Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1808-02-08

If this inquiry should be gone into fairl
~ snccrely-if tie house should NANTES
hat independence, which in case 50 il .
n"lta't they ought to exercise, he would
stu have strong hopes Of the Salvation O:
The country. 1t is here (said he) in TIL
house, that the country I'm their hour of dan
Ecr IS I'd ~ saved, II il can be saved at All.
us mere alone that corruption and venalit
can 5e arrested and exposed cGectualv-
Ifr had been tbc more anxious I'd see thi.
inquiry take nroper course from the cir
Cnmstance3 which had preceded the chargc.
before the house. The violated Constitu
ttn q onr countrv-the bleeding charter O.
our rights have long since called for pro
ceedirTs Of decisive character. If the
constitution was mere paDcr which might at
any time be IT, IMPLIED or at the caprice Of q
military commarder-if It ,-as only made. to
be broken, WHY lei us (s.id he) talk no more
OF il. Let the nation submit in silence. But
when Tic f1Undjn the Declaration at indie
pcndence that among the causes assigned
for nc separation Of this from the, mother
cClrltry, were these, "she has effected to
render the military independent Of ana su-
pcrior T. The civil powcr." He has given
lis assent for transporting men beyond the
eas to be tried f1r pretended otfences--that
these among others were the allcdEed as
well rs true reasons for destroying the po-
ltical bonds IF scciety-as sufficient for
throwing of our allegiance And nnen, af-
ter al this he had seen, not great and
powerful government. but q mere military
commander committing he same enornities
d ~ Nj
ole was 50 debased that they id not cry
ont with mceasirg scnsihility at these To-
2atiOns 0f Our rights After IN this, he was
disposed to say that the officer could not
think himself treated !arshtv Nv an inquiry
into the particular charge before this house.
Consulting the constitution lie found that
the people were rot content with the orig
inal articles. hut others had been added af-
forwards, particularly and carefully Provl-
ding that mo person should be deprived OF
LIE, liberty o. property, without due pro-
cess Oh lava protection f"r which orc
rvould almost mink Ao constitutional decla-
ration. eesrry. TVS right-this inherent
right, which had been so scdulouslv guard
e., had been violated wantonly without the
slightest octasio4. he EyantednO evidence
Of this. Ii had not been done ~ corner;
bot in the noon day, in the face OF the whole
American people. Alter such conduct II
vas astonishing the officer had been per-
lnitted To exist as military commander
He wa, ast0nisled that the necessity o.
making the present nqulry should exist n
this d'y. He considered him who had per-
Inittcd lis continuance in Office after such
atrocities, as scarcely less culpaLle than the
offender. When (hc asked was the cup
az guilt ID tc fun When was the wound
al Coustitut. ln of the country TO receive the
leang balm II the house were not to
stand up IN such case rs the guardians OF
the conslltU ion, when, IN the name Of Cod
would they 10 it, You have q ZEN (saldhe)
the Emperor Of France 60 on step BY step,
until lie has erected the most perfect 'ron
military despCtism on earth. And did he
ever want pPctenccs for his usurPation
l7 nor never would.
IN p;diCn which sybmired g tire trs<
violation NJ i,s constitution was ruined tor
ever. Lc' as once permit tie military 70
hec. me tanIlar with violations OF II, end
thet are E.miial with III forever Those
military gentlemen who he'd ac.ed n Their
proper sphere who had fought for their
co,Ir.rv-who would protect rather than vl-
o,atc tie cunst tuition, should always have
his court~..ancc and support And ~ the
present crisis he would go as far = any one
III providing for them better support than
they ecei,cd at present. But when they
tsGsgressed tlcir proper limits, when they
intcrtrrcd with tit rights Of the civil magis-
t7..te. when they laid ride hands o., the con-
=-i;uUons, every honest man must become
then fog. because the rights Of every hon
est man u,.c il danger from them
Ul7n tie whole, he thought taat every
gentleman on the foor must BE- satisfied,
that the SAT-, IF the nation dcmaNdeT an
efIcctuai inquiry, ttat even those who telta
disposition ID apologize for the conduct Of
the of-e could MT be satisfied Unless
such an irquiry took place. As one mem
Der Of tits grand inquest Of the nation, lie
had seen and heard enough to vote II favor
of IT, ~ much Lad appeared, that it IL
came impossible to 60 either 70 the RS
hand or Tie left Whatever the result was,
1t WIS equally important to the nation. Il
would either show that the commander in
chief was entitled 10 its confidence, or IT'S
forces would be commanded by . man q
more fidelity ana iatcgrity-One who was
worthy to lead his followers 20 Honor and !
Glory.