Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1814-02-07
Boston Wshermens' Memorial
To The Honorable Senate,
and Rono,a6is House Of Representatives., Of
Massaehusens


THE Subscribers. eRpoyed hitherto in
suppliog The msrae, of the Capital of his
once f'ee, sovereign md indepepdeni Siste
Of Massachusetts with T sh, for The support
OF the poorer classes of citizens, and for the
qualification of he more opoient mos, te.
spec fully, beg leave to lay before your Hon.
orsble body the history If ,hec sulferings,
and request that the Legislslure in their
wisdom will devise some measures to afford
them relief.
By .he Act imposing an Embargo on he
Commerce of the IT, : aud by he construc
ton given 10 that Acs, by ,hs Collector of
this por., under instructions from tive Pfesi.
dent. they find themselves u'teriY ,,rohibil.
ed from the exercise Of their sccustomed
occupation, and IT necessity of heir bre id.
l. cannot be- expected of men in la.cir sit.
uation of life, that they should make thai
display OF their wrongs and Of the cruelty,
oppression, and uncons,i,ul:onsllty Of he
measures which have produc then, which
MANY more favored citizens could do. Sill
they nope, tia. they may be cnnslder.t. as
men, subject o feel distress, md entitled to-
relief Our Consti,u ions profess TO pu, all
C,tizens on an equal footing, and we indulge
the hope, tnat the Legislature OF Msss.cbu.
sets M not have SERVED al thai state Of
hsuPht' Ind iler ence for The sufieringS OF The
rndusfi ous poor which appesrs 10 have per
vsded nd infested the councils Of some
Their public bodies.
We are sensible, that the nation is IN
volved in aruinous and disssterous war.&
we are rs ready as any oth.l ci.izens to set
mt to The necessary prival ions which j, may
occasion, bul we are yet to lean. that any
principles 'fcivll liberty. of expectancy, or
even OF 7esponsnn can Justify the entire sscri-
hce OF one portion of The community, while
others are permitted 20 riot IN iuxu, md
prosperity. We have, with feeble hgh
which lie PLAIN and persoicuous words Of
the Constitution would afford US, sough, FIR
the provisions which woulo authorise Con.
gress to res nc, airy portion of he Coasling
Trade between pors IF the same S ate, and
we have ~, been able 10 disco n any such
4 power. We were once taught to believe
that there was divisioa of sovereignty, and
I tn I some little, feeble portion of power,
was reserved to the seversi Ststes.
We did not indeed know iil rneful ex
/ perenct convinced US thai lie State soye.
| reignties were an empty name, al least IN
The opinion IF our nstional rulers. Bat
when we eagerly sought for some apology
or pre'ex, for the intetd,ction OF the domes
tic Fisheries. which we could no. persuade
| ourselves Congress would forbid wi,heu,
any all horlty, we were surprised TO find
tina, no power had been given TO congress %
con,rouithis portion Of ourns,ionsl ndusuy
Can ii be said to be included IN Tie pow
er to regulate Commerce Is the supply Of
| our markets with Fish any more branch Of
Commerce than the supply Of those same
make wi Besf or Potatoes And isthere
solitary member Of the Legislature wfo
would hesitate 10 condemn rs yiols,ion Of
the dearest neutral rights, the privileges of
transporting % this capital his Pork or Beef
or nsts,oes for sale The only argument
that can be urged against The Fisheries, and
in favor of the transpor, of Provisions by
Ind, is, the superior degree OF risk on The
ocean. b., is the feehlaaess af he Govern
ment to be made pretext for DISTINGUISHING
whole clssse. Of Society.
/, is no, however true in fact. There is Ms
much actual danger in transporting conveys
| ct provisions on some Of our frontiers by
! land, NJ in Catching and Transporting Fish for
the supply OF the INDECENT Citizens Of this
metropolis. But tie Circumstance which has
at once excited our surprise and indignation
| is 10 perceive that the Fishermen of Marble
head, though in the same bay end liable
apparently 70 the same restrictions, are per
united freely 10 pursue their accustomed
occupations, and to the prejudice and ruin
OF your Memorislis,s, to supply this rnetrop-
I oils in ascan,y and Intellectual manner, while
the Fishermen ct Boston are absolutely IN
terdic,ed SO TO do
I They have sought for the cause Of this
distinction in vain, and they have been un-
willing To believe that This discrimination in
favor OF The one. and against The other,
las been tic effect Of political persecution: