Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1807-03-23

the State, has been alledged against
Governor STRONG. His administra-
ton has been mild and prosperous f;
business has been dispatched with reg
ulality, and the public debt reduced.
No new burthens have been imposed
upon you ; and the utmost readiness
has been exhibited, on all occasions, to
comply with the laws OF United
States, and to facilitate the measures Of
our national government. Under these
circumstances, it is matter Of aston
ishment, even to those who have most
frequently contemplated the instability
Of popular favor, and the success Of
falsehood and intrigue, to behold the
progress made in seducing great por-
ton of the people from their adher-
ence to man and an administration
i without spot and blameless," and in
transferring their favor to one, who is
acknowledged to be not 50 good and
their hopes to a future administration,
which cannot POSSIBLY BE- bitter.
The grievances under which free
people labor, though sometimes the off
spring Of unavoidable circumstances,
are generally imputed to the fault of
the government and it is not unusual,
that those who are concerned III its adj
ministration, should become victims to
Calamltles which they could not pre-
vent. But when no grievances exist !;
when there is nothing to be redressed
OF reformed when no oppressive law
has been passed no executive act re-
pretended no new imposition made
or suggested when under such cir
Cumstances we perceive men strug-
Cling to effect change Of Governors,
as if their lives and liberties were at
stake, we have right 10 impute to their
leaders, motives which do not appear ;
and to their followers fatal creduitv
and love Of change, which tends to dis
courage good men from engaging in
the public service, and to trasfer the
honors and Offices of the country to the
worst part Of its inhabitants.
In such situutiOn,it is the plain dictate
Of common sense, that each man should
enquire, what injuries he or his neigh
bors have experienced, and what bene-
fits he or they may reasonably expect
from change Of men il he finds 10
cause Of complaint in the circle of his
own peighborhood, no injustice, no op-
preston, let him next inquire Of the
jealous partizans and leading men,
[when they cry against the Governor,
cruelty him cruelty him y why,
what evil hath he done :" And if In
stead Of pointing out instances Of mis-
conduct, they can only suggest loose
and unsupported hints. If while they
acknowledge that all has hitherto gone
well, they barely intimate their own
vain and affected fears for the future
If the sum total Of all their objections
III, that the Chief Magistrate does not
pm is faith upon the sleeve of any po-
ltic4l soct, but thinks and reasons for
ims.lEi is fair to conclude, that their
views are selfish and cir pretensions
10 patriotism a mere cloak to their
schemes Of ambition.
There was, the last year, reason to
fear that the hostility Of Mr. SulFvan'S
leading partizans to the Constitution,
and their disrespect for the rights Of
the people, though suspected, could
not be proved, until they should fully
| succeed in their object, and then the
| proof would have been to late But
fortunately for our fcIIow-citizons, the
views of these men have been fully
disclosed before they have been perfect
" accomplished. Intoxicated with a
partial success, they have pr5matureiy
displayed want Of moderation, and 4
fragrant disregard for the Constitution,
which shews them TO be utterly unfit
and unsafe to be trusted with the pow
ers of governmental support OF
these assertions, YOU are respectfully in
vited to a concise retrospect Of the pro-
ccedings of the Legislature during the
last political year
On the first Monday Of April, the
people exercised THEN right Of electing
a Chief Magistrate according to the
established usage, and the terms Of the
Constitution, and, by very decid-
ed majority, chose their old, tried,
faithful, and patriotic friend, CA
LEB STRONG, for their Governor.
Through the supineness and lnatten-
tion OF the federalists in certain dis
tricts, the democrats had majority
of one in the Senate and greater ma
iority In the House of Representatives