Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1810-01-15

AIR. Pinkney our minilier Ia London,
and the melI2ge ofthe PRECEDENT com
municated TO Congreis at the open
ing of this lelliion. | am not at pre-
! tent about 10 difpute whether an
/ adiuement Of differences was proba-
| bic | may even admit that after the
irritating and dfguhing circumitan-
ccs attending the correspondence be-
/ tween the Secretary Of State and Mr..
Jackfon, it was not probable that they
would have come to any dehnitive
adiuitment. And | am willing to
admit that MIR. Jackfon may have
waited for propofals to be made to
him as propoials were made TO
France, without this powers having
hrf made propofals to US, if do not
mitapprehend the PreGdent's mel-
fage.
Taking up this refolution and the
letter from the Secretary of State TO
Mr.. Pinkney, ak in the hrf place
what is the import of the reiolutlon ?
Is it merely approaching the conduct
of the PRECEDENT Of the United States
and manifestation of re:Ped and
deccrum towards him /? For myielf,
! if it be merely the language of appro-
baton of the conduct of the Pref
dent of the United States, am not
! making obje6tion to it on the ground
that we ought not to pats vote of
appreciation. | am afflicted with no
fcruples Of that fort. If gentlemen
who oppofed relolution of appro.
, baton at the lait fciIion chufe now
to fupport this relolution or the prin-
ciple which they then oppofed, it is
! not for me to Object to i; for fuch
cauie. If they are difpofld to con-
fder their former arguments as 70
many collections of fraw, it is not
for me TO deny to the gentlemen the
privilege of oyerturning and defroy-
ing fuch works of their own hands.
Nay-further-If this refolution is
to be conGdered as having the ma
ture of a Joint addrefs to the Pref
dent Of the United States, | make no
otje6tisnS on that account. Some
gentlemen may heretofore have
feemed to be afflicted at the manner
Of addreiiing the preident of tls u
nited States as being too adulatory.
| am not troubled with their paft
fcruples or the fubjea Of addrenes,
and, conGderlng this as joint ad-
drefs to the PRECEDENT, lhould make no
fuch objection.
If the principle Of appreciation be
confidered as involving an equal
right to cenfure, | make no objec-
ton to the refoution on that account.
But on this fubjed would be eau
tious, becaufe | might cenfurc
wrongly. The PreGdent might
have realons for his conduct which
did not know | would be cautious
allo, becaufc if | ihould cenlure
where cerhure ought not to be pro-
nounced, might DO injsry by con-
curing in procedure tending to d.
NINTH the confidence of the nation
in the chief magiitrate.
But this is NOT a refoIution mere
!y approbAtin- the conduit of the
PrefiIent of the United itates. II is
not called for by any thing which
has been done Il is not conforma-
bic to the true fpiri5 IF what has ia
k-n place It is rather reproachfuI
to the P'eGdcnt than honourlng him
with pralie 1t is a denunciation Of
a foreign miniiter here accredited !;
it is exprefed in language which our
chief magiitrate would not adopt in
his mehAge TO conprefs, and which
he did nor authorize in addrehing
our miniIter abroad Sir, public
min'fers and other public men may
be expofed 70 wrongs Of two kinds,
perfonal violence. and violence done
to their reputation. The cafe is rare
indeed in which a public minilter, a
Secretary of State or head Of anv
other department commits an Of
fence legally expoing him to corpo-
real punifEment. But on quefion
of decorum fhould we permit our