Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1808-06-13


| ftill encreafe. Europe will not be incau-
tious enough to urge us to the habit of
wearing the wool of our own Hocks, in
ftead of foreign cloths I; fpinning & weav-
ing our own fax, for our own dreis, weav-
ing our own cotton inftead of tending it to
be manufactured & dyed in Europe for us !;
/ opening the bofom of our own acres for
ores & coal, infead bringing wrought &
cat iron from Europe & feeding on the
fugar Of our own cane, & the milk Of our
own kline, inftead of foreign luxuries.
Though we zrdently with for Peace, we
ought to be prepared for war. Inffead of
calculating upon the fallacious aid offore-
ign alliance, our government is rafting for
ces and expects to make Tx hundred thou
fand militia the fource of our defence
| Thefe men, though not drilled in the ranks
of battle, have been trained to fu5ordina-
tion and habitnated to the ufe of arms
They rePrefent, in the field more than five
/ millions of free citizens, who are the fee
imple proPrietors Of the foil they cult
vate preferring death to nayery. Great
provifion is made for arming our militia,
and the Notifications of our principal fea-
ports are in Procefs.
The political fpeculators in France and
England calculate their fuccefs againft US,
without difguife, on our own factions and
| diVi6ons.
1t may be relied on, that neither the i'm
| prudent uie or abufe, of the freedom of the
prefs, can afford proof. by which fuppo-
iition 70 derogatory to our national char
4 az -. ~,
temporary arrangements OF local or party
diviiions, or the opprobrious appelations,
adopted from the warm breath Of patizans,
evince the exiffenCe of powerful faction
| againft their rational freedom. Foreign in
flnence and the fubtle addrefs of ambitious
men may lead too many ARRAY; but on
the nearer approach of public danger, the
great body of the people will be again
| united.
We cannot forget, that while the Uni
ted States were provinces and colonies,
complaints in regard to violations of char
ter and ftipulated right had no intermiliion
or that our independence has rolled on
the fmiling Anniversaries Of more than thir-
ty years, exhibiting greater quiet, lefs COM
motions, more fecurity to life and proper
| ty, and lefs oppression by taxes, than have
been found in any other country.
| Thefe obfervations naturally lead us TO
q recollection of meaiure Of our General
Government, to the expectancy and pro-
priety of which, not to IT'S conititutionali-
| ty, great OBJ dions h ave been made. The
| power OF an Embargo was exerciIed under
the administration Of Prefdent Wafhing-
ton, without fcruple but for the necefli-
ty OF its exerciie now, have no authority
| to decide.
As in my official capacity, IcouId have
no concern in the meafure, \ had no other
knowledge in regard to it than what had
by the fame means, and in common with
my fellow citizens.-I vixw the arreft of
our commerce as great calamity; but
from the confidence place in the govern
ment, j coniider it as intended for an ex-
Pedlent TO fave our navigation from the
unprOvoked depredations Of two mighty
powers, and to preferve our nation, if pof-
hble, from the Calamites Of foreign war.
feel IT my duty, therefore as citizen OF
the General Government, to fubmit TO il.
until the national authority fhall difpenft
with It, and TO participate quietly in the
evils reiutIng from it.-There were, nc
doubt, divifiOns Of opinion respecting the
act, when it was pai1ed and oppoitions
were made, becauie the authenticated do
cuments, orders and DEGREES from whence
the expediency of the meaiure was fuppo-
led to arife were rot before Cengreis but
the iyitem purified by France and England
ID their war againf zach other, and againft
nentrais, was well underitood. To allow
our merchants TO throw their immenfe
number Of vehels on the ocean, without
preparing far defence, notice of their dan
ger, or afiurances of protection, would
have been unpardonable in the govern.
ment. Thofe DEGREES and acts are now
before US have referred to them in or
der to give my fellow citizens an apportu-
! nifty to reflect on their own iituation as i
no7v IS ; and TO decide, each one for him.
ieif, what his own conduct ought to be, in
the Preient threatning afpeet Of public
| affairs.
lrely upon it, that meafures are taken,
which will foon give our government off,
cal information ofthe difpoGtions of thofe
nations towards us.-As to their DEGREES,
all the commerce of the United States with
all the world, excepting two or three pla
ces, Is Interdiefed by one or the other d
them.--lf they ihall not relax IN theil
meaiures towards us, our General Govern,
ment will have the expediency of contin.
uance OF the Embargo for longer time
properly before them.-The idea of a per
petuai Embargo is inadmif1ible-there car
be no lnducement to it-no individual car
derive any permanent advantage from m,
meaiure ;-the rulers can have none =
Whenever the difficulties from whence N,
neceility of the meafure is fuppoied TO =
ME, are removed or the meafure fails \
producing the end propofed, the relinouifb
ment of i isa thing of courfe.
should the nations have fpoken Of con
tinue their agereffions, very ferrous onci
l firms rnflH 1Y4IA