Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1809-01-23
PORTLAND RESoLUTYoNS.

PORTLAND RESOLUIlOJVS.
At a legal meeting of the inhabitants of the 1
town of Portland, duly notified and hold
en- on Tuesday, January IL, A. ID. 1909. at
10 O'Clock in the forenoon, at the Court
house in said town-To take into consid-
Grafton the disiresses ard difficulties our
citizens are involved in, By The present
measures of the government of the United
States
Also, To consider and determine on the pro-
prlety Of petitioning the Legislature o.
this Commonwealth, at their ne III session.
praying TOR the protection OF those rights
and privileges, guaranteed to the People, >,
both BY the Constitution of tins State, and
that of the United States and 10 act
thereon as he town shall Judge proper
Hon. SAMUEL FREEMAN, chosen Mod
orator,
Voted. That Committee be appointed
TO consider the subject, and report at the adj
Jou'nment.
The town then y Ted Daniel 7ueitr,
Samuel F,eman, r. -. Hgttins. SteGhen
Long eliorr, Waossasg ofer, Oliver Byay, and
Thomas 8,os0n. Committee fJs that pur
pose--and then adjourned to Thursday
next, at 10 o'clock, A. NJ.
Ihx,ssiag, 1an. 10, ls0o-The town met
according " adjournment, and the Com
mittee made Report as follows, viz.
THE Committee To whom was referred
tie second article contained in the Warrant
for calling this meeting, having duly consid-
cred the subject, beg leave To submit the
following Resolutions for the consideration
Of the Town.
Resolved. As the sense Of The Tawn, that
we contemplate with deep anxiety tie gross
violations of the Rights and Liberties Of the
American People, and that at no period
whatever have they been so dangerously AS
sailed, as at the present alarming crisis.
Resolved, That the Constitution of Gov
eminent solemnly adopted by the American
People, as the sacred compa CT 10 unite them
together as nation, mas been violated by the
present Administration, and an arbitrary
power erected, which forebodes its destruc-
zion.
Resotoea, That an Administration that is
regardless of the public welfare, and whose
measures are subversive Of the best inter-
es,s of a Community, tending TO extinguish
the spirit OF iaudable enterprise, and to par
ahze the hand Of industry. 10 NOT, canass ha
entitled to the support Of virtuous people
who were born free.
Resolved, That to the Commerce Of the
United States, under the smiles Of Provi-
denee, We owe the unexampied prosperity
which our country enjoyed from tie adop-
ton OF the Constitution, to the commeuce-
inent OF the present ADMINISTRATION. A
prosperity Of which history can shew NO
parallel, and wbsh might have been con-,
tinued by perseverance, in the same mag
unanimous pohcy, which characterized the
Administrations Of WAsulNcToS and AID.
ANS.
Reso!Ued, That many honest and virtuous
citizens have been deiuded by the misrep.
reservations ofthe present Administration
and that the extreme partialily manifested
towards one nation and hatred Ia another,
has furnished the American character. and
involved the people in difficulties from which
no common exertions can extricate them
Resolreh, That the several acts Of Con.
gress laying an Embargo, and proLibitiur
all foreign Commerce, by sea and land, are
neither founded in necessity, expediency, i
or good policy, and are gross violation Of |
our Constitutional Rights.
Resolced. That although we view with
anxious concern an enormous tcstruction of
property occasioned by the Embargo and
&c ruin of foreign trade We: these are mi.
nor considerations compared with our
gloom, and alarming apprehensions. For
when the Administration studiously con.
ceals the causes from the people, we can.
not bui fear that it is the result Of some Sc.
cret influence, which threatens the total
destruction Of American Liberty.
Resolved, That under the pressure of our
calaml,ies we contemplate with horror a
e0nscripaon of an hundred thousand men. by
a reqmsinon OF Congress, which does not
eondescend TO inform the p>ople for what
service they are destined .--Aad now an
additional number of sif,y thousand for some
secret object, constituting Sfassing a,,uy
in time of peace. Calling to mind the first
advances towards tyranny in France, we
cannot reflect upon these measures OF cur
own government, but with The same feed.
i"gs winch animated the bosoms Of our "a.
Tiers, in their glorious struggle for f,te.o,,
and Independence.