Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1809-10-30


NJ his own sentiments and opinions, polit.
cal as well as religious. Mr.. Adams Isl hot
1Iamable for putting rs thoughts on paper,
neither is his editor for publishing them
Nh Adams may injure himself. which
hinE 'e has 4 me, if he have sanctioned the
writings which bear his signature, and no
one should say, IT'S my right or business To
al him in question for that--and for that |
d. rot. But, he may injure The community.
IS we'll as hmselr--may wrong my country,
anl then have right to speak, for my du.
'ty calls. If my opinion of the tendency of
publishing his productions be erroneous,
yet, l-t me be treated with candour; for
M sentiments Of men and measures are as
dear to me, as even Mr. Adams are TO him.
Every man is tenacious of his own opinions;
therefore il he be worthy of any notice, he
SHOULD be treated with fairness.
Inteligen. men can disscct, weigh, and
properly estimate Mr.. Adams late writings,
with the same facility that an experienced
surgeon can anatomatize skeleton.
Thence, were we all we'll informed, l
should apprehcnd no evil consequences
from their PRONUNCIATION. But since,
Some are, and uiH be greater than HE ,est, ;"
and since the greater proportion Of our citi-
zens are both incapable and unwilling 10
scrutinize and trace the actions of their fel.
low creatures, from the csuse to the effect,
an able writer, and a servile editor, might
poison the minds Of millions of people, were
there none to stand sentinel, and strip the
fellow of his guise.
/ am far from wishing to charge Mr.. Adj
ans with corruption or intrigue. believe
him to deserve the name of neither Ba, a
child, or man in dotage. may, through g-
| norance or imbecility, administer as viru,ent
poison, as the most designing knave. II they
are once encouraged, they are generally
thence ungovcrnable. Ignorance and imbe-
cility may plead their pure intentions, Blu,
can be no excuse for the injury sustained.
ifany Of these remarks will apply to Mr..
| Adams, or to his late productions, let them
he cautiously weighed. Caution is the mo.
Their Of security. II is an idea of being al
ready secure, that draws people into slug
gish Incidence, and then the enemy preys
upon then.
| Great names often cover imposition. We
! implicitly receive and swallow that, as a
wholesome draught, from an eminent char
acter, which we should spurn from humble
honesty. A demagogue aims, first. to ac-
quire title, or sounding name : then steals
tho peoples hearts with kiss. And. in
fact, they seek 20 know no more Of the man.
What he says is gospel to them, and all his
actions are nobly christened. though begot-
ten by the devil, evilly performed, anil open
iy Ragtious. What he performs under the
specious name of "public SERVICE" is often
admired az the very deeds of God. I do not
now speak of Mr.. Adams he is no dema-
gogue. I speak of the influence of name .
generally. Strip all tina political writings
of modern days Of tseir names and god IA
theirs, and three fourths would be the ,iles.
oftrash.
The writings which have lately appeared
as Mr.. Adams, are tinged with spirit OF
disappointment. resentment, and mortiiics.
ton and bear indubitable marks ofintel-
lectual imbecil,y. own have not read all
of them but l have examined enough 10
know their character, and think can d.;
Germ their design. Therefore fear some in.
jury may arise to the community from their
,ciroua,ion. Mr.. Adams name is great, is
influential, and revered. The peoples dis
position and canaci,y IN examine every side.
ard to distinguish, are eo usl to the sight &
action Of tie mole.
A few stubborn facts viii give the inn
pan tisl reader striking feature in a gre a,
mans character. John Adams has ever
been deemed BY me, " a noile of nature =
vet. there are no abilities, 10 talents, no no.
bieness in man. without its fellow biem sh
and no human intellect secure from the o.
ver,urning bosom of time.
Mr.. Adams, through the whole Of his
public life, attached himself with warmth
and constsncy 10 the constitutional party IN
this government, the FrpsR.Lists. He
was esteemed, respected, anil supported,
by them solely he received from their
hands the first Offices in,he country
He now, in private lifs, In bis old age, IS
enlisted with his industrious pen in the
ranks of newspaper scriobiers, agains,
them.
During the whole Of his public life, the
jaco5ins and democrats, alias d;so,gaaisery,
continually abused hm-called him by all
the hard names scurrili,y could bring into
play, or malice invent.
All his Offices Of profit and honor, all his
4 q G