Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1814-02-24


and now growing fashionable, make it necesss-
ry to be explicit on this point The more per-
ceive a disposition to check the freedom of in
quiry by extravsgant and unconstitutional pretences
the hrmer shall be the tone, in which shall as.
sert, and the freer the manner in which | shah
exercise it, II is the ancient and undoubtsd pre-.
rogative Of this people to canvass public mea-
sures and the merits Of public men. Il sa "homc.
bred right" fre-side privilege IL hath ever
been enjoyed in every house, cottage and cabin
in the nation. IL is not To be drawn into coutro-
versy. 1t is as uudoubted as the right of breath
ing the air, or walking on the earth Belonging
to private life as right, it belongs to public lie
duty and It is the last duty, which those
whose representative l am, shall find me TO a.
bandon. Aiming at all times to be courteous nd
temperate in its use. except when the right itself.
shall be Questioned, shall then carry it 10 It's ex
tent. ! shall then place myself on the extreme
boundary of my right. and bid defiance toany arm,
that would move me from my ground This high
constitutional privilege. | shall defend and exer-
else within this House, and without this House,
and in all places in time of war. in time of peace,
and at all times. Living shall assert il, dying I
shall assert it. and should leave no other nheri.
lance to my children, by the blessing of God
will, still leave them the inheritance of free prin-
cipies, and the example Of manly, independent
and constitutional defence of them.
Whoever, Sir, would discover the causes, which
have produced the present state Of things must
look for them. not in the efforts of Opposition, but
in the nature Of the war, in which we are engag.
ed, and in the manner in which its protested OBJ
jscts have been attempted to be obtained Quite
too small portion Of public opinion was in favor
Of the war, to justify it, originally A much small
Ter portion is in favor Of the mode in which il has
been conducted. This is the radical infirmity-
Public opinion, strong and united, is not with YOU
in your Canada project. Whether it ought to be.
or ought not TO be- the fact that it is not should
by this time, be evident to all and il IL the BUSH
n CT at ia
OF things as tits, and not to be always attempts
ing to prove what it ought to be- The acquisition
of that country is not object generally desired
by the people. Some gentlemen. indeed, say it 10
not their ultimate object; and that they wish it
only as the means OF cffccting other purposes.
But, Sir. alarge portion of the people believe that
a desire for the conquest and final retention Of
Canada is the handspring of public measures.-@-
Nor is the opinion without ground. 1t has been
distinctly avowed BY public men, in apublc man
And if this be not the object, il is not easv
to see the connection between your means and
ends. At least, that portion Of the people, that
il not in the habit Of refining far, cannot see it,
You arc, yon sry. At war for naasisi1sse rights
and free trade. But they see you lock up your
| commerce and abandon the ocean. They see Won,
invade an interior province of the enemy They
| see you involve yourselves in bloody war with
the native savages: and they ask you, if you have.
IN truth, maritime controversy with the western
Indians, and are really contending for Sailors
rights with the tribes of the Prophet In nv
judgement, the popular sentiment, in this case,
corresponds with the soundest political d;scyet;on
In my humble opinion, you are not only, not able
to travel in the road you have TAKEN but If vo,r
were, it would not conduct YOU to your object
am aware, sir. that both the protested objects
Of the war, and the manner Of prosecuting II. NAV
receive the nominal appreciation of n great ma;o-
rty of those, who constitute the preys;l;no
party III the Country Bus know also how
extremely faacious any inference from that cir
cufnstancc would be, in favor of the real popu-
larity of the measure. In times like these great
measure OF a prevalent party becomes incorperat.
ed with the party interest. To quarrel with the
measure, would be to abandon the party Parry
considerations, therefore, induce An acqie scencc
in that on which the fate Of party is supposed To
depend. Gentlemen, sir, fall into strange incon-
sistencies on this subject. They tell us that
the is popular that the INVASION of Canada
is popular, and that it would have succeeded.
before this time, had it been for the force Of
opposition Sir, what gives force to opposition
in this country t--Certainiy nothing but the popu-
larity Of the cause of opposition, and the NUM-
bers who esponse il. Upon this argument, then.
in what an unprecedented condition are the people
OF these states We have on our hands most
popular var we have also most popular oppo-
sstion to that We cannot push the me asure
the opposition is so popular We cannot retract it,
ths measure itself is so popular We can nei.
ther go forward, nor backward. We are az the
The truth is, sir, that party support is not the
kind of support necessary to sustain the country
through long expensive and bloody contest and
this should have been considered, before the war
was declared The cause. to be successful. must
be upheld by other sentiments, and higher mo-
tves 1t must draw to itself the sober appreciation
of the great mass of the people. 1t must enlist.
hot their temporary party feelings. but their
steady patriotism, and their constant zeal. Unlike
the old nations of Europe, there are in this country
no dregs OF population, fit only to supply the
constant vast OF war, and out Of which On army
can be raised. for hire, any time and for any puf.
pose. Armies of any magnitude can heaye be no.
thing but the people embodied; and if the object
be one for which the people will not embody,
there can be armies is, think, too plain To-
be doubted. that the conquest Of Canada IA such
an obiect--They do not feel the impulse Of ade-
quate motives. Not unmindfnl of military distinc-
ton, they yet not sangune of laurels in this
contest. The harvest, thus far, they perceive has
not been great The prospect of the future il