Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1814-06-13

>, VI inpIcl1menf
Upon this lae point. it is not to be my
Tuned that the congress or people of IN.
United States would have conlen,.d !.
engage in war. 1t had not, for fav.,'
years, been the fubjecr of diltinct n.a,
'iation. No precife demand had b.s.s
made BY one government and refu{ed =
the other. There was no irrcconc;l,h.
controversy between the two po,eru
ments on the fubject of their Iel,,;s.
rights, but the difficulty solely arose :.
spec,irg the mode of securing ,b.m
Without therefore difcufing this fubiec,
we may venture to pronounce the wa,
rash, premature and unjuiti6able en- ri.
ground, when it is manifslt that the tvo
governments had come to no iGue uno,
which it was expedient for US to refor,
to the hazards of war, or upon which ..
could confcientiouly appeal to the God
of armies to fmile on our caufe. The =.
iltence of the orders in Council Their,
fore, may be confidsred as the only Ohm
Gble pretex upon which the Americu
people would have tolerated a declar,,..
of war. But we are conifraired tok.
lieve that at the moment when war.
thus declared, the American cabinet ~
reafon to anticipate the fpeedy revoc,.
ton of thofc orders, which vas ii f,e,
almoR Simultaneous with the declnatm
of war. Had not the American Govern.
mcnt therefore ruihed into a fate Of v,r
with fuch premature impetuoiity, nav We
not believe that our beloved country would
have been refeued from the difprac. 4
calamities the burdens & fufferinas which
we have endured and which are iiip ran
idly accumulating. We have therefore
no heGtation in expecting our firm con,
viction thai as men governed BY the die.
tates of moral principles, it j. fill our dr.
ty to abitain from every voluntary &C,
which would give aid and encouragement,
to the profecution Of the war. We hau
however cheerfully concur in any me,.
furs which may be thought expediens
foley for defenGve purpotcs, and which
may become neee1ary il coafe qucnce Of
the criminal neglect of the general gov.
eminent. to employ thofe means, which
the contribution has placed in their hand.
to provide for the common defence and
general welfare Of the people.
We indulge fome hope, mingled how,
ever with many doubts and fears, tia.
peace may foon be reflored to cur fuau,
ing aud bleeding country, thar peace 70
anxiouly deGrsd by all clafIes Of ito
citizens. This hope is in Tome degree
strengthened by the unexpected and
unexampled change which has recently
taken place in the political relations Of the
powers of Europe Notwithstanding The
manifeft danger of being involved ia the
politics and quarrels of Europe, We are
apprehenfive that our relations have
been too intimately combined with thoie
of one of the conrending powers We
will not fay that our Government have
been in alliance with that Of France.
But we cannot avoid perceiying that
they have been purifying 6milar objeas
By iimilar means, and have co operated
in fact if not in form. The Commercial
rcifrietions of america kept pace with
the continental fyftem Of France and wss
in faet abando ned when that fyiten wa
deftroyed. Neither have we forgotta
that war was declared bv America It
the moment when Bonaparte vas cob
Letting his count!efs myriads N tk
North to BURT like ! torrent upon the
only civilized nation Of Continental Eu
rope, that dared to reGR his power and
aAert her independence But the failures
of this effort we truf, will prove equal
~ aufpicious to our country andtt
world, equally grateful to the pa'riotM
the philanthrophit.
With the higheit fatisfaction, theFetor
we embrace this location to congra;ulas
your Excellency upon the entire pfc'ifs
t;on Of that monitrous deipotiim vnlea
had 70 long trampled upon the rishts an0
a. length the liberties Of civilized iocx'y'
Upon this fsbject we can fcareely CONS
mand language to express our feelings.
During many years We had witneissd inc
Accomplishing aud defposic power OF the
French emperor with emotions Of tenor
=. NyLJ Co., hin, c0nhipz