Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1814-06-27

tAtned, ano uznquility Fetofed 10 OUT
Councils -Thefe have bern the fruits Of
your fxcelIency's standardization, and Of
that fpirit Of candor and moderation
which your example has every were diff
fufed among the people.
The injuries which the people CT this
Commonwealth have experieeeed. and
the fufferines they have endured from
the oppre0ive meafures Of our national
government. have been grea, and mani
fold, and have been borne With a patience
almoR unexsmplcd.-Among th<fe Mas
ures. the fyilem Of Commercial 'eitricsioas,
~hich. for the Ian : years has been 10
cruelty enforced, is no, the leaf confd.
cradle.
Under the oppera'ion Of ,his fyftem.
our citizen. have been driven from their
accuitomed employmen,s. deprived Of the
means Of their fubiiaance. and Cut of
from the fources of their wealth. Not
only has their n,ccourfc with foreign ma
lions and the neighboring States been
prohibited, but they have been inter-
dicted the right Of navigating from port TO
port within the limits Of the State, and
Of fishing on its coats Powers which
The people Of this Commonwealth had
never delegated to their National Rulers,
have been exerciied, with unreleniing e.
verify for their deitruetion and rights,
which they had never surrendered. have
been torn from them by ruthlefs violence
under the forms OF law. To oppreihons
and reftraints alike hottie to the psin6-
pies OF civil liberty, and the exprefs pro-
whom Of the coftitution, il was not to be
expected free people jealous Of their
rights, and conicious Of their frength.
would long fubmit in iilence. To their na.
tional Rulers, therefore, they made known
their grievances and uttered their CON-
plants. They itated the ,uin which a.
waited them, and humbly petitioned for
relief. They appeaed to the Coniti,u
ton, which guaranteed the protection and
encouragement OF Commerce, 70 neces.
sary for their profperiry. and to that
Union, which was /" efablilhed to
provide for the cannon defence. and to
promote the general 1usJars." But their
complaints were uttered in vain. An in
veterate honility to commerce, and a
fpirit of local ACKNOWLEDGEMENT in the
South and in the Wet, CONTROLLED our
National Coucils. Under the operation
Of ,hefe caufes. the influence Of the Eas-
tern and Northern States has been anni-
Inflated, an meafures fatal to ,ir inter.
cts, and hottie to their rights, have con
family marked the courfe Of that Admin.
iitraion, whole duty it was to cheriih and
protect them.
1t was then that the eyes ofthe people
of this Commonwealth were turned to
Their State Legislature. They claimed
of the immediate guardians Of their
rights, that protection which is their due.
They demanded fuch an interpoftion in
their favor, as would not only relieve
them from prefent fufferings, but fecure
them againa future opprelIioo, and re-
fore to them that constitutional weight
and influence, of which they had been 70
unjultly deprived. The fpiris Of firm
nefs and forbearance which characterize
the proceedings Of the late General
Court in reference to thefe complaints,
has met the mott cordial appreciation of
the Senate, and they beg leave to allure
your Excellency, that the papers and doc
uments upon this interelting fubject, re-
ferred to in your Excellency's communi.