Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1808-04-04
Extraa ga letter fran W,lagjbington,
to the editor # the Z. S. Gazette,
dated March X.

Twenty weeks Of the sel1ion are
now pahed away, and where do we
find ourielves /? What has been
! done to answer the expectations Of
the country For ought that | can
difCrrH, on. affairs are no nearer an
iilue Of any sort than fix months ago.
The public know little more of their
real fituation, or of the probable d5s-
TIMES OF the country than at the
commencement Of the sellion.
Are We to have war or peace Is
the quetion which has been anxious.
| ly propounded BY every American
ince the 22d Of Taft June. But no
act of the government, nor any in
formation which they have condos
cended to pubiiih. furniihes any
ground for a rational and satisfactory
opinion. About once in two or
three weeks, the executive men come
out with violent war fpeeches, repre-
sc the nation in the utmof danger,
and urge the necetIty Of immediate
meatures of defence. There the
matter reits. Their spirit evaporates
in speech. No efficient meafures
are adopted none are proposed
They talk high, big, sounding words,
end either 90 nothing, or propose
fome petty, half way, deSpicable
meaiure, worfe than nothing
The only mealure of defence ad
opted This SeiIion, which has the as
pet Of ferioufnefs, is rhe appropria-
ton ofone million to tortify the ports
and harbours Of the United States.
but this Is serious only in appearance
I Though the law pafed about two
months ago, not itep has yet been
taken to lay out single dollar in
pursuance of its Provifons. Does
thus fact look like war This Fcrti-
fcation businefS is here we'll under
food. The great and influential fate
Of New York was unealy and matt
be quieted 1t was suPPofed that The
might, as heretofore, be gulled by a
little talk, and by an appropriation,
which will probably never be applied
The little sum which was Taft year
voted every body suPpofed, to be
chiefly applied az New York, has
been laid on; al New Orleans.
TIL president has lately recon-
mended an army Of s 900 men. A
bill to raife this folcFF has passed the
Sc ale, and is now before The hcufc
of Representatives under the auspices
Of Mir Dawson If we are in can-
ger, /, We are likely to have war, for
Gods sake let U, know it, let us
know where IS the danger, and raise
a military force adequate to the ext
gency IF there i tanser this force
Is totally inadequate if there |,
none, why is this litIe de.picaBe
force, with which suppose we are
to contend with The Kingdoms Of
Europe, so often rung in our ears ?
There is some thing in all this super
latiyely ridiculous. Are we with
this mighty force to fight England,
or France, or Spain Are we to
conquer Canada, or Florida, or Mex
/ leo, or our ed brethren in the Wen ?
! u it the ebiea to capture Gel. Burr,
or keep down the embargo difcon-
tents Let every candid, intelligent,
and rejecting man ask himfelf the
quenion, what can be the obi Ct of
this army What does all this
mean ? Do our rulers seriously ap
prehend war Are they in carneit
dispoied to prepare for war ? see
little in their dondutt TO evince a
dispoGuon ofthis sort ; their conduct
is Orange, unaccountable, mys;eri-
Gus. The dispatches of Armltrong
are no. disclosed They might per-
haps explain it.
If, for the lalt three months. our
preGdent had beer, infead of HON
as Jeferson,s procon. al from France,
educated in the school of laIleyraud,
could he have pursued course more
thoroughly Ftted to wirher the anews
Of individual prosperity and national
greatness, more adapted to break
down tie high American spirit, and
prepare Us for he abje6t condition
of Gallick despoiiini after all the