Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1814-12-12

Win prOltlIioIlS VI dnCStion @he uCsoiiVb
70 their cauie.
Alter painting in strong colours, the dis
tress and danger of the nation, the Hon.
,entlemaG has said that strong and emerge
.ic measures are necessary to preserve 1t
from ruin ard that light objections ought
10, 10 be made 1t seems 10 be supposed,
that those who shall oppose measures de.
dared 10 be brought ioi ward for that pur.
pose, will have the appearance of opposing
,he necessary defence oFthe country. But
however unr opular that course may be, it
IS surely our duty TO examine the character
and tendency o! a measure before we assent
10 it In my opinion, what have been CAL
led the strong and energetic measures of
Government, have caused our present dis
tress. and nothing but a change can give
relief The various acts composing the
system OF commercial restrictions, and also
The declaration of war, were in their respec-
live periods, denominated strong and en-
erpctic measures. All objections against
them were deemed light and trivial Is
there an honest men in the nation, VINO does
no, nov lament that those objections were
NOT heard with proper attention All the
disastrous consequences which have ensu-
ed, were then foretod. What was then
prophecy is now history To the ill.Judged
measures Of Government may be traced
all our misloriunes. They arose from
a war, unnecessarily waged, and badly con-
ducted-and have been increased By pro.
fuse waste of treasure, and by destruc.
ton of he credit OF the na,ion. Whether
the war was declared, through an erroneous
estimation of injuries suffered from for
sipin nation, Q, for the purpose of gratifying
lust of power and patronage, makes little
difference 10 the country. The admins
trstion and their friends are united IN the
opinion that The terms Of peace which they
have offered @ the enemy provide suihcient.
~ for both the honour and the safety OF
The country b, these terms the pretend
ed causes of the war are abandoned il,
then. without obtaining satisfaction Tor the
past, or security tor the uture, We can
honosably and safely return to a state OF
peace, we surely might, with equal honor
ard safety have remained in tina, condition.
Whatever, therefore, were the injuries We
suffered from Great Britain, (and have
never deemed them inconsiderable) it was
unnecessary and unwise To declare war.
Should nation, extensively connected In
intercoul Sc with others, make every injury
sustained, cause OF war, II would never
be a, peace. The inquiry ought 10 have
been, whether the injuries were oil such a
nature as could not without loss OF honor
be borne, and whether We had the means
of obtaining redress by war. The govern
f,r,
dence in conducting the war than in declar
ing it. In modern times, the strength of
a nation for carrying on war essentially con
sists in its revenue. An empty treasury,
The consequences ofwastc and mismanage
ment. and the total loss of public credit are
the immediate causes ofthe present distress.
When the government passed into the
hand. Of the party now IN power, the nation
enjoyed peace and prosperity, an extensive
commerce and ample revenues Ate,
having procured the repeal of the former
internal taxes, so abundant was the income
from commerce alone, that in his last annual
message to Congress Mr.. Jefferson gravely
recommended to their consideration, the
obtaining, by amendments of the constitu
ton, more enlarged powers and other OBJ
iects, to enable the government 10 expend
the surplus OF the revenue All the cau-
ses, as far as they depend on foreign nations,
which have led to our present condition
then existed
At the commencement Of the war the ad
minis,ra,ion proposed their plans of incfeas
ed revenue ~ meet the increased expendi
lures Their system WAS adopted by the
Legislature, in its full extent. Thus far
every thing demanded has been granted
WHAT, then, but gross mismanagement and
waste can have produced the present de
plorable condition OF the finances In the
war Of the revolution, withouI the powe of
levyiag taxes, or in any way commanding
the resources Of the nation, the government
was able to obtain loans in foreign countries
Now, though possessing all the resources
necessary for sustaining credit, government
can obtain no loans neither at home nor a.
broad Economy and good management
then gained and esab ished that confidence,
which waste and profusion have now des
t,oyed The debt already contracted in
this war will be found to be double in amount
to the whole debt of the u. States at the
Il