Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1813-11-01
RisrfiLnv,
MO- IVES.

1t IS sometime SAIL ia we are bourd ;.
support and sppross If the preseni ADM i,
ttstion, because our fulegs n'y- good men
nvns, and a.e actuatrd ., Pee motives
rns argument ( I i. mAJ - go hsd) Ma.
usec in the leg,sls. u e Of thus siste. in tie
bate on The Reconnaissance to Congress, by
the Rev. Mr.. Merrill and ohess, Who al. ~
the habit of claiming much f. them<elve,
and heir friends on the score Ofgosd inten
,ions-snd they really seemed to ,hink II NJ.
snsw rable W, often hear The same car
from q her quarie.s.
Admi ing all that is misunderstanding
the best of motives 10 those who d,rec, cur
governmcpl-- h reason does this Afford
tina, we s.ioulh colnbide IN their views aid
favor their m ssurss 1 he mora quan,y u
actions is undoubtedly TO be dste mined b,
the mott, IS Of the agent but political me-
sures, SO tar IS they regard tie ubhc, -,
70 be Judged of onl) BY their tendency and
effects. Legislators may enact go)u Va
from bad motives, and bad laws .-om good
motIves-The effect upon their cons isuents
il not thereby In The less, altered II a.
wen possible &C b.l,cve that hose, ~hs :,
with full understanding Of Tue suit, ect, vo.
ted for the late disniefing fsrps of this Sac
--scted with upnBut an entions would II
render those laws just and eqssl Would
such n belief have induced one homes mn
TO oppose their repeal, We are 10 de
eide upon public measures BY then tenden
cy and operation. and leave tie motives
which p odnced them, to the consciences Of
their authors. Motives determine the cha
acter of men. but not the nature OF meaeuf =.
We conhne msdmen and axe rszors from
children, not because we dis,rust heir in
tenuons, but because we are strsid of then
sclions. The Qnakers are doubtless actu
ated by The Test Of motives, in their endeay.
ors 20 abolish personal slavery. " il lhey
were TO succeed according TO their wishes,
and procure fiia immediate relesse OF III the
slaves in tie Union. the Southern Stateg
would become alo-ler St. Domingo-
scene OF blood and confagrstlon. Men often
do mischief when hey mean to do good
M.ny Of The eninen, men IN France, who
stirred up the doctrines of instruction, and
set tue world on fire, had rs pure motives
as ever influenced wiser men. The evils,
which they oeoasioned, are, however, IS
real end as dreadful as II they had been de.
signed.
In general, fanatics, both religious and po
litlc.l, are men Of good ln,en IONS YET
luGit tbHu1IA ID floiC u Dt u tsutu Aifafi
that of any o,her set OF men. Their zeal
and honesty have proselyting efiect-.nd
conscious OF meaning wet., they rush IN.
ward with boidness propOr;ioned 20 their
blindness. Cool, calculating political kns,es
very seldom will do mischief for lis own
sske--and as they generally have sense.
they Can Iii soover lbat u IS for their inter.
est TO avoid mIschief. Blu, the sincere, hon.
est fanatic rushes directly forward, and re
CARDS not The consequences he does what
he thinks is his duty. and, 10 use hls own
language, he "lea,es the even. with Cor
L has been very justly remarked tina, the
piOnsers of revolution in every comfy III.
Specializing, visionary phIlosphers, Who al
lure and seGuce ihe un linking part OF man
knd--sre, for The most part, men OF ,i,u
ous lives, and upright int,n ions The evils
OF which n e. have been TIE cause, surely
do nor, or that sceoeni, call tor our sppro
baton.
For the last thirty years, philosophers
have turned their principal susn,ion TO fab
ficstng OF new ,l,eoiies in religion, and
particularly IN gove, nment. Had they con-
tinued TO Imuse themselves wi h their csta.
g0ries and predicAments, they might have
been harmless iunslIcs. But in llyvlr polil :
iSsl speculs,ions, they have become "un.
willing to learn wisdom from The past, and,
ike anatomisls, make experiments on the
desd--ihey seem To demand The world to-
museum. and he living for d,ssc elton, tpd
Ike The restless. iron tongue vi death, 10
call tor millions Mt a neal
We must estimate political measures by
their consequences. However rure We be
lie I've are The in enlion, If our adtntuistration
ye, # we mud that their course OF policy has
destroyed our prosp er,,, and involved
us IN wsr and disgrace, we surely are not
bound 20 approve IL, The notion is absurd
and weak 10 the ere ne. - DedhGm Gag.