Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1814-03-28


make the afertion without fear of con
tradition, that many of the people of
Maine mutt have been Rarving or follow
ing their neighbours and friends to pop
ulate the weItern wilds. The late abun-
dant harvelts have enabled our citizens
again to fhcd tears of Joy over their loaf
Of bread but feel ftrong conviction
on my mind, that before the return OF
another harvelt, their priUati5ns will re
turn | much fear they will be compelled
either to FAY to the North give up, or to
the South keep not back Affirming then
as fact, (what no man, on the floor of
this Houle, will have the harcihood to
deny,) that the intereas of the people of
this Commonwealth have been facrifced !;
that from ftatc of opulence and cafe
they have been reduced to flake of pow.
er.y and difrefs, ask if it is not the duty
of this Houfe, to invettiga,c the caufes Of
thefe evils This has been done by your
Committee, and they are clearly ftated in
the anfwer which is now the fubjcct Of
debate.
fhall not delay The houfe by long
courfe of remarks on all the topics en-
braced in that paper ihall not even
dwell on all cauies which have led to
our ruin. The gentlemen who have
preceded me in debate on the same iidc,
have 70 clearly eludicated the mott Of
them, as to leave. in my apprehension.
no doubt on the minds of unprejud;ced
men will not attempt to eulogize the
late Chief Juftice. Icould not do juftice
to his merits, and, if l could, my remarks
would not affect him. will not flop
10 congratulate the Houfe that we have
been able to check the difpolition to itine
enquiry, manifeited by our National Ru-
iers and their advocates; and (ilence the
voice OF complaint and reproach, ihown
by the ftieklers for paf1iye obedience and
non refittance. hope l do not trem-
bic at the impotent threats of tranipor-
tation and death, and that fhall not fear
to fpeak or act when duty prompts.
But there are fome others on which l
fhall take the liberty to remark. am
one of thefe who believe that the war is
not wanton and inexpedicn, only, be-
lieve it to be wicked and unjui. l go
further--I do not believe the Brisifh Or
ders in Council ever were juft cause Of
war. Whatever thefe Orders might have
been, had Great Britain led the way in
this new fyitem of warfare, and altho'
thofe read in the fchool of politics, & be.
come profound in knowledge of ma
tional law, might raife doubt whether
they could be fulfilled on principles re-
taliatory. yet on others con6der them
excuiable at leaf, if not perfectly jufti6-
able. Bv their timid and cowarGIy if
nottraiterous forbearance towards France,
fuffering as america did under the ty-
rannous, and accumulated aggreilions of
tina, nation, believe the Administrators
of our government have forfeited, for
this nation, that character of impartial
neutrality, which would give US right
TO complain. For hold it to be found
maxim of national law, that when ma
ton projecting to be neutral, fuffcrs one
belligerent to make ufe OF her reiources
to annoy her enemy without remon.
france or oppoGtion, ihe abandons her
neutral character, me becomes party
to the confetti On this ground the Or
ders in Council furniihed no caufe of
war. Our Government. during almolt
= year, tar.ely and puiilanimouly, fub
mitted to the Berlin Decree. And / !
would ask, when the administrators of |
cur Government. have ever remonftratcd |
againft the aggrellions of France in the
many and dignihed tone of national re
(entment When have they not crouch,
I'd a. the feet of the French Emperour
Whco have they manifefted the fenfibili.
y OF worm, to turn, when trodden on
oy the iyrant of Europe /! Had they
net France. when her Emperuor began
he ihvaGon Of orr rights, at the threfh-
,old Of our liberty had they not per
nitted him to enter the fanctum fan0o-
'um of our national honour, and there
lot for almoft a year--had they reiiltcd
lis tyranieal decree, if neceAary, to blood,
hen they might have brought forward
he Orders in Council to head declara.
ion of war apainff Great Rritain and