Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1814-10-31

4 II it be done tor the fake OF occurring future
tranquility or stjuitins boundaries This
point mutt be conlidered before we enter
into the propoials of Grear Britain, be-
caufe if this principle IS to be conGdered
as fettled, it is ulelefs to dilcufs the nature
of the terms propoled BY her.
Is it underftood that we will never
treat on the footing of reciprocity! are
we not wiling to do to Great Britain
what we fhould expect fhe would do to
us? Is it underftood, that our pride and
cur rights are alone to be eonidered. aud
that both Of them muh be gratifiea or
war mutt be interminable 81.
The doctrine mutt amount to this
For when tire war was declared il was
avowed il Congvefs, that its end if not iis
fole object was the coaqueit of beth the
Canadas. Gen. HulI's proclamation fcnt
to him from the War Department avow-
et the deGgn Of conquering and holding
thoie provinces. 1t pronifed protection,
better government to the briiifh fu5-
jects but threatened them with the mott
dreadful fufferings if they fhould dare TO
be loyal and to defend their own foiI.
When peace was expected to be made
two years iiuce, it was contcnded in many
or mott Of the democratic papers, thar
our government lhould Unfit on holding
what we might have acquired.
Will it be now pretended that II we
had taken both of the Canadas we fhould
not eUen haze dtm1ndsd to keep them
When it was announced that the motions
to take them we're. indemnify tor Bri,ifh
fpoI'atlons and lecur'y asainit the Indian
tribes
Were all thefe executes falfe, and the
reafons taIlacious Have we expended
one hundred millions. lot 10000 men,
waited two campaigns, and left cur whole
lea coat to be plna3ered merely to make
a parade OF a couqueit which We never
meant to claim at peace
Ihis would be wicked mockery in-
deed. But it is not 70. Every man
knows, that If at the moment of the meet.
ing at Ghent. news had arrived there that
the american Gag waved over the walls
OF Onebeck, tina, fame news would have
been accompanied by exprefs inftructions
TO cur Commillioners to Ggn no peace
without the ceflion of the Can das. Even
many federaIiits would have approved
fueh demand, and the nation at large
would have iudered no peace to be ratifi.
cd BY which thofe provinces were rector.
ed.
Let any man lay his hand on his heart
and lay whether be can deny that this
would have been the cafe, nay a treaty
would have been rejected if an inch Of
Canada had been reitored.
But a different courfe Of things took
place. Britain holds .wo of our mott in.
portant wcitcrn forts; the whole OF the
Province OF Maine eait Of Penobfcot riv-
CT, one or two Hands in Long Iiland
Sound, aud all thole in the Chefapeake
under her controul, while we hold about
mile lquare Al Fort Erie only, and Then
when britain initead of Uniting upon
what fhs had conquered merely aiked
that We would not exterminare the In
dams nor ouy tbeis lands 70 as to approach
and endanger her weaker provinces, and
becaute The aiks and offers to diicufs the
queition whether lhe may not have a
communication acrofs our unfet,led vii.
dernefs from Halifax to Quebeck. it is
the mott abominsble and unheard Of, un-
jutt. and inlolent demand.
All that svs gain BY right Of eonqueft
is ours and may be inGftsI on. We can
ditmember the. Greatett Empire in the
world without infolence or iniultice. A
nation like ours Of feven millions only can
fay to one of 1 6 millions, give US all your
pofefiions, in our neighbourhood-we
want them to round out our territory
want them to enable US to extsrminate
the Indians.
Blu, if that great nation after actually
conquering large portions of our country.
after giving them all up, fays "permit me
to ak /scu'ity far my fuysess by Interpret
ing neutral country between us,-I fear
you. Let US not be contcrninous or i'm
ssediase neighbours. We may quarrel
IL