Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1811-12-02

;ng tie present attitude al tic nation
,,,insl Grea; Britain. To settle wish
MI Oh any terms, that she can contcde
-. consistent with her security, would
H. 70 become federallsts--to merge all
distinctions Of party, and trust 10 merit
eor poDular favour. My life Oh i, Inc
resent ruling party will never do this
I.is supposing that protligate, hypo-
critical Set oF men, who have used the
worst means to set into power, viii, at
once use the best % reIlNlulsh Il IN
consistent as is the human character,
,hsrr never was found in the annals OF
society, such inconsistency as lhis. &c
assured no such prodigies are TO be eX-
Decled among the present rulers Of The
United States. Their popularity has
grown out Of the preludices they have
created ana tostered against England
Popuiar opinion, like comet descend
i.g from its aphelion, gains momentum
as i proceeds. Imagine for a moment,
Lat MIR, Madison and his train OF lead
ing adherents, were TO pause at the
tendency of their policy TO ruin, they
vou see that another ST., would I'm
inediately say--if they finch, .oe will
lot Mr.. Madison and his friends have
furnished the means Of politically ruin
Ing themselves, the instant they at
tempt to cheek or oppose the torrent
they have set in motion. Have we not
frequently seen how Immediately he is
threatened by more desperate men, If
for moment he Is suspected of wa
vering.
As certainly as we acknowledge c..
Britain Oh the footing of friend, so
certainly France becomes the aUoSed
eregly Of our country. The United
States 10 friendship with England and
at war with France, and what becomes
Of Democracy It's soul is gone--it
is extinct-its existence is not even
conceivable.
The question srises--how loEg can
this game be played This depending
on many contingencies, time cannot
be cohiectureG, but the circumstances
which will put an end to it, can be dis
unctly specified. We are now con-
tibuting all in our power Consistent
with the policy of our rulers to avoid all
wary TO the strengthening of France and
the weakening Of Great Britain
Whenever the statesmen ofEBgland are
ofopinien that we do her more injury,
thus, than we could by her considering
and treating US as enemies, she will
Giveu the choice of decisive accom-.
noda,iVns Oh such terms as she can
sccede to, or Of defending ourselves a
saInst her physical force.
Under such circumstances, what will
be the course oil the United States 3
] presume most of my readers may
Judge what will be the event by appeal.
ing to their own breasts. Do they nor
detect an emotion Of resentment, at the
very suggestion At the idea of strik
ing to present foe, the mind naturally
reyolts without examining causes, OF
degrading consequences. If the peo
pie Of the United States foIloy then
rulers 10 this point, they cannot stop
here. Many viii mourn the deplora
bic situation of cur cOuntry-manJ
will anticipate her miseries with des
pair--but the tempest will rage anC
carry all reflection before it. The pros
pect Of succeeding in concert with II
the world in prostrating the tyrant O
the seas will be painted in glowing co
lours--this is even done now. The
power Of the United States to aggran
disc herselfin territory viii be urgeC
with the strongest appeals to vanity
This is done now. The ability Of the
United States 10 exist, wholly indepen.
dent of q. Britain, viii be in the noun
o. every empty declaimer. 1t Is &
now. The result of the struggle, las
war viii be enforced as an earnest d
future victory. Is not this reasoning
always popular 7 With all these argu.
nents, will Mr.. Madison o. whoever
may fill his place want countenance il
proceeding to The last extremity We
arc not able to draw a different conclu.
sion.
But it is said that the President, who.
ever he may be, being man of infor-
nation, and knowing well that we have
made no provision for war--that we
have not the means of resistance and
that he cannot squeeze from the coun-
~ support for government and funds
tor the contest, viii endeayour to make
terms. What; begin to use efforts for
peace, when the nation is mad for