Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1808-10-03
-s=sHENkE@,-



TO The Editor Of The Portland Gazette.
FROM THE WOODS, 8TH SEPT. 1908.
The leading democrats, not content.
ed by the ordinary means of recon-
mendlng themselves to office by virtu.
Gus conduct in aiding the execution
OF the laws, took very different rout
their object was to change the admins
tration, and get President who, by
feeling obligated to them, would by way
OF remuneration, give them every Of
hce they coveted. Madison was among
this class. Having become unpopular
In Congress, and but secondary char
acter, under GallatinS with his party,
retired to Virginia, and there procured
his election IN the assembly Of delegates
In the legislature of that state. There
he discovered the same disposition to
thwart the laws Of the United States
that he had manifested while member
OF Congress +; and the better to recon-
mend himself TO the party opposed to
the general government, he undertook
the defence of certain resolutions that
had before passed the assembly of that
state, and sent to the legislatures Of
the other states for their appreciation,
but which were treated with contempt
by many. He was the chairman of
committee TO whom those resolutions
were referred, and upon which he made
laboured report the next session. In
thus report, after much sophistry and
speculation, he brought himself to the
conclusion, thar z1feneUer IL hahhened
thar either branch ofthe federal govern
n1ezt might nor hare duly di8charFed IFS
trust, IL zUas natural and hroter, mat ac-
eordfng 10 the cause and degree oftheir
faults, they should be brought INFO con-
tempt Or disrefFHte, and incur the hatred
Of the heotle and that 7Uhether such
faults or violations Of duty as zvould JUS
my me hatred Of the heohie are az any
time committed, By either branch Of Con-
gress, or the President, can orliy be de-
ternnned by a free e-raminatitn and COM
fnuiication among the feotlLe: and 7uhen
this, in fact, should be Tire case, it becomes
the duty, as zveH as the right Of ii7telH-
gent, faithful citizens, 10 discuss e hro-
D1utgdte them freely, as zveH 10 control
them BY the censorship ofhu6Ec ottim0n,
as 10 Promote a remedy according 10 the
rRles Of the constitution and that IL
cannot Be avoided, bHt those zuho are 10
GfliLy the remedy must feel CONTEMPT
and hatred agafnSf The fran8gressora.--
| have not the report before me, but /
believe | have given you the substance
of its conclusion, which was undoubt-
edly intended to bring the then Presi.
dent and the federal naorities in the
two houses of Congress into contempt
and hatred Of the people, or in other
words, to displace the administration to
make way for themselves, Now, sir,
It's possible, that when Calender and
jefferson were publishing The Proshect
before rs, they were really convinced
that John Adams was hoGry headed in
ce7idiary; and consequently, under
Madison's report, it was not only their
right TO publish il, but it also became
their duty to make others believe it,
that they too might hate and contemn
him. This conclusion on Madison's
premises will not be denied but, sir,
they must take the bitter with the
sweet. This rule being laid down in
solemn legislative manner, must, like
a good pruning knife, cut both ways, or
not at all. If it was right for the de-
mocrats to use II against the ftGeralists,
viii the democrats deny the right to
federalists TO use it 1t cannot BE- now
denied the federalists, against the de-
mocrats. Let the same rule BE apDh-
ed TO Madison, who, as secretary of
state, declared 10 one Of the represen-
ta'iyes OF the people, that Froqcc 7pant-
cd money and she must hare IL. Now on
his own principles, ought not this man
to be held in contempt and haired 81 the
he0tle, whose votes he is expecting TO
make him President sYbat will not
the man, who made tbs declaration