Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1810-06-11
5peecD ::
Gentlemrn of TIE Senate, and


the Office Of thsIr fupreme executive mag
itrate, an honor at this period increafld
by the exiting Gate Of our public affairs, |
! have accepted the important trut with
! that gratitude, which is due to iuch diftin-
! guiihed confidence with that diffidence
which is fearful to do wrong and with
| that fclictude, which is infeparable from a
fincere delire TO do right.
In this enlightened age of the world,
the criteria for Judging of rulers. are their
! meafiIres, not their profeflions thoie only
| then, whole conduct is candid, upright and
honorable, can enjoy, either the happinets
| of contcious re6itude, or the pleaing ex-
pettaton, of the appreciation, elteem, aud
fupport Of their fellow-citiZens. And
ihould their rule be meritoriOus, how of
! ten do circumstances of public nature
occur, which leave 10 government choice
! only of evils; deeply affecting the feelings
and intereits of the people, and producing
jealouies, difcontents and oppoiition
Such of late has been the fate of our
national concerns, and the coniequent di-
viions have exhibited prolpetts Of ferrous
alarm-is if not the duty of the Truttees
and liberties Of the people, to deftroy if
poiIible this germ Of political contuhon,
and at the fhrne of public fafety, honor,
and welfare, to facrifice all private and To-
cal views, prejudices, and diicordant paf-
iions
If have formed juft climate of the
characters whom ] addrefs, there cannot
exit folitary doubt, that in puriu't 10
deeply interelting 10 the public, Regardless
Of political diftinctions, they will Co-ope-
rate with me, in attaining thefe important
objects and to fecure fucceis, let the
mantle Of friendihip be drawn over pait
obnoxious meaiures, and our exertions be
directed to prevent their repetition.
Whatever may be the points of differ
ence between parties, in this they will un
doubtedly agree, that uni0n IS the TItaI
principle Of liberty for as well may the
phylical body have being without air, as
the body-politic of our republic, without
that principle.
From time immemorial, the iucce fsful
maxim of ambition has been " to divide
and conquer !" aud even free governments
have 70 far fan6tioned it, for preventing
the union, and preierving the iubordina-
tion Of their colonies, as TO difiemlnate
iealouies amongf them.
Such was the policy of Great Britain
for retaining the colonies which hrlt form
the United States policy which, in the
early period of their feparation from her,
eXpoied them TO imminent danger, and
was their mott formidable foe.
But the good fenfe Of the colonilts pre-
vailed aud with population exceeding
two millions of inhabitants with eXecu-
tives and judiciaries, ,almoft wholly oppofed
to them; with regal troops in their for
treiies, cities and principal towns, to awe
and controul them with few arms, and
military flores; and without public funds,
or an organized government 10 conduct
their operations they adopted this motto,
4" United we tand, divided we fall !" and
their union fucceisfully commenced, and
triumphantIy terminated in the the revolu-
tionary war. Had party fpirit then pre-
vailed, it would have been fatal it wonld
have plunged the patriots into the abyfs of
irretrievdble iervtude It would have ex-
changed their exalted ttation Of man, for
that of fenielefs Automata-and even ce-
mented as the United States now are, BY
excellent federal and fate contributions, If
the inviEbie hand Of foreign influence, or
if deep-rooted domeitic preiudices aud an
imOfties ihould obtain the aicendency,
they will too late dilcover, that tbe IoE of
A,li5a Is tbe Eo6 Of liberty i: for however
remote we are from foreign nations, or
lulled by proipetts of their fieudihip,
4, IN
wars mutt enlue, and foon convert this
beautiful, populous, and cultivated coun-
Try, into barren depopulated waite.
But Will not foreign powers, viewing as
they do theie llourilhing commercial itates
with the invidiouS eye of competitors,
feiZe the frf favorable opportunity, for
deitroying their competition And with
! what cafe will they effect il, fhould one
Z feeding iectioo Of the Confederacy, re-
/ quiriug sn equal number to oppofeit, leave
| but remnant of the nation to reft for
| eign iavaion.
( IF We take view of the two gigantic
! combattants of Europe, France and Great
/ Britain nations to whom al Others are
mott indebted for their progreEs ID arts and
! licences, and for thoie uieful difc0veIies
and improvements which adorn fociety
and promote human happiness nations
unTvalled by land and BY lea who in their
Conflicts have nearly detl,oyed the inde-
pendeuce Of continental Europe, and
threaten that of ihe'other quarters Of the
globe; if we reflect on the meafures o
their mighty governments, we cannot toC
deeply regret that they have lctt fight o
their own dignity and honor: Or why Ok
they not apply. the powers eutruaed thcn
by divine Providence, to complete, not th,