Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1815-01-23


TIE attention Of the Executive was
saflg directed to the proyiii ,ns Of the act
of the Goth Of Oaob.r, to citablill:
mllisary corps for the d-fcnce Of the
Commonwealth. But as the att was
pailed At the clolc of the FELTON,, fomc
d-laY was nccelllry to obtain Information
concerning the pcrfons proper to be fe-
lected in the various parts Of the fate, for
the Offices contemplated in the act
When the Council again met, it was
thought expedicat, from the changes ia
the aipe6l of our affairs, to incur no i'm
mediate additional exprnfc. The Coun
Gil therefore advifed, that comr,iilions
thould not be ifIucd, until The General
Court ihould have an opportunity Of
varying, il they thought proper, their
neafures of defence, according to the
change Of circumstances.
On the 9th of December, received 4
letter from the Secretary Of War. Eating.
that the Proficient had AUTHORIZED Gen.
Dearborn to take mraiures for the purpofc
Of expelling the enemy from the Diltri6t
Of Maine, and fuggeiing that any aid
which [ might be able to afford in provid
ing the funds neceGary fol the execution
of the enterprise, would be gladly re-
celsed In my anf~er, informed him,
that the Legislature had authorized me
- borrow tum not exceeding one nil
lion of dollars, TO be applied for the pay
and fupport OF he militia, who had been
called into fery,ce that it would be
difficult 70 borrow fuiiicient fun for
sheis purpolcs and that had no au-
ihority, even If the money could be OBJ
tanned, to borrow for any other; and
thereforrit was not in my power to make
any advances for the object mentioned in
his letter. A copy Of the letter and Of
my aniwcr to it viii be laid before you
We have heard it obferved, mat the
fate legiaature have no right to exprefs
'neif opinion concerning the meafures
OF The Dationa governments This doc
time is repug aat 10 the hrf principles
OF liberty. and the remark could not have
been made by any one, who had well
the crganizaiion Of our gov
crament, Or the arguments ufed by the
advocates of The national conai,ution,
when that fyfien was adopted. The
government OF the United States is foun.
ded Cd the fate government and nna
be furporled by them the legislatures
OF the tsveral Gates either elect the nem
bers OF the executive AMI Legislative bran-
ches Of the national government, or
prefctibs the manner OF their election
1t would then be itrange indeed, il they
were denied right, which the mcanelt
citizen OF every free fate enjoys In the
Of the different powers, the
ftafc governments are 10 many pnrpofes
between the government Of the
United States and the geop.e # the
latter think themfslyes opprsiIcd, they
will complain TO their immediate repre-
(entatives and the Remembrance of
lta.e iesflature, on their heha {, viii rot
Dficn be fhghted by wife and jult ad
The powers. Of lie United States
governments are limited by the con.sitas
ton, which poists out HE extent of til &c
powers, and the manner in which they
are 10 be excrted The coritfution,
aowever, will be Of little value, III lsfs il
$ rcligiOu1y obferved If at any time
he national administration difregard lis
au,hoiiIy either by violatiug its cxprels |
oroviiiops, CT BY the atlunption of pow
-rs, with which it has nor ensrulted them,
their commands become upjult, and they
ire guilty ofa dangerous abuic Of conf !
ience. But on fubiees Of this kind,
every private man is not competent
Judge, The fate legiilaturesssare the
guardians, not only of the individual
citizens, but of the fovereign,y Of their
respective ffaies aud while they are
bound to fuppoft the general govern
nent, in the exercise of its conititutional
powers, it is their duty to protect the
tights of the ffates and of their conititu-
.nts, and to guard the contribution ilfelf,
IS well agaln:f liIen, and flow attacks. as
more open and daring violations The
ccurity, thus afforded to the people,
would be lot. if the ffa:e Legislatures
hould be implicitly devoted TO the views
3f the national government, or were de