Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1806-12-29
15o!itifal Pisfellanp.
FROM THE NETWORK HERALD.
Presidents Message.

HAVING dhpoicd OF "the dittI-
culties in our foreign relations in a
very eafy manner, that is by laying
nothing preeife about them, the pref
ident haftily turns to the difficulties
in our domeific relations.
The firf thing that prefents is the
Burr conPracy, 70 called. This dar-
ing plot, he fays he has taken means
TO defeat by proclamation and by
fPecial orders to take meafnres for
preventing and Lor] fupprefing the
enterprise. So far 70 good. Soon
afterwards the preGdent, very unex-
peffedly, axis Congress whether I" it
would not be falutary to give the
means Of preventing the commifion
Of the crime [of infurrr6ion or en-.
terprize on the public peace or fate,
ty?] Where an enterprise (he tells
theml IS meditated by private indi-
vidualS againf foreign nation, in
amity with the United States, powers
of prevention, 70 a certain extent are
given by the laws. Would they NOT
be as Reasonable and uieful {afks be)
where the enterprise preparing is a
gainit the United States I"
1t is feH evident truth, that eve
ry nation is under moral obligation
to provide for its felf prefervation,
and as a confeqnence, thar it has
right TO make uie ofalI proper means
necehary to that end it is alfo
truth nor to be controyerted, that
when nation confers the chief ma
giitracy upon any individual, he is
thereby inveited with IFS rights and
ailume8 its obligations. +" HE is Ito
ufe the language Of an eminent civil
ian) the depolitory Of the empire cd
of the power of commanding what
ever relates to the public welfare !;
he ought, therefore, as tender and
a wife father, and as faithful ad-
mlnlitrator, TO watch for the nation,
to take care Of, and pre(erve it, to
render it more perfe&, to better its
itate, and to fcnre 1t, as much as he IS
able, from eOery thing thai threatens its
Jgtety or its hqppnsG." If this be
found law, and that it is, no man,
we believe, will at this day deny,
the PreGdent of the United States
was already, as incident to his office,
equally inveaed with the power and
Of courfe with the means of PREVENT
ing any infurre6tion or enterprise on
the public peace or fafety, as for pun.
Thing tie crime when committed.
If Mr.. Jeferfon really doubted this,
it berays a difgraceful ignorance of
national law and Of the duties Of his
itation, not 20 have been fufpected.
We confefs, however, Our fufpicions
are of another fort.
Let it be remembered, that +" ear
ly lall winter, at the city Of Wafh-
ipgton, Col. Burr opened to Gener-
al Eaton project tor revolutionizing
the weltern country F.; Operating it
from the union, efablilhing a mon
archy there Of which he was to be
the head /; Organizing force on the
MiGflippi, and extending his con-
quef to Mexico.
Here then was a project made
known for difmembering the empire
which was efficiently diiclofed to the
PRECEDENT 70 have excited his attention
Eaton told him that if Burr was
not difpofed of, we fhouId within
eighteen months have an infurrection
if not a revolution on the MilliGppi."
Our good prefldent replied, that :" he
had too much confidence in the infor-
nation, integrity and attachment of
the people Of that country to the
Union to admit of an apprehension of