Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1806-12-08
leoIittfaI sDistFIIanv.
FROM THE N. =. SPECTATOR.

! CASTING an eye over the hitory
Of our politics Gnce the revolution,
nothing ftrikes US more forcibly, than
the falie coloring given to federal
meafures under ali their modih-
cations, and at all periods. After
Great Britain had acknowledged our
independence, The tumuIt of war
having fub1ded, the question arofe
on the nomentous fubie6t Of a gov
eminent TO harmonic our difcord-
ant interests, 10 cement the bonds
Of equal inrercorrGe, and to fuper-
fcede the former confederation,
which was falling to pieces from its
own fragility. The laurelled heroes
returning from victory, with the IA
ges, who had entered the cabinet un-
appalled, in the hour of general def
pondency, were looked to as the
guarantees of our high wrought
hopes and the pillars Of our politi-
cal fecurity. They were named by
the people to devite for us fyGem
Of government adapted to our ext
gences, graduated by the fpirit Of the
country, and luch as by its durability
might not yield to the dilgrlce of
beng only al experiment. They
met. Warrington appeared at their
head in the councils of peace, as he
had done before in the more terr16c,
bur not more arduou5, councils Of
war. Our Prelcnt contribution was
| the product Of their wildom. 1t
was lcns forth TO the people. They
weighed it. Their intercHs, and the
interrls Of their poltcrity, were mea-
fura5!y poifrd upon their decilion.
The various turrs Of augmentation,
which were drawn forth al that preg-
nanr CriGs, now awakened The lem
peits of in patient iolicitu9e; now al
layed the umult CT overweight ap-
| PrehenGon. The Duke of Suliy
fayS, THAI " reafon, although it flow
iy appears in tumultuous aflemblies,
yet forces itlelf at lait TO be feen and
acknowledged and, after long op-
| petition, it follows through neceiiiry."
1t was thus in this inftance. The
good fcnfe Of our fellow-citizens at
length prevailed our contribution
was adopted.
Here we find the origin Of our
! political difinctions. Thole, who
had been efficient in framing it &C
cording to its fpirit as finally fettlcd,
and thole, who had advocated its a
doption, were very properly ftyled,
| feder4Hf5: thofe, who had oppoled it
in its progreiS, and inveighed agalnit
its charaderiftics, were with equal
propr;ety lty,ed assti1fcderahfs. here
the Aurora Of democracy, may fay
Of iacobinilm and infatuation, frf
tinged our horizon. Its irf bluihes
were feductive although unalarming
but 1t foon glowcd with the horrors
of flaming vault. A battery was
opened upon federal gestlemen for
advocating ariItocratical doctrines, as
was falleIy allcrted, in the dilcuihoDs,
which were had in the convention Of
delegates for fettling preliminary
| principles. They were ftigmatized !;
nay even execrated. On the heads,
whitened in the labors Of their coun-
try, were imPrecated all the maledic-
lions which could be invented by IA
sanic inveteracy Whoever had fup-
ported the contribution vas arraigned
with the acrimony of.Periecution, and
the fcurrility Of flander. No one
was venerable in the eyes of thefe a.
buGve declaimerS purity was revil-
ed, and innocence afail.d. Feeling
the fpirit Of domination, they endca-
voured to renG in tatters the conffi-
tutional texture, before it was fairly
completed knowing that energetic
government and web ordered laws
were hottie TO the anticipations of
| their DEGENERATE ambition.