Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1812-02-10
LNFORMERS.

Among the demoralizing effects Of the
restrictive system which for long time has
been cOrrupting, impoverishing, and dIspir-
lung our Country, none IS more pernicious
than the encouragement it has given 70
most abandoned set Of men we mean In
formers These mlnions Of power, gener-
all! speaking, would sell their country for
few pieces OF silver" as readily as Judas
sod his master. The vocation is so mean,
SD communicating, that, were even an honest
man To engage In il, every virtuous princI
pie would soon be eradicsted from his bo-
som and as 10 those who enter upon this
vocation with corrupt vluAIed minds (Which
A. generally the case) il gives scope TO their
worst passions, and increases their deprayl!y
tenfold. The celebrated Dean Swift de.
clared The whole tribe of inlormers to be
" he most Gecursed, prostitute, and abandoned
race thai God ever t-rnithei 10 Ip.d5ae man
kind" lniormers by profession, whether
the happen TO live IN Britain, IN Ireland, or
in France, are limb for limb the same be
inSs; the mere gernlin Of the body poll.
tic
We know not in what particular manner
other governments encourage this pestilent
race. We know not in what manner Bona
parte remunerates his informers In France,
where more than every tenth man, perhaps,
IS a constituted spy upon his neighbours.
gu. We do know that here at home, nfol IN.
erS experience The liber-lty Of government
N manner the most extraordinary, in
mAnner hat is probably unprecedented in
tie history OF nations. The monstrOus sys-
TEN OF espionage in our couatry, originated
with Mr. Gaila,in, man deeply skilled in
gallo lore. In M. CAliatin's Report, De.
cember IL, 1919. lie SAWS" Il is believed
" tnat an abandonment ~ tic " States Of
their share % the penalties and torfeIures
" which may be incurred, and lhe dlstiiLu-
" uoh Of these, sccUt,!IFg 10 Inc circulnstan-
" ces % the case, amongst The collectors,
" The other custom house officers, tie in.
"spectOIs. who have heretofore had no
" share, and the infornle'S, would en~ure a
"greater degree Of zeal and vigilance in de.
iecting and preventing infractionS Of the
" law Itus tie collectors, the Ojber Gus
tom house officers, tie inst eCto, 5, and, TO-
Eether with them, every mjScreant oulc6st
who turns Iniormct, made the 6ri5eI
spies OF The government Like privateers-
men, proving about for piundcr Their
vigilance is quickened, not from motives of
du,y, but from the more powerful spur of
avarice and cupidi,y. Ii any one should
lead this life for SIX months together, and be
not rogue at lest, he would need, with res.
pect 10 integrity, no further term Uf proha-
ton. The truth of it is, the Government
has seen fiji 10 lead these men isto tempts.
tioa, 5y making It their pecuniary interest 10
employ every low and dirty art TO ensnare
their fellow citizens. This memoirs able in.
sltution may be properly termed The Ma
tiOnai Schoo! Of Vice.
This GeneVan sorpse, it would seem, is
shortly 70 he reinforced, and its powers and
enlarged. Mr.. Gallatin having
found that hi. first essay has not been re-
sisted, (tor poor Brooks was shot not for re-
sIsting, but tor running y he - hence en-
coursged 10 give his system such vigour SIS
TO make it Cqsal any thing whatsoever OF
foreign .'faEzfaeiare, not excepting even that
ot F,ance, 1t the Secretarys proposed
Forcing Get should go into full effect, these |
gentry, am ngsl their other exclusive priv |
iisges, would have the power @ break open |
our dwelling houses. BY day u by night, and |
10 scrutinze every rom, every chesI, trunk,
desk or drawer. Ihs Is IhiaS not an |