dreaded than the fwcrd of tyrant aod lpe-
cies Of fawning adnlation at the ihrine OF PoPu
larity, which is more be deipied than iervile
cTiHging at the footitool of royalty.
When tbiIli for popularity 70 far gains the
| afcendancy in free and independent nation, as
TO pervade every branch OF its government,
there is great danger that the conttulion OF
iuch nation will fall prey TO party iPirit and
contention. That this is at prefent the cafe in
America, viii clearly appear, on examining
fome OF the recent meafures OF our adminlltra-
ton.
The qaelion with our rulers of late has not
been. Is fbi5 or that msajare right, jya or rea0rd
BE but, HI sbi5 or that meafure gain as Pepaia-
riy ? has been the only inquiry. The bea IN
terehs Of the people have been facrhced, while
the popular ear has been tickled with faieinating
}0und5, The conduit of our iateimen, has re
fcmbled that of dathing retailer, whole WIN
dows are filled with goods, while his ihelves
are totally empty.
Mr.. Jeferfon's inaugural fpeech was we'll
calculated TO ,gair popularity, becaufe the ienti-
ments contained in It were fuch as TO extort
even aPplaule from his enemies But would
not Mr.. Je6erfon have done himlelf more honor
by candidly mar king out line Of conduit which
he meant to purfue, than by making promIies
which he had no difpoGtion to fulfill Had he
frankly declared, at his rl fetiing OUT, that one
half of the people Of the United States, were a
fet OF political hertics, over whole heads he
intended 10 brandifh the rod of perfecution, he
might, perhaps, have fufered the loia OF lit
tie popularity but he would not thereby have
endangered his veracity.
The ruling feet in Cosgrefs, could have had
no other obeG ia view in deitroyng the old
Judiciary fyfen, than popularity; for they were
not ignorant that a fy item equally good could
not b. adopted without as great expence Yet,
while lome few bad the candor to acknowledge
that the eHpence of the lyltem was OF no con
fequence, the impudent and deiigning pretend
ed that their only aim was 10 md the people
Of their burtheos. Fearing that the meaiure,
If left to iifelf, would have tendency rather TO
diminilh than iEcreafe their popularity, certain
members OF Congress wrote delu6ye addreGes
to their conRituents, in which The ialaries Of the
diiplaced Judges were ftt down as clear favings,
while the extra exPencss attending the new iu
dIcial fytlem, were totally omitted.
The repeating OF the internal taxes, carried
with it fafcinating 0usa. The meafure, in
name, was charming trap to catch populari-
ty. But could the advocates of thar meafure
have been fincere in their projections of regard
for the people, when they abolithed the tax on
coaches, and permitted the duty on }ah to re-
main
To mention every infance IN which our rul-
ers have attempted to purchaic popularity at the
expenoe of prime pie, would detain me too long
from my plough But there is one more which
is too glaring and barefaced TO be omitted
law was pahed during the late feilion of
Congrefs, entitled, " IN act making providon
for the payment Of the whole public debt."-
Now, my fellow farmers, what opinion would
you naturally form Of law bearing fuch a
delightful title (? Should you not expect to find
in il fome means provided for the payment cf
the public debt Moit certainly, What. then,
mutt be your furprile, when you find not fyl
liable in the law which conforms IN the leaf
degree with the ttie What mutt be your
indignation, when you diicover that the trainers
VI tbS Ia" diiiiCds " VI ldiAc sitiS, "
inpofe upon your credulity ?-In what manner
does the law provide for the dicharge of the
WHOLE debt 1t merely authorizes re loan of
money for its payment ALIAS TO what def
picable fhlfts have our popularity -lOving rulers
been driven A PLoUeHMAN, at his Defk.
Governor SrRoNC's Speech, from which we
have made fome extracts for this paper, is a
genuine fpecimen Of New England politics and
principles. Firm and dignihed, tho mild and
conciliating, it contains fentiments of found
policy, which every honea Gatefman ought to
be proud to own.-Tbat part which relates TO
appointments 10 office, may be read with advan.
tage by certain "petty yrants."-That part
which points out the necefity of an efficient go
vernment, is respectfully recommended to The
attention of iuch of the " lovereign people," as
ipurn at all feltraints Of law and order.-That
part which poin,rdly advocates the union of
the States, completely refutes thoie bafe calum