Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1808-09-05
- ooDCECfGeJG9J5 -
COM1IUNICAITONS.
FOR THE GAZETTE

y
the spirit Of that address, the people will
richly deserve tyrant's yoke, for they will
be utterly incapable either of understand
ing, or enjoying liberty. It's prominent
points shall be considered.
First. The address " assures the p0Eti-
cal guide and guardian of our beloved coun-
try, of" their entire confidence in the wis
dom and prudent policy Of the measures of
his administration" &c. On this part a
few questions will be asked, addressed u
the sober sense Of every man, who feels i'll.
terested in the happiness of his country,
and has deep conviction Of the Importance
of wise and good rulers.-Is he a good and
faithful guide to his country, who certaink
! leads the people BY wav, which they know
not whose course is dark, as the path of
the wandering benighted traveller in a for
est; who, though the servanf Of the people,
gives no account Of his views, motives or
designs, but requires his constituents to
Weld implicit obedience to his will, and re-
/ pose unlimited confidence in his wisdom
4 and patriotism Is not this trae picture
Of the present political guide ofhis country
Have not many highly important measures
been adopted under the veil Of secrecy by
those very men, who III former days cried
lies ought to have no secrets? Now then
let us apply their doctrine home 70 their 90
SONS BY their own declaration our pres
ent guide is no republican, for ne ID fill IF SCI
cyets, and his friends may at their election
call him an aYistocrat, monarch, or desbot,
for one Of these he must be according to
their own doctrine. Is either Of these char
acters a good guide for republicans Be
~ hot &C
such, that they fear TO disclose, and Of
course portend evil to the country since,
if they were not Of this nature, they would,
by virtue Of the maxim above mentioned,
that " repubGcans should have no secrets"
be revealed to the people. Most assuredly
then the conclusion follows, that these adj
dressers grossly violate their own tavourite
principles and il also follows, that our
present Chief Magistrate is neither good
political guide, nor guardian TO his beloved
country, and consequently, that republicans
7 themselves, exclusively so called, cannot
on their own ground have 4" confidence" Ell
Their in the Z" wisdom" or (" prudent policy
/ of the measures of his administration. =
Let the plain good sense ofmy countrymen
consider well these things.
Secondly. We rejoice in the sacrifice,
which continues the peace and Independence
of America, averts the calamities Of war
/ from our shores" &c. How does the En-
barge continue the peace of America If
it had not been laid, woud Great-Britain
have declared war against US The demo-
! Gratis know she would not And they fur
tier knozv, that very advantageous treaty,
| concluded with that government by Mon
| roe, was rejected by the Executive, by
which treaty, peace and a valuable free
trade would have been secured to the Uni
ted States. Does the Embargo preserve
us from a war with France If Buona-
parties power were equal to his ambition,
| would our Embargo secure us from tnvasion
Surely not. How is the Independence Of A.
merica continued by this measure "A sove-
reign, independent nation has an unaliena-
bic right to navigate the ocean, and carry
on legitimate, fair trade with other coun.
tries according to the laws " nations. An
embargo, by suspending the exercise OF
| this national right, il seems, preserves and
continues the independence Of America !!!
| No, my countrymen, the Independence Of
your country is Frustrated by this measure,
instead of being preserved. In former pc
RODS Of our republic, when our commerce
was molested by European powers, spirit
breast, save a certain part Of the communi
ty, who then as now, were friends 70
| France, and deadly foes to Brtaln and a
navy sprung with astonishing rapidity into
! existence. Merchants were permitted to
arm their vessels, and defend them against
all attacks millions for defence, not a
cent for tribute,'' was the universal CRY a.
mong the friends of their country and a
~ q 70 ~
tanned in consequence Of the vigorous, en-
ergetiC, resolute measures or our govern
ment The idea Of preserving our indie
pendence by an Embargo is therefore palpa.
bly, absurd and ridiculous. A familiar case
Will Illustrate this truth.-Two farmers, A
al q ID, have a common and equal right ID
take fish in river. B molests "A in the
N exercise Of his privileges, by force dcprives
him of his fish, and destroys his boat "A
rs independent Of B, and holds his right in
as absolute and extensive a manner as B.
al, instead Of obliging u to make repara-
ton, ana to leave aim to the free ENJOY
ment of his right, retires to his house,
quits TIE river. foregoes all the profit of the
fishing, and, proudly seated in his elbow
chair, enjoys il security hS--indepcn-
dence This is an exact description OF the
CaiOOI ~ VIC A. 'itDdl XIV IA HS SCLfAlB LuC HI
: dependence Of the United States. Let any
one point out its incorrectneS9.
Thirdly. GIVE sincerely yebtobate the
1numwings which have reached the ear
of the Executive from several maritime
tozyns in the Conlm6n-geaLA Of Massachusetts,
tending to excite in the people q spirit fire.
f pintng and diStuyt, to destroy their merited
confidence in their rulers, and to encourage
disregard and disobc dience Of the laws. \"
Z On reading this sentence one is at loss,
which most deserves eXecration, its inso-
lent assumption Of authority, Or its slayish
spirit. The breast Of every freeman must
thrOb with Indignation at the perusal. Let
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