Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1816-11-26

'c"i UNIV in idNOuF oil u. IL nd rea
separation might be deemed expedient with So
a proportion in favour of il. when otbsrs;,s
might not appear advisable. The ratio adon,sd =,
be sure was arbitrary. Ii is sufficient ho,yevsr ~
IT was adopted with mutual consent and gone,
satisfaction and all agreed to abide by The ,.,,.
mat settles the question. The result Is .aa;a.,
separation and all parties bound by Their co,
pact. Under these circumstances therefore !,
would &c violation OF the rights of the peo pe :,
Maine, TO cast them off from Massachusetts srs;,s,
their deliberate determination 10 the contra,v ~
would be violation of the duty Of the Ieeiss,,,s
which is bound to render its protection in rst".'
for their allegiance. -
One thing further. The act of the canxe,,;..
in accepting the report and adopting The constr.
ton recommended by the committee is an exerc;..
of authority without right and an assumption !,
power against law, contrary To- IFS charte,
which cannot be supported by any political mir
cple or sanctioned by any constitutional nrsca-
dent.-To consider the duty of tle conyen,ion :.
terminating in the result Of their not finding ,bs
requisite ratio upon the returns exhibited-,nS.,
whatever view of the subject the'defciency NAV
be dsguised-is conclusion SO Obvious az MOI +,
have escaped public sttentss and TO have been VERY
generally adopted 1t is also to be noticed ~,
tbeidea has been studiously communicated by tbo..
who are understood to he in the confidence of ~
convention, and friends 20 its proceedings il not
closely connected with theft origin that the meas
nre was employed an expedient to prevent TIA.
body from the dissolution to which it as liableuo.
on not finding the FIVE nipths. For what purposs
power SO assumed is Intended 10 be msintaned i
part of the design which has not vet been d;stinclv
disclosed. 1t is secret enveloped in the darkness,
Of night. 1t is natural however to eronjre what
object the convention ear have consistent with the
public security, thus to proIong its existence after
the legal purpose, for which il was created il de-
tefmined Ii As a question Of equal impoytauee
whether it can be legally protfacted beyond that
period In fact from the very moment that his cir.
cumstasce was ascertaned, the convention was d.
solntey defunet--its authority extnct--and IL
body became mob liable perhaps to the penalties
of the act for suppressng rous riots and tumultou,
assemblies, ard the evil consequenoes thereof. Al.
ter this period therefore, the convention may an
doabtedly employ its power for purpose, as weI
another; ard, DOT to impute designs TO indvidu.
ais. there il certainly spirit that apt to be en-
gendered in public bodies whose authority may be
extended by construction after its term has expir.
ed which is dangerous 10 popular freedom, as well
as unfayourabe 10 republican sirtue. The posees-
sion q portion Of sovereign power, entrusted to
the hands Of few, while it presents almost ire
ssiitle temptation TO Ierpetuate itself tends 10 the
irregular exercise or abuse of its authority. BY an
aiTost inevitable conclusion, to establish the worst
form Of oLIGagcEY.
a. :
However extraordinary the instance may appear,
history is not without. examples Of ususpation Of
authority, sometimes for while successful by pub
lis iodies well as by private persons. The pub
lie less apt TO be their guard sgainst the en-.
croachmcnts OF such combinations than they are =
gaiast the attempts ofina.viduals, ever whose ain.
hilton TREY accustomed 70 keep more watch
ful eye. Another circumstance is, that projects ia
which such numbers are concerned naturally ea-
H.
while they enlist the services. of many more, tan
would feel safe in connection with smaller conYr-
acies, which beside the greater difficulty OF mansg-
ing their Vaccinations and conducting their neass !
ures with effect, present more danger of defeat wk
less prospect Of advantage. A precedent Of .hA
kind was established, very early by the National
convention of France, which was fnlloMed in full
glory by the public committees and political club
in the succeeding and more tempestuous periods d
the Revolution. A similar phenomenon exsteaia
the celebrated Rump Parliament, as il is familiar.
ly termed, in England, which left the inheritancs
of its fame with its membranes as an entalment
upon all posterior phenomena of the same descnp.
ton. An instance no, less parallel to the present
case oeurs in the history Of the Roman Decemvir.
who, upon one pretence and another, contrived y
preserve in their hands power which they stte.rp.
ted to appropriate, end which was originally coz
hded TO them for limited period and for particular
well as the character Of its principal nuthors and
abettors, bears striking resemblance to the sane
points in the enterprise under considerations Uti.
uiatey however, and generally within very short
season, this iiegitimate authority has been over
turned. The fruits Of ill-gotten POWER have !eea
wrested from its usurpers. The state or people has
resumed its rights; liberty has been restored-and
the authors of the treason have been delivered 70
public jaslice or consigned 10 popular indignation
In our own case we do not wish to avail our
selves, IN the event, Of any analogy of this nature
to cur situation, in all its extent and severity -
though our ancient established order was never ia
greater jeopardy, nor were our rights as a people
ever IN more danger Of des.ruction. For the dis
grace. which the character of the district Las sus
tanned in the issue q. this unfortunate affair, there
is now no remedy. Ii is too late at this period,
even il il did not require too violent an effort to
drag up drowned honor by the locks,o and under
take the humane process of its resuscita,iol. But
unlike the vanqushcd hero who had lost every
thing but honour, we have so far in the present
conflict lost nothing beside. We have not yet
made Shipwreek OF our ancient alliance with Mas
sachusetts---our interest in her excellent consiiu-
ton, admirable Jurisprudence and venerable inst.
tutions, forfeited any of those long continued
and invaluable privileges which have descended TO
us with her, and which We cherish with devotion and
treasure as our richest patrimony. Thank heaven
we are still in possession with her of those primer
piles of moral and RELIGIONS purifv which were