Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1814-12-26
&ott(at1S.
Monday, December 26, 1914.

The most interesting intelligence which has
reached US for the week past, is the passage of
the odious CONSUMPTION Law. We have,
therefore, devoted larse portion of our paper
to that subject-and have omitted many arti-
cles of minor importance, in order that as ma
ny of our columns as possible may be omamen-
ted with the excellent Speech of the Hon. CY-
RUS KING. The measure which is contended
against in this Speech, is the rock on which
even the iron sceptre Of Bonaparle was dash
ed TO pieces. II is rock which must yet be
avoided OF cur Liberties are gone forever
Should the administration presume 10 carry
this law into effect, there does not exist state,
says the Federal Republican, which would not
furnish twenty thousand Freemen, each of
whom would strike this weapon from their
hands and themselves TO the earth.-The blood
which runs in our veins has not yet wandered
SO far from its revolutionary fountain, as to
become so fat, stale and heavy as TO submit to
servitude.
The ACT, making further provision ,or
filing the ranks of The army, received the Pres
ident's signature the 10th inst. This abomin-
able Act violates the ties of natural affection,
destroys parental authority, cuts the cord which
binds the son to his parent,the apprentice to his
master, and dissolves the long established con-
tracts in civil life. By this Act, the Minor OF
eighteen is received into the ranks Of the army
without consulting any ones will but his own,
and in direct violation ol the statutes OF the
Commonwealth Gaz.
The cuh is fM The degraded people Of
the United States are called upon, in mighty
earnest to defend their rights, The peoples
rights +! Where are they |! Wha, rights
worth the naming will be left :hem to de-
fend after having submitted 20 Bcnaparte.
an conscriptioD! NVha, Tell of the rights
Of a people who permit themselves to be
huddled together in droves like herds OF
cattle. and quietly suffer i, to be dc.ermin-
ed by lot, who of them shall be dragged
away to slaughter 1t is mocAery. 1t is
adding crue! insult 10 the deepes, injury.
What is house or land, father, mother,
brother, sister, wife or child what are the
benefits OF civil society and the sweets OF
domestic enjoymsnt-What are any or all
of these to man, il The government under
which he lives has the power TO tear him
away from them ALL 10 reduce him 10 tho
condition OF a slave, and TO sacrifice his
blood in its foreign wars /! lf such iron.
handed despo,isrn be submitted TO, it will
then be high time for the people Of New
Engiand TO have done with pra,,lemcnt a..
bout their civil rights, and to have done
with holding in remembrance The ancestry
from which they sprung an ancestry
daun,less IN the cause Of civil freedom,
whose necks no earthly Power could accus.
tom 20 tame submission to th: yoke of
oppression and tyranny.
Who has heard ofsuch thing! In no
page of.the history of New England, since
the beginning Of its settlement, is the like
to be found. During the space Of nearly q
century and half while New England w.s
held in colonial dependence under foreign
government, a government often engaged
in foreign wars during all ,ha. time, was
military CONSUMPTION laid, or threatened
to be laid, upon these then colonies No,
never Such an abominablc measure would
have caused a general burs, Of indignation
,enlold greater, ii possible, than that which
was caused by the small impost duties,
which were the principal gsouad OF the
revolution.
We will conclude this article with
short extract from an excelien: speech of
Mr. Castor during the last session Of Con
gress, and al period of,ime when the idea
OF military conscrip.ion had been Jusi
broached -
slight for sailors righ,s---yct rivet
on our citizens French conscripiion
1" Fight for rights cn the ocean, and ami