Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1809-08-28

NJ e,niry requires. / contend ior itc
pan, FOR the system Of govethms IT, which
the constitution & the situation OF tie m
ten rcquire; and hot for tie promotion oi
men, or fer any untried experiment. :"
When a course is pursued, than which
know none evidently bettee--let who vii
execute The functions of government, | an
then enlisted to support il. Whoa an iene-
my Insults, or commits hosiiilics on my
country, am then enlisted 10 support the
dignity, the character, and the rights OF ms
government. When demagogues sttempt
Tie ruin Of the people, by deceirins them, l
an then enlisted, boldly enlisted, TO " bat
lie the watch" with them. was never
pledged 20 any man. men, or party of men,
save unfortunately to every real patriot.
| was never encouraged Of invited ito
write for the papers :" was never rewar-
ded for IT. am not known to the public,
exceptin my political borrowed name and
whether, in the public's estimation, shall
weigh well, or kick the BEAM" interests
none but nyself The editor 10 whom | en-.
trust my fragments, acts his own pleasure,
in giving them to the Public, or to the
flames,
Though approve, as Yet, of the tenor of
Mr. Madison's management, as President,
| fancy it not improper 10 remind my read.
ers. and need only remind them. that al
ways most heartily disapproved ofthe tenor
OF his predecessors administration, which
has had. in my opinion. the whole human a :
gency in bringing the ration into dismal
swamp The non.intercourse l originally
disapproved. Things have changed. Our
country's political aspect is materially al.
tered. And, as in domestic life, / never
suffer myself to be troubled with misfor
tunes that are passed, and which cannot be
remedisd, but always make it my study to
manage the present with discretion, and
aim to avoid the folles and misfortunes of
future days SO in political affairs, lei lis
not heap the sins of one President upon his
successor, nor drag past evils into the pres
ent scene of action to clog the machine of
state. Not that could relard the course
tie government intend pursuing but the
public sentiment rules in Tins country,
thence it should be led with cautious
step. We should ,iew things a, they are,
not as they have been. Let US throw old
preJadices aside let ~ draw the curtain
over what has been so long an eye sore K
with an impartial but watehful eye, careful.
ly and candidy examine the condrticn-the
posture in which the nation now stands &
then ask ourselves, What better could have
been done
do not hesitate to say, that the revival
oil the non-inte rcourse is As proper step.
az could IT present have been taken by the
President, consistent with the honour and
dignity of government. The nation has
been drawn into an unusual posture view
the government now, or rather at the time
when the president issued his proclamation,
to have been in as critical, and as odd an
attitude, though not dangerous, as it ever
was in since its establishment, had not tho
president had the power he has exercised.
A course Of measures dictated by Jolly, du-
picity, cozenage, and pusllanimity, has
dragged the nation over stumps, boys, and
through mire, into this hobble, as the plow-
rnsnssys. But our study should ne,r re, how
to extricate ourselves.
find ON perusal of. the non.intercourse
acts, that as Congress, in their &C, of March
lst, left commerce renewable, by the Pres.
Ident. with whichever belligerent that
should make certain notifications, or raih-
er abrogations Of their blockading edicts,
50 called so, in their act OF juno 28'h, they
left commerce prohibi,able, by the Presi-
dent, on The non abrogation of such edicts.
The Pre'iden; had power. by the act of
March LIST, TO renew commerce with either
OF the belligerent powers, i { certain mndifi-
cations or reyocations Of their edic,s were
effected, whereby our commerce would re-
main uncbstructed And by the set of June
29h, Congress did not interfere, with their
power, to diminish or enlarge it. Thence
tia; power, according to the proper con-
struotion of all laws alike Unlimited in their
specifications, yeqai,et-not merely empow-
cred, optionaliy--but required, that, in case
certain distractions we're not removed, CON-
merce should remain shut. For if no con-
oessioR, no new modification of either OF
the belligerent's edicts had been obtained,
the president would certainly have exceed
ed bis power. by keeping tina, commerce o.
pen, which the act itself, that gave him that
power, was enacted TO occladc. to shut
Here one reason OF M approval rests !; the