Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1812-08-31

The characters Of few -en, 50 much II
public life IS Madison has been for tn. fast
thirty years, are SO little known, at this time,
SIS his. Isdeed there seems 20 be spell
fixed upon the senses as well as on the un.
derstand.ng &C many people, in the II. States,
which prevents them from seeing, with
their eyes, the object directly before them;
Or hearing with their ears the voices pro-
claiming his dement's around them on every
side How true it l. that none are 50 blind
and deaf as those who wish neither 20 see
or hear. Here we see party spirit has be-
come devotion, and Madison is the grea. l.
dol. Surely as the prophets of Basl said to
the people OF their day, he is God and
they perseyered blndiy 10 believe IN their
Interested, deceiving priests, as many people
Of the present day do in the utility Of Madi-
sons administration through his interested
supporters, tlil the wrath Of Heaven was re-
vealed in their destruction. Shall we call
the existing war blessing or judgement
Madison has been taken for man of
great mlldness of temper; cool, moderate,
not given given 10 resen ment, but consiha-
ting-N0w those who are best acquainted
withhim know All this 10 be acquired b.
art ID fleeing these vtrfues ia his opposition
to The Washington system while in Con.
gress For after he placed himself in The
opposition, he very soon discovered, from
the turn public sffairs then took, that he
should never be able 10 regain the conf.
oence OF Washington OF any respectable
standing IN the estimation Of The party who
stood by and supported tsashiugtons Ad-
minlstrstIon and that the only way left
e. A. "
was, to put himself VI the head Of those
whom he saw were well disposed to become
a factiOa IN opposition to Washington. lie
could effect what he did not feel he was
well acquainted with tue causes by which
Demagogues rose into consequence in
Rome. He found il necessary therefore TO
effect all The milder virtues and with
pleasure he heard il sometimes observed Of
Washington that there ypas a degree If stern
ness IN hisVlrfues. But with all his art, it
was absurd, he never met with a defeat
in debate but TO hose near him he gave
unequvocal signs of resentment bordering
on malgnIty Of heart, that fully advertised
his opponents, if ever he got The lead in
the house, or in the Government, he would
sGtiate Ills vengefuli temper to the exterpa-
ton OF every one who dared to oppose his
wishes, as those who had been his ola o5bo-
mems. Modification & chagrn st not being
able to frustrate the plans and general Ad-
ministration of Washington and his imme-
date successor were among the principle
causes Of his leaving his seat in congress at
the time he did. Some others, his associ-
ates IN the faction OF those days, went out
OF Congress abDu. the same time, openly de-
clarlnE, they hsd less influence there against
The administration then they expected 10
md IN another place and that place was
the Legislature OF Virginia. Madison very
rightly presumed he could make more i'm
P esslon, from the house of delegates ofVir.
NINA, upon the minds Of Virginians, than he
could az that time, upon the people OF the
U: States, from The floor OF Congress In
this he vas not disappointed he soon rot
seat in the Virginia Legislature and was
made one OF s committee who, it vas,
thought neither sesittisn or treason 10 set ~
judgment on The Laws of the Uaiied Stotes
and TO recommend it to the citizens to cen.
sure and condemn them in certain cases,
ill the President and Congress itself should
DC brought into contempt and hatred.
The General embly Of Virginia IN I7oS
passed certain resouu0ns, which, by many
were considered IS having tendency Ia i'll
hame the minds ofpeopie against the Presi
deut and The laws of Congress but the
SUBJECT was referred to a special committee
to report on the same Of which committee
Madison was said ia The time, was one and
SO f. 80 stile and manner Of writing are
ground OF opinion, there can be no doubt.
but the report was his composition. The
report was submitted 20 The Legislature in
January 1900
IL will be recollccted at this time Mr..
Adams was president and M. Jefferson
wee President; and the people were pre-
Parlng Tor the election of these officers
The great Washington had been CON
mander m chief under Adams, President,
little before, and had most titty aud hoRora.
on dpprove@ Of Mr. dams administrator
and a. fully condemRed tie faction Of thar
time For the information Of those who
wish 70 see what evidence Madison then
gave OF disposition and temper TO submit
TO, and cause others quietly and patiently to
acqulesce IN the laws Of the II States when
in the opinion Of the people, they (the laws
or doings of the President or of either house
OF Congress) shall be evidential that the
President, or Congress or either house
~4Aa'i hol ia uuy hlsCharSSu tnSlF trusts,
and give the following extracts as the in.
stance OF his general positions. l most sim
cereiy wish the report could, at this time,
be read by every citizen Of the II. States.
They might then compare his sentiments,
on the right of the people 10 hold free dis
cusslon and propagation of their sentiments
"a the laws and doings Of Congress and lhe
President, with ms late denunceation Of the
protest Of The minority in Congress against
The war with England.
Whenever it may have happened, that