The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-06-21
DOMESTIC.
MASSACHUSETTS, LEGISLATURE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Tuesday, June 7.

| MOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
H. Tuesday, June 7.
At 10o'clock agreeably to notification, His
Excelency the Governor preceded by the
Sheriff, and accompanied by the Council,
met the two branches and delivered the fol-
lowing
SPEECH -
Gentlemen Of the SENATE and Gentlemen
ofMe House. IF REPKEsEN4A4IvEs.
Having been informed by vour Joint COM
mittee, that the two branches of the Legisla-
/ ture were ready to receive any cOmmuniCa-
tons from the Governor, which he might
have to make to them / requested YOU to
allow me the honor of meeting YOU at this
time and place. This practice has been re-
ispected in the days OF safety and prosperity,
as well as in the periods when our country
was involved i'll dangers and difficulties. 1t
might be justified by common usage to sub
Unit 70 your consideration the particular bust
! ness which conceive to be necessary to YOUR
deliberations in the present session, and to
call your attention to no other subject.
! The method which am urged by the ex-
| iSencles OF the country TO pursue, does by no
means exclude me from laying before YOU, by
| special messages, the particular concerns of
| the commonwealth but in the present cri-
| teal state Of our national affairs, the COM
! munication made with this formaity, to the
| Senate and House of Representatives, by the
| Governor, is to be understood as commu-
nicatlon 10 their constituents at large. Our
fellow citizens stand anxiously waiting for
that intelligence, which a speech from the
Chair, and the replies from the two Houses,
Ihav give them at this moInenyous crisis
| Holding in sacred respect, the morality
. and policy of the declaration Of independence
, (subscribed with uneXamp!ed forttude, by
the members of our General Congress, on
! the 9Th day of July, 1776,) as the foundation
of our national and state constitutions of CO.
vernment; shall give you in as few words
as possible, lily ideas of The Importance oe
! supporting our rank in the full exercise of
our sovereignty, AS one OF the nations of the
world; my approximations of the dangers by
WHICH our national character may be over
/ thrown; and my sentiments of the measures
necessary to its preservation.
Though al true Americans would depre-
cate the idea of becoming subjects of foreign
power, vet our situation in regard to our TO-
reign relations, is such, that the pubic OBI
Mon, formed from the pressing feelings Of
a temporary necessity, or from a mistaken
| view Of the advantages of foreign connecti-
ons, may betray us into errors. which NAV
| involve US and our posterity in disgrace and
misery, tor many years to come.
When orr highly respected leader, Presi-
dent Washington, retired from the laborious
charge ofpublic duties he did not lay aside
his anxiety for his country, or cease to ex-
press his apprehenSions of that danger, which
might result from her foreign connexions as
we'll as from her internal divisions. The adj
dress OF that Prtriot, on his retirement, ou.hs
to be studied by succeeding generations, and
held in high respect as the perfect creed
of American politics.
Whatever may be the advantages of one
nation over another as to climate, numbers,
wealth or force, yet, in point of National
Rights, all must be on the same grade of E.
quality. To depart from this rule in the
most minute degree, would lay the nation
departing from it PROSTATE at the foot Of ano-
ther.-Sovereignty is the vital principle of
national existence; and though in it's exer-
cise. over its own subjects, it may, for their
convenience and safety, admit of modifica-
tons as to its coercive procedures, yet in re-
gard to other nations, the principle must re-
main entire, exercised by its own will, con-
trol!ed by itself alone, or the nation loses its
character, and ceases to exist as separate
power.
From the erroneous impressions that NAV
be made on the public opinion, in the pre-
sent eventful age of the world, arise appre-
tensions of the dangers we may be in from
foreign relations.
Foreign relations originate prmarilY, i'm
the law of nature and natons-princip.e of
this law establish the rights OF eparate pow
ers.
But with the greatest part of the Europe
an nations, ou" relations as a foreign power,
are enlarged or modified, by treaties of ami
~ and commerce Yet the existing embar-
easements of our trade, result, as well from
unprecedented infringe ments of our claims
founded in the law of nations, as in the vio-
lation of those treaties in which our govern
ment Thought itself secure.
K would be tedious TO detail, in this ad-
dress, the Orders and DEGREES of the two
principal bel gcgcnt powers in Europe up to
this day; by which the rights of the United
States, W tn those Of other neutral nations.
have been violated and trampled upon. Nor
can it be material for us % examine which
Of those powers was Original in the injury
since the unju tihlblc conduct Of the first
can afford no justification as it regards us, for
the other.-Mi sch less is it our duty to inu,iirc
which OF those powers is morally, or politi-
cslly wrong in regard to Che other; because
they are equally independent Of us, and have
not submitted their controversies to our medi-
alton
But II still bcomes us to be acquainted
with those measures in which we are now o.
bHgcd to feel 50 deep IN interest.
The method which has becN adopted BY
France and England against neutral nations.
IN 10 k.f II, Il Al.