Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1814-10-10

the enemy'3 having taken possession Oh
Casline with formidable force, and that II
was not improbable his views might extend
TO our principal towns on the sea-coast, and
requesting me to order out Tor the service
OF me United States two thousand infantry |
and two hundred artillery OF the militia oil
this state exclusive of the Town ct Boston,
for the defence of this harbour, town and
vicinity; and the same numbers Tor the de
fence OF Portland and its vicinity, and the
seabosrd between Krnnebeck and the
Penobscot rivers and Two hundred lniLnt'
ny and fifty artillery from kittery Berwick
and York 10 aid in the defence OF the har
bour and the public ships In the harbor oil
Portsmouth. But such objections and COM
plants had arisen in executing the general
order OF the 18th of July, and the whole
number proposed to be called out was so
great that the council, whose attention was
reques ed 10 this subject, unanimously adj
vlsed me 10 issue the General Order OF the
9th oil September, and to place the detach
ment made by virtue of il under the imme-
date command OF NJ jor General OF the
militia. The alacri y with which this and
other similar orders were obeyed, has been
highly honota able to the militia of the state.
Measures were also taken to call out for the
pro,ect,on Of the towns on the sea.coast in
the District oil Maine, part Of the militia
OF tina. district Immediately addressed
letter to Mr. Monroe the acting Secretary
OF War, inclosing the last mentioned gener
al order, and requesting TO be informed
watcher the expense thus necessarily incur.
red Tor our projection would be ultimately
reimbursed to this state by the United
states. a copy OF this letter, and the sec.
retary's answer TO it, and o. the general or
der OF Sept 9th, with such official iniorma
ton as have received concerning the
capture of Eastport and Castine, and other
hostile even which have taken place in the
eastern parts of the state since the capture
OF Eastpcu, end also letter ifon the Gov
ernor oil Rhode Island and the reply to it
will be laid before you by the Secretary.
In the defensive measures which have
been adopted, az winch Tor The most part
have been under the immediate direction
OF the commissioners for the defence oil
the sea-cOsst, we have been soliclious TO
avoid unnecessary expense, But the APP
prehenslons OF an attack In every part oil
our coast, and the pressing calls tor the
means of defence from the exposed towns
through an extent OF five or six hundred
miles, have made it necessary TO cali out
greater number OF our militia than have
been in service at any former period. 1t
Is an obvious reflection, that the hmi ed
sources of revenue which the State has re-
tained In is own power, bear no proportion
to the expenses hereby incurred. and if
those efforts are much longer required,
the State viii hnd il extremely dific ult, ii
not impossible, 10 provide even in the frs,
instance for the requisite expenditures.
BY a law of Congress, passed at their
last SC ,sian, ii is enacted, that in addition to
the officers OF The militia which had before
been provided for, there shall be in each
Division one Division Inspector and one
Division Quarter-Master and to each Big
AIDE one Aid-de-Camp. But no provision
has been made directing the manner in
which these officers shall be appoln ed
The situation of,his Stale is peculiarly
dangerous and perplexing. We have been
led by the terms OF the Constitution 10 rely |
on the Government, OF the Union TO provide 1
70 our defence We have resigned to I
that Government the revenues OF the State,
with the expectation that his object would
moi be neglected. Blu, the Government
has declared war against the most powerful
mari,ime. nation, whose fleets can approach
every section of our extended sea-coas,s,
and we are disappointed in cur expectation
OF national defence But though we may
be convinced that the war in its commence
ment was unnecessary and unjust, and
has been prosecuted without any useful or
practicable object agaios the inhabitants OF
Canada, while our coas, has been lett almost
deIenceless; and though in war thus com.
menced We may have declined to afford
our voluntary aid to Off nsiye operations,
yet presume there will be no doubt OF our
right to defend our dwellings and possess
sions against any hostile attack by which
their destruction is menoced. Let us then,
relying on the support and direction OF
unite in such measures for our
safety, as the times dem md, and the princi.
plies of justice and the law of self preserva.
lion viii Justify. 10 your wisdom and pa.
Irlolism the interests OF the State are con-
tided, ard the more valuable those inter sts