Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1813-06-14
l,cisIatl,re Of fpassarbuserts.
ANSWER
4, yHs SEsA7s OF MASSACHUSETTS,
TO THE
GOVERNORS SPEECH.
ANSWER

GOV EkNoh al IL LSlls
NJ, i please yoar ExeeilIey,
"V ruiz senate of Massachuseus have
,our Excellency, at the opening of the
.as ..snt nol,,ical year, with The most lively
ps o,;ons of re spect and affection, and with
~, ,b.nkfulness 10 the Author Of all
IL Car your re election 10 the Office o.
g., ,tay;srrste, In this event, 30 eropi.
,:a,,. N ,he best interests of our country,
=. 5scern satisfactory evidence of the
s.'.,s ADD intelligence of our fellow CIT Gems
nd ore can assure your Excellency, that
,he enlightened people OF this Common.
ss.l,h have witnessed your administration,
during the past year, not Only with entire
.porobation, but with the warmest senh-
m,nt, of venerstion and gratitude The
cheeralness, vilh which your Fxce'lency
h.. ,csin accepted this high and RESPONSE
M once. doubly arduous at this perllous
,,.,s of our affairs, 10 a renewed proof OF
,he pure and exalted patriotism for which
pur E1cellency has ever been distinguish
" n. ssc.,e consider the view whic,a
your Exceliency, in your communication to
he Legislature, has taken OF The causes
which have produced the present calam''
tous situation Of the country, to DC so clear
comprehensive, that il would be difficult
TO make any observations in their answer,
which your Exceilency has not anticipated.
A irequen, recurrence 10 the principles
ofour Constitutions is necessary to a proper
understanding and support OF our rights and
privileges. -
That the freedom Of speech and Of The
press is essential to The preservation OF our
!ee governments that all political power
bderyed from the people :-tbst they may
resume the trust which was delegated for
,her welfare, wherever it shall be excrci.
ed to their ruin and that allegiance and
pntec.ion are reciprocal---are positions IN
shch all agrees
These rights are indeed liable TO abuse.
The freedom of speech may degenerate IN .
Ecsn,iousness and the inherent right OF
The PEOPLE TO alter and amend their systems
Of Government, may be perverted TO the
purposes of ambition. But notwithstand'
ing the difficulties and dangers which must
be encountered for the attainment and sup
por Of Civil Liberty. yet its blessings are
ifull reward for ell the care and exertion
Necessary 20 its preservation
The Constitution of the United States was
he result of ,nutusl fo,bearsnce aud liberal
cAmrromise. There were however certain
Srst interests, Which were understood TO
slam its peculiar regard.
Among the mos, prominent Of these were
The encours cement and protection of CONF
nsrce..This was justly considered by the N
Englsnd and navigating States. as AN indis.
pensable condition OF The compact II was
commerce which gave value 10 their enter
prize and aericuitrse and so careful were
they to guard this sinew Of their strength,
thata provision was introduced lnIo the
Constitution itself, exsmp,ing sll ports
from duly. This regard 10 commerce was
not novel for in he Declaration Of indie
pendence it forms conspicuous allegation
against Great Britain, hat she had cut Of
our trade with all paris Of the world.
Ills not to be supposed that the ns,igs'
ting States would have adopted the consi
tu,ionif they had forseen that The effect OF
Il would be The destruction Of their com.
merce
4 Soon sfter the constitution went into op.
Grafton the war in Europe broke out, spd
she eilizehs oftbe United States were ne
csssarily sffeo ted by is consequences'
II was then tina, the patriotism & firmnsss
o'Wshngton were AGAIN :ried. Moved by
cpsiierslions Of Justice % well ss OF policy,
no. outstanding The embarrassment of 4
nw.rtul oppo,i ion. & with m as and re.
eurces inconsidersble, compared with
nose which were in The power oflhe pres.
a' sdmns.rs,ion--be took and maintained
We ground of an impartial neutrality
The state Of prosperity which followed
ps magnsnlmous course, was unexsmpled
Inc history Of the world.
hwas empt siicaiy the golden age. Our
rmmerce Was extended lhrough the world,
leniy rewatdlng the labour and enterprise
zoe isrmer and the merchant, and furnish.
Bsouooant revenues for the support of
so'erhment. With such an example be
~'e Men, wss il TO have been expected
laN any Administration under circumstances
r"V similar, would pursue an opposite
y0cy Could 1t have been believed that
original ground snd bond Of union
/ Nuid Dc abandoned Ths, measures would
coopted and pursued with undertaking
sevesance ces,ruc;ive Of Our commercial
"an,sges that q naval defence should
mon'y DC neglected but represented rs an
n"agant snd useless expenditure
twas naturally to be supposed that both
o'nsin and France would be DESTROYS
sne AID OF the United States in their san.
"Ary contest; but it was obviously the
NY a0d Tor The interest OF shs country to
man perfectly neutral. Why then has
.oua'ry been involved in war, especially
"Mat power whose means Of annoyance
ahs, ..ay exceed those possessed by the
was Great Britain selected for our
.y because she has paid less regard o
ea,les than France In the utter con-
IA,n,," her engage ments that free ships
dsIsS NIKE free goods, France has plum.
ws, anu conhscsted American property
~. s'er IL could be found. While one of
"n powers has, according to her a.