Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1806-08-25
ron THE PORTLAND eAzrTEE.

A MORE grcss ts~ve:sion q
tire truth, or greater insult 70 The
eooi sense Of tic rsoPle, perhaps, was
a~ver exhibited, than by writer in 2
..se -drg4s,. by whom il was asserted,
ta2t +" al irl- ctrifiaus acre democrats,
rrd MAI shs ei4iaas Of .icdarolisis to rei-
kics; ar s,1til-,ly sg4strf1sis u hhQrisiacoL,"
&c. &c. Tic very worasnnd phrases
-o' tho writer, itis7not material to quote ::
The substance 5f his aSse.ticns and re-
.aArzs w1lr IS here stated. IF the
people e1A possibly he dupcd bE such
ssements, they are ignorapt Indeed
We may then cease to wonder, tho we
cannot hut lament, that artful derna-
gosues 10 SO easily imposc upon the
-cr.aa ifv Of our fellow citizens.
1, ceit~iniy is no neav thing, with a
ieT 70 serve Z Party or to promote
.,eii-i1aA purposes, that the fsarrat re-
.sssbdt9'.s appreciate the advantages of
rsii sfsa. andcontend for the importance
u christian principles and institutions,
10 social ordsr and happiness Tsis,
they have alryal 5 si5 ard done. Proofs
~of this are abundant and not3ricns. Are
not the ci-rgy Of New-EngIand almost
universally, >and more pious, useful,
exemplary, unAnibiiions. order Of men,
'rcrS perhaps, never known in any
a.yc OF counvrys) opposed to the Wild
aud disorglnizing opinioas Of demo-
cs9.s and Acohins And what ofno-
J.ity CT 9. ari@to1r2cy dc they as
sune or affect : They az brethren,
possessing equal poweYs and acknow-
l=deing Ch-syt Only IS their Lord and
Muster and averse fro1a all hieracr!iical
systems. They wish neither ler kings,
lords. torhissops. Thcy are flTrnds
ofreligicus Freedom and universal toll
GRAFTON. Were tley not decided sup
p5r.crs oftge cause Of iioSrty in I775}
lnfuerc "a bv the Same principles. they
are now fhs Jealous advocates OF ration
Il, repsfoican freedom but at the
same lime, Ito their honor be it sadly
they are opposed to all licentious
and skePical opinions, to all anarchy
and misrule. And for this they are OBJ
lects ot democratic hatred and SANDER.
Hence the unprincipled deraagogue,
who rises upon the ruin of others, and
whose object It IS to deceive the igno-
rant, IS sure 70 be the enemy Of learn
"a, pious clergy. For while true re-
Ggion and learning prevail, democracy
viii not much increase: while the pee
pie are favored with Pioas enlightened
christian teachers, the intriguing demo
Graf has little hope of success.
TO dencniinate Jesus Christ dem7-
era, md q esscrt 1s taught democracy,
70 say the least oft, is ridiculous in the
extreme. One might aswell call Ts0al-
a. PGiae q christian. Christ came not
10 teach men political, but religious
sentiments And he gave no opinion
respecting forms OF civil government.
Iris true there is nothing in christiani-
ty Inconsistent with republican princi-
plies. And It Is also true, that federal
rshH6i;ccns generally have ever been
the decided friends Of christianity, and
have advocated its support as the only
stable foundation of a free government.
The federalists are warmly attached to
the constitution Of this commonwealth,
IN which provision is made for the sup
port of christian ministers and christian
institutions and which requires also,
that our rulers should acknowledge this
divine religion tho it leaves every man
at perfect liberty to construe the bible
for himself, to form his own particular
creed, and to attach himself to any de-
nomination or sect he NAV chose.
But do not many of the leading dem
ocrats complain Of this part of our ex-
ceilent constitution {? Do they not con-
denim it as intolerant, merely because
1t rtq tires the people to support the
christian religion, while it preserves
the rights of conscience and of private
opinion most sacred Do they not re-
present the federal republicans as bigots
and Prosecutors for their attachment to
this article of the Constitution
Who, permit me to ask, who are the
apoIogiats of Thomas Paine, the open
and scurrilous reyiler of our holy relig-
ion : Federalists, or democrats Who
contend that religion is Of no benefit to
civil government and to society! And
that man viii be likely to be as good
ruler without religion as with it Who
approved OF the conduct of French Jae-
o5ins (not only for reforming the errors
Of popery) but for aboIishing the sab
bath and the affairs Of God +? Federalists