Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1814-03-28
Outlines of Mr.. FEssENpEN's
SPEECH.


Mr Speaker--.Before the queifion is
taken on the An(wer under diicuflio on,
claim the privilege, which l have, as a
member of this Houfe, Of delivering my
fentiments, and being heard on his i'm
portanr fubjee Nor flall apologize
to the Houie for fpeaking in this late
ftagc Of the debate. ak no indulgence
for the excrcife of any conaitmisuai right !;
and hope l fhal, be one of the lalt who
will beg to any man or body of men,
whether executive, Legislative or judicial /;
whether State Or National, as favor, for
what ! can demand as right and as a
right, too, guaranteed by the conftisu
ton. and laws of the land. am the lefs
inclined to apologize on this location, as
l deem the cxercife of my right to be
heard, an inperious, folemn duty. At
this momentous criGs of the fate of this
Commonwealth, feel myfelf bound, by
the mott facred obligations, to fate what
are my feelings, and my views, and what
/ believe to be the feelings and views of
my conltituents. / would liiten with
pleafure to the open and honeft avowal
of she opinions of every man in this
houfe, thar the Houfe might be enabled
to judge, whether the opprefiions and
privations, under which the citizens Of
this commonwealth now groan, may not
be semedied and if 70, whether it is not
our duty promptly to extend over them
our projecting legislative arm.
am in favor Of the reported anfwer,
for two, among other. important and
conc'u6ve reafons. Firf, bccaufr to my
mind * believe alto to be the minds OF
my immediate continuously it contains a
clear expedition Of the caufes Of our mif
cries. Secondly, becaufe l conidsr 1t a
pledge to the citizens Of this Common
wealth, that this Aoufc is fenfibie Of
their wrongs, and tufferings; of the en-
ormous infrattions of their rights, and
privileges; and that we will exert our
felves to relieve them from the former &
vindicate, & fecure them from the latter.
need not 60 into any detail of faas,
or long argument, to prove that the diff
trefs of our citizens Is not fictitious.
There is not man in this Houfe who
has not felt, who has not feen it In
city; in country in every town. in ev.
cry village, we behold it The metrop.
oils teens with it. Here it is more wait
ing than the peftilence. In every village
and hamle, it is greater than is occaGon-
ed by the mildew, No clafs is exempt
The profeflional man. the farmer, the
tracer, the mechanic, the labourer, are
linking beneath their burdens. Certain
/ am, that 70 far as my obfervation has
extended. fate bet Gmple facts.
give no colouring Politely, and very
probably, the diitrefs in the Diitriet Of
Name is more accumulated, than, in the
the old part of the Commonwealth. The
country is newer and more fertile. The
earth yields not 70 profutely frcu her lap,
the fruiss of the ieafon in the Dittri4 of
Mains 1t rewards fpariDgly the tolls of
the Iabourer. This remark applies with
more force to the fea coat. And accuf
toned as the people haze been to depend
for the neceharics Of life, on their lum-
Der and hthing trade, it is not wonder
fui that they ihould more fen6bly feel The
effects of the deitrucion of commerce.
lam aftoniihsd when coptralt the pref
snt 6tuation Of the inhabitants Of that
lection of the country, with their G,ua-
ion hut few years back. In the days
ot Warrington, that golden age Of our
they were fourihing and hap,
2y.- Eveay where was the voice of their
nduftry heard. You could hardly trav-
4 mile without feeling the effects of
heir exertions Villages frring up as if
" magic. Go in any directions, and the
;ye would be cheercd BY the delightful
,rofped of a fruitful field, where bu, late
vas the how'ing deferr. Now how re.
ts.fed is the fccne The farmer no lon
81 goes whiting to his plough the
RAIDER no longer fees his fhcp croudcd |
With cuitomers-he is employed in the
melancholy talk of bruihing the cobwebs
rom his empty fhelves-the tools Of the |
mechanic are laid aide. All are with
ng under the difaitrous infections of the |
'refcnt, and tormented with forbodiugs