Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1808-06-20
Legislature o. aPasSacbISstt5.

THURSDAY, JUNE 9,

reported the following AnGwer thereto; and
which was accepted :-
ANSWER OF THE SENATE.
Ifay Il Psqe y7n EncsLency,
THE Senate receive, with the
',;gh degree Of attention and refpe6t
~hich are ever due to the Chief
alagiitrate Of Ma8acbujctts, the
Communication which your Excel
lency has been pleaied to addreis TO
them, in common with the Houle of
Representatives., and which, from
the very critical and momentous
Gtuation of our public affairs, is rem
dercd peculiarly interefting at the
prefent moment.
The Senate are happy to notice,
that the Communication made TO
them at this time, is TO be conheer-
ed as a Communication made to their
confituents at large. In govern
ments in which all power emanates
from the people, in which they have
uncomfortable, an unalicnable right,
TO reform, alter, or totally change
the form of government, and in
which public ag ants are at all times
accountable to them, the people have
a right to expect from their rulers,
frequent, fair and impartial fate
ments Of the Gtuation Of public af-
fairs in order that they may be
enabled, inteiligently and fuitably,
to improve the important rights they
have retained and lecured to them
ielves By their contributions, in the
Election of their public officers ; and
whenever fuch communication is
unduIy withheld, jealousies and fuf-
picions are engendered, which,
whether well or i'll founded, una
voidably produce disadvantageous
efe4 on the public tranquility.
In an enlightened community,
where the citizens can have but one
common intereR, if the means Of
information are opened to them, they
are capable of duly eliminating, and
are the bef Judges of their own pc
culiar intereits and altho' no gov
eminent can be effectively admin-
Uttered, without a certain degree Of
reliance being rePofsd in thofe to
whom it has been con6ded, yet,
while this petition is admitted in its
limited extent, the people Of this
country will ever conGder, that a
blind confidence being given to, Or
required by any fet of rulers, mutt
be conGdered as more nearly refcm-
bling an attribute Of Defpotifn, than
as tie evidence Of free, pure, and
elective Republic.
The embarrafments in our for
eign relations, the infringements Of
cur rights, and the violation Of our
national dignity, by other powers,
and the reltrictions on our com
merce, are all Of them, fubjc6tS Of
the highef intereh and will receive
that attention which their importance
merits.
In the concerns Of nations, as with
thole of individuals, equal and exact
juffice to all, and corresponding
refpe6t for our'elves, in requiring
Mat from others, which we are viii
ling to accord TO them, fhould be the
rule of our conduct.
In the prefent fate of the world,
il is however to be feared, that little
Is to be expected from appeals to
reaiun, unlels they are in lome de-
gree, fupPorted by an ability to en-
force them.
The great powers of Europe, en-
gagged in a fanguinary and revenge
tsi war, feem 10 conhderthe inter-
efs Of all other nations as totally
merged, the moment they come into
competition with their views or OBJ
jeas-thus conducting, it is the du-
ty Of every nation having relations
with them, to be prepared TO rely
on its vwn refources for the fupport
Of IFS own rights aud the Senate
Of MaGschuletts will rejoice to fee
the Union placed in tate of de-
;cuee, which, if location fhould un-
sagsrg require 1t, may enable the