Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1810-02-05
FOR THE GAZETTE

II our Rulers are nav agitating the
momentous question of War or Peace,
and il there is reason to apprehend that
they are disposed to decide IL favor of
war, surely the heQhke ought not 10 be
Indifferent 10 the subject nor will
they, we trust, by their silence and APP
athy permit this incalculable evil to be
brought upon the country. If our
liberties are attacked if our ind-pen-
. dence is in danger, We know they WI |
not hesitate. In defence Of freedom,
they vii readily submit to danger and
- losses. But their patriotism and
good sense will direct them not to &C
0uiesce in war, to crafty the qOAims &
hrejudiceS of a few individuals, who
were the leaders of a. faction in the days
of Washln ron, and who it appears now
had rather The nation bleed than their
own reputation and honor be suspected.
1t would seem that our rulers are a.
ware there is no ust cause for 7Dar,
or they would not attempt IS they
do, to excite the passions of the people,
without giving them information.
If zgar were necessary 10 maintain
our freedom s independence, We ought
not to think Of its losses and evils. But
if we are to have 7var, to secure our
honor or to gain territory and property,
we had better take counsel OF our
reason and Judgment and consider
whether it be not more than probable
that after several years of hard fighting,
we shall not be obliged to set down
with poverty and disgrace.
We acknowledge that the British
have sometimes set up claims, which
we ought not to admit and that there
are instances of their agents and officers
insulting our government. At tires
they have attempted to exclude rs from
all trade with The colonies Of their enc
mics, and have insisted 1pon the right
7 OF searching for their seam-n IL our
morchnnt ships under circumstances,
which we ought not 10 allow. But Mey
long since manifested a readiness 10
suspend the execution Of these claims,
and to leave them for adjustment by
negotiation at the end Of the European
war. These points were SO well eX-
planned and guarded against by the
treaty of 1875, which had the appro-
baton of Washington, and by tnat made
by Munroe and Pinkney, that our inter-
ests and prosperity were fully secure.
Nor do they now insist upon these con-
ditions. They offer to wave them for
the present-permitting however what
is called an indirect colonial trade with
their enemies, and giving up the right
Of search upon the high seas even for
their own men. II IS said however,
that our rulers wish to avoid war with
England. Let the candid reflect upon
the following facts, and then decide
whether our administration has mana
ged it's concerns with G.. Britain, with
impartiality and fairness.
With France we have had solemn
treaty--yet this has been disregarded
and violated in thousand instances !;
our property detained, and sequestercd,
our vessels taken and burnt, the Berlin
and 1T.hl1, DEGREES, hostile to all neutral
fights, endured, with hardly a whis-
Der Of complaint. These are lightly
noticed by our rulers and if any re-
Inonstranccs have been made, they
have bsen treated with insult or neg
lcct b. his Inlherial Majesty. If our
rulers are really DESTROYS of maintain
Ing our neutral rights, why did they
not complain Of the Berlin decree,
which passed tzoetoe months before the
British Orders in Council issued