Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1812-09-07
ADDRESS
70 fhr LHha5ifGEfs Of shs Cgm1r7 ~ Ca,s-
5erland.

subject deeply interesting "a yourselves
and your County. crisis has arrived M
the affairs cf The nation, involving yCn dear.
ct Interests end the fate ~ your asteritv-
Your beloved country has been recently plum
ged into an unnecessary and ruirou4
War.
This war is an 9ftnsive one Such a war
ought never to be declared without the clear.
est and most conclusive proof Of Is Justice
and eXPediency. III a dceEsiye wsr, YOU
would nUl hesitate moment ID hazard lUu.
property and YOUR lives.
You are fu'lg sensible nf your own. ard
your COuntry's calamities. II becomes
you then seriously and dsnassiona.elv IA
enquire into Tie causes which have pr0du.
ced the present disastrous state cf things
and to ply, 80 far - lies IN your power lie
constitutional remedies
Ne attribute most az the evils you now
suffer, and those with which YOU arc thFes-
tened, ID the unwIse and inpolttic measures
Of the Administration. On TINS subject, vo1
will DECIDE foryourselves But plain and
unvorn.shed statement Of facts sn 90 youn1
injury, and may aid some OF you in The ior-
ma ION If 4 correct opinion.
The FIRST and most important enquiry u.
what are the Causes Of this War The sd.
m.nistralion have assigned tie following ~
the principal Causes
The Orders III Council,
The Is1prt IS nent of our SesmC1,
The Blockade Of 1905
The Orders ia Council which were allied.
ged to Be TIE ,inoiesi ceus- of Tie War,
are revohed. Their revocation took place q
few days subsequent to ihe Declaration of
q Ice.
this been official.y communicated III the Pre-
sident-That these Orders rendered de.
clsratior Of war either expedient or necessa.
fy, we can never admit. But il has now be-
come unnecessary 10 devote much time %
this topick The principal cause a he
War hsyIhr been removed, the remaining
subjects ofdifIerence. between the Two ma
tions can be easily adjusted, provided the
Administration are sincerely disposed 20 Ell
feet an accommodation. Should they either
neglect or refuse 10 embrace so favourable an
opportunity OF concluding Peace. what will
be your conclusions, your sentiments and
your feelings
On the subject impressment, your pas.
slons have been excited, when your reason
ought 70 have been addressed. Great Bril-
tain has never claimed the right Of impress
ing our sea'ler. She only claims the right
OF taking her GUN. She cone ends that she has
right to the services of oil her subjects, es-
pecially in time ar War-Other European
nations exercise the ssTne right. France
has always done IL. II Is nothing to us whe-
Their the principle be well founded or not,
provided other nations, N its application, do
not interfere with our rights. The naval Of
hcers of Great Britain have unquestIonably
abused this right. In many instaneAs, liner
icdR Sraner have been impressed. Sach
violations Of individual and national rights
can never be justified But let rs enquire
Does not the British Government disapprove
Of the conduct 0f her Officers, in impress-
ing American seamen Has she not sl-
ways been willing TO restore them whenever
full proof Of their citizenship has been eX'
hibred The fact ~, that thousands VI tore
eigners have obtained American Protecionj'
This Is the root Of the evil. Let the prn-
ciple be established. that the flag shall pro-
tect Oh who sail under Il, and your seameh
will he out ofemploy. British deserters wa
supply their places Are you wiling thar
foreig Hers should exclude your seamen from
the merchant service Can sou blame Great
Britain for tempting TO rec yer her o1sA
sea1nen, when her commerce and her nAvy'
are the foundation of',ler power, anu essen
tisl ID her very existence
Protection is dly which every hauo0
owes toits subjects. Should Great b.it4M
neglect to restore our seamen on proper aP-
nIication ~ refuse u make any Arrangement
on the subject Of inpressment, theh We
should have Iust cause Of War. nut has sha
ever refused? Have you not been informed
nv Mr. Munr0e. the present Secretary MI
State. that during his embassy The British
Government proposed an arrangement onthis
subiect. which he believed would be saiis-
c.ctory IN this Country. This proposal was
rejected by our government. y IS periecl'I
well known that Great Britain has 'waJ5
manifested disposition to make an arrange
rhent on this subject
improvement has sfforded ground ofeom'
plsint ever since Tie estshiishFenl ~ oe-
Government. Il was prsc,ised during me
administrations III Washington snd Adan''
Il was not then considered IS sufHciehl
cause Of War. II has not t.i lately been in
considered by the present adm'nisTatlo'"
II was not Sd considered ~ thc ume III ~.
Erskine's arrange ment--ft csn be a0JuS
by ne gotiation- Why then Should me ""
be continued on account q imPre ssmeH'
when we can obtain better terms by lm a0
dia,e regodation than we probably shAl =
the end fthe war
The number Impressed esmen has On
greatly exaggerated Those OF you who h''S
been engaged in Commerce have had 81 N
portunity Of being wellinformed on Tins suo-
iect. Has IL NOT been extremely rare M
hear Of the inpressment Of any o. youF fiil l'
and neighbors. MANY Of whom have - olsen
trayersed the ocean Is Il not singular tDa5
the loudest complaints on this subject snou'.
issue from the interior, from the ewes AAa