Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1814-12-05

Wctc prepared 10 dSSCpt IL Oh VI
had once been offered to them Viewing
their condua in this light, confidering
the feeble manner in which they had
conducted the war in all its fages-how
they had mifapplied the means, and ex.
haulted the refources of the COUNTY. in
fruitless attempts at conquef, which, It
fuccefsful, would be usclsfs and looking,
as he did, with ferrous alarm to the future
consequences Of their errors-he feIe
bound to exprefs an opinion thus pub.
licly, that they were not competent odi-
rect the afairs Of this nation in the pref
ent crifs, and that no national hope could
be entertained that any peace, which the
real friends of the country could approve,
would ever be obtained under their
aulpices..
With fuch iaprelions, and feeling, as
he did, little confidence that any means
which might be placed in the hands of the
administration for the ftpport of the war
and the defence of the country, would
be employed with any better effect than
heretofore, he had thought much of the
courfr which he ought to adopt when the
queltion Of fupplies ihould come before
the Houfe. The refult had been, thac
he fell it to be his duty to vote for the
(upplies, and to afill, as far as he wac
able, in the organization OF a lyttem of
revenue calculated to make thefe fupplies
certain and adequate. He ihould, there
fore, give his fuppors to fuch parts of the
plan of the committee Of WAYS and
Means as appeared to him to operate with
tolerabe equality on the different fections
of the Union and if he propofed any
alterations they would not be calculated
to diminifh the amount of revenue, bue
to vary the iources from which it was to
be drawn.
He was aware, Mr. O, faid that he
might be told that he had puriued DIFF
feren, courfe when the queftion Of fup-
plies was under confederation at former
FELTON, of Congrcts. He certainly had
doris To- and hence he felt it incum bent
on him to fate the reaions which actuat-
ed him on both occafions He trutted
hi, friends, with some of whom he might
differ on this point, would fee, from the
view he had taken in the courie Of his
remarks, that any change of conduct
which might be attributed to him IN thia
refred, had not arifen from any change
il. his opinions of The political character
of the administration
If any plan could be devifed for fur
mining and applying the fupplies for the
war, without placing them at the dlipoisl
o. the preient admimitration, MIR. o. laid,
he fhould teize it with avidlty. tie
knew of none, without relorting ts prin-
eiples and ads Of revolutionary charac-
ter, which would put at hazard the ex-
ilfence Of the national government Tho
men in power were the ccnititutional
organs through which the government
mult be administered, while they contin-
, ued to hold it. He ihouli therefore vote
for the iupples. He ihould aef on lhls
location as he would if the granting des
pended en- his vote alone If they were
withheld, and the standardization refule
to reign, the govern ment would be diff.
folvsd and the country ruined If they
were granted. i, was barely pofible, thas
under their management it could be
faved.
While fuch were declared TO be his
views, Mr. o faid, as TO the war under
its prefer. afpea, and to the fupplies
peceiary for carrying it on, he mutt be
: permitted. again aud again, to fay, that
he had little hope that it would be con-
Quoted with iucceis or brought to fafe
and honorable iilue by the men now in
power He ihould conRantly repsar that
the whole Responsibility Of the ditafrous
lla,e of our affairs relied foley or them.
They were refponGble for having declared
the war withou, necelliiy and for Objects
unattainable and unimportant for havs
ing conducted it without vigor or fore
fight for having ruined the finances Of
The country-and for having compelled
a relort to this exteniive and burhsnloms
fyllem of taxes as the only means of pre-
venting abioutc national ruin They
were relponGbe, too, for the new char.
acter which the war had alan.ed. But
n - III