Jenks' Portland gazette. Maine advertiser. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1802-1803, 1803-02-21
for t5t5 Cazette,

SiR-IN three ditjn& articles nearly
in fuccelion, the auIhcr OF The :" rea-
fons" has introduced The fubi q of the
Fat of 2ovsrnneat, As delerVing Of public
attention, IN connection with the main
quetion Of iePa:a.ion. In an com
munities, private and local iater.A,
occaionalIy array themleiycs again0
public mealures Of exPediercy, and in
vci themfelves with The dreis Of patti
otilm, the beIer to ilcurc iuccefs in
oppoGng The public intereA which they
would be 'houghr to elpouit- a prob
able dilpute about The FEAT N g0vsrnment
is conje6tsled BY the writer, aud bto't
forward as an argument that the gov
eminent itlelf ought no, 10 exit for
:. Maine" he oblerves 9 qoW b. found az
brsjsnt % Be cbishy Pe0t'ed in rs J3gf52u5F
corner but he tine 7vAR c9ms qObsn by ne
mcreqfag bQbal1fon Of Maine z oorasr oyi?
Le tb0aek az ineonvenieat f.sati2n jzr ITS
go0srHmsGi." And what IS then to be
done fuPPoGng this ihould be the cafe ?
According 10 the . reaions" we are to
cleave to the Inconvenience like the
fallen tree 10 the ground and, 10 follow
his concluGon with lit,le more latitude,
we are 10 embrace The Disadvantages
re.ulting from al Injudicious choiie Of
feat Of government, if luch it fhould
prove, with the fame impolitic obAinacy
with which we have hitherto adhered
70 tbole refulting from our prefent
conne6tion.-It is not the authority Of
an Individual, town, or even a county
that can force an opinion upon The
public mind on any fubied, and this
confederation Ia: probably labored in
the authors mind with great urgency,
whole opinions, circumfcribed by l0ca!
partialtirs, can hardly merit an ioiu
ence correspondent with his wibe,.-
The plain import Of bis "reafons" re
lpeaing the feat Of government Is this,
let not The prelent inhabitants Of Maine
attempt. TO accommodate themf-lves,
left they ihould meet with oppoGrion,
but let them relt under their prefent
Inconvenience till the people fhall be-
come more numerous, lefs contentious.
and better capable Of thinking and
acting for themielves.-lt is evident
that all arguments drawn from this
lource, arc clofely connected with perio
nal and local intereif, and have not the
fmallet claim to public attention in
conGdering the main queition.
The adoption Of new laws is anorher
caule Of apprehension to the writer, for
theie, he conjeaures, proJaJly 4vW not Be
altered to aavaatqge qUlb 70 y0urg a brob.s
and 70 young a Et Of lawyers a aoq0 a6-
par il the DJf,iH. 1t is not very orange
that he imputes to the people want Of
dilcernment 10 difcover and purlue their
bef interelt, conidering they have ID
long been difpofed 10 neglea il, and It
IS quite poliible that in fome inRances,
they might deviale from The rule Of
found difcretion in their eletions. and
here pollible cafe naturally prefents
ilelf-let Us flPpof= that the author of
the " reatons" with alociatss Of equal
information and clearnels Of perception
with himlelf, thoulI lie ela6ed u the
legislature and eutruRed with the pm
ming Of it4tutes. which lhou'd paf, 10
be enaded in luch cafe Ghould rot
be dhPoied 10 urge in op?Poition the
"reaions" that the laws Of Maine thus
Introduces would ba likely to terminate
10 the public advantage. But IL II VI
Re conidered, ih4t the c5uiiIer45le
tow0s in the Diari9 are bur few, in
which men of years and dilcretion are
rot to be found, AID The aare Of fociety
muit be unhoPeful indee 1, when mzn
ot integrity and information arc not
generally elaaed p the legl4turc-l
Gate, 70 which it Is to b. hoped. The
Ditrif Of Maine vii! not be degraded.
For The cOdolatiOn of the neOola :,