Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1809-10-09

q pei I'll of Aataits saNt 81 aOds@ ~
lone with 10y could ]. have been sure
Of a successor whose sentiments were
Is eonlotmable to mine as he hnem
mine 70 BE- 10 his" This sentence
carries with il two-fold iniaaily--ita
author accuses Washington OF leliring
from Office 10 get rid Of the perplexi-
ties OF serving his country, and confess
es that if he could have found man
who would have succeeded him and
whose sentiments were in unison with
MS own. he would ha' e done the like
himself. To leave the helm of state
to be directed by an inexperienced
hand merely on account OF the perplca
ilies attendant OH its government, has
not single sesug- OF patriotism III II.
II is selfish, base aid sel,lle--an ex-
preston which Washington, would
have disdained 10 think Of and which
Adams in his better days would not
have written. When Washineton was
about to step into the shade OF retirc-
ment he congratulated his fe.low-eiti-
zens on the issue To which their affairs
were brought--that the embarrassing
situation in Which his country lately
stood xas changed aha his services
might nowhr dispensed with. So fond
had he ever bcen of sccIuse life that
at the election before, he had prepared
an address expressive of the idea OF
retirement, but which was prevented
from being published because there
then existed those pcrplexities which
Adams says he retired to get rid Of
-Four years more he served his country
settled our differences with England
by the. Jay treaty-placed commerce
on stediast foundation, and agricul-
, ture in state OF prosperity-published
his legacy and reiired.-This legacy
contains the following reasons for his
retirement, which overturn The idle no.
ton OF his leaving public business be.
cause some ofHcious fellows vexed
and tortured" him. Adams says"
rejoice" said Washington, {" that the
state OF your concerns external as well
as internal no longer renders the pur-
suit of inclination Incompatible with
the sen,iment," SC. The state Of our
concerns external and internal were
brought to thai issue, thai inclination
and propriety united in permitting him
to retire. Had there been such "yex-
atoms s toltures" as Adams Describes,
Washington would have been needed
to regulate the internal concerns"
which they must necessarily occasion.
But Washington says further, " | am
persuaded that whatever partiality may
be retained for my service, that in the
present circumstances of cur country,
you will not disapprove OF my deter
mination to retire" Here he describes
our country in happy situation, winch
could not have been the case had there
existed at the seat Of government such
rottenness of heart and revolutions
zing disposition as Adams intimates,
and which he owns was nearly as great
in Washington's day OF public trust as
IN his own. And further Washington
declared, every day the increasing
weight of years admonishes more and
more that the shade OF retirement is as
necessary to me as it will be welcome"
Unless Washington were guilty of dis
stimulation or Adams has made ran
dom statement we have an inconsistent
ey before US. Our departed chief, had
he been tortured & vexed" as Adams
says he was, would have written thus,
every day the increasing weight of
HaniIton's opportunities and the OPP
position to my measures, which tue
heads Of department witness in their
unprincipled conduct, admcnish me
more and more to retire" What a
contrast oil sentiment But great as
it is the proportion does not exceed the
difference between the real facts and
Adams assertions.-Did Washington
now know that he was believed to be
so great coward as Adams has repre-
sented, his departed spirit would emit
a sigh for deluded America-his voice
If he could speak would say, ]" Go read
the address | have left you and think
no more quilted public life through
temporal fear-Vltness my life in war
when Armstrong vexed me, and when
il fortunes and vexations could have
driven me from serving my country |
should have resigned" But alas [. he
can never revisit our terrestrial DWELL
ings--yet forty-iive years public SER
vice and his writings SO plenty among
Us, speak a language too plain to be
misunderstood. His recommending
those who had been attached to his per-