Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1816-11-05

s the reply was, he did not belicvs there would
be arnaiority for it y and particularly named The
Rev Mr.. Hooper, one whom be was persuaded
would not vote forit. He was further ash erl il he
had heard you give any opinion ? his reply was
no, but that he personally acquainted with you
and had always Understood from Others that you
was considered both an intelligent aud honest man
that being the case be could not believe that you
would vote in the affirmative. But the sequel
shews ne was deceived--and let me assure you Rev
Sir that this deception not confined to the in
dividnal alluded to. l could point ost 10 you
| member of the convention who agrees with You in
religion, in politics, and the subject of separa
ton, whose conduct presents a complete contrast tc
| yours j understand one of whom observed, pend
ing the discussion, that neither his conscience
his understanding would permit him TO vote for
such manifest violation of law and truth He
wished for separation, but not 10 have il obtained
by illegal ..eans. This man. when the question was
taken, find voted in the negative. Well may the
observation of the poet be applied to such char
acter - slg f<4s
| I" IN honest mans The noblest ,cork Of God"
! Some men profess sort of accommodating and lax
principle which sanctions the doctrine that the end
jusiiIies the But will this doctrine he sub
mtted to in the present age OF freedom and tolera
| tion 1t was its application that brought John
4
the ayowed object theu Was the promotion Of the
frue FaM the means 70 obtain it, was To byra.
DO you think the end would Justify the means II
So your conduct and profession is no longer mex
plicable. know the Grand Juggles ct TIE report
said . II was rue as God was true" Had this oh
servation been slsde in the notorious French Con-
vention ut the period when atheism prcdominated
IN that Assembly and decree was passe decar.
ing there pas no God, and thai death mas an, eter-
raj sleep" it would not have been out Of character
but for man who has repeatedly and recently
! made solemn declaration Of his beiefin the chris
tan religion, to make such assertion is shocking
beyond measure. and beegass all comment. Yet
IL is fact that every that voted for the report
ririuaiiy said the same. @ ff
| know some who possess avery loose moral senfe
say they do not care by what means separation is
obtained provided il is obtaited but such have
! personal responsibility. They in fact say, if the
Delegates will do the dirty work, amen. That is,
they are willing to receive the fruits OF in9uity.
This is the same kind of morality which would nc
qnesce in the obtaining suit in conrt of Justice
where the witness should withhold the truth or
swear to falsehood. In this way, a man might
be found base enough to receive the fruits Of
dict, but at the same time he must abhor and detest
the crime as we'll as the the wretch by whose means
it was Obtained, Permit me Rev. Sir, to propose
case analogous to the law respecting separation.
suppose you and religious society should enter
INTO mutual agreement that you should be their
minister, with a Fixed salary. which agreement
should be binding until il shonld be ascerta,ned at
some public meeting of the society, on balloting
upon this question, is ii expedient that Rev. MIR.
Hooper should be separte,l from this society and
adjudged unworthy, any longer to have any con-
nection with the church, iorty OF five TO four
at least Of all the votes shall be in the affirmative,
and in case such majority shall appear then the
separation shall take place and not otherwise. Let
the Church and Society vote in their distinct ca
pacities let Committee be appointed to receive
and count the votes, who shall find the whole num-
Der OF votes to be 90. Now il 10 as clear as day
light that to constitutes legal vote for such separa-
ton there must be so yeas least of all the votes
returned and 10 nays; ifthcre were so nays found
to be given, the separation betwxt you and your
society must take place bowever much against your
Wishes. But suppose the Committee shord find
there were but 40 yeas for separating aad dismiss
ing you from your pastoral Office and 81 nays anf
they should therenpon adopt the Arithmetic Of the
brunswick Convention in order to make sure of
tie object, and on examination, find the votes Civ.
en- by the Church members were thas. Fl yeas aud
" nays making the majority of the nays l. and the
votes gwen by those not church members thus, 95
yeas and 90 nays. making the majority of yeas 5.
here by the hocas-pocus calculation Of the famous
committee upon the" majorites,' you will see that
the majority of yeas Is TO the majority of nays
taking all the maiorities OF to for your sepa-
ration, NC. This is a much greater majority than
that OF 9ths or as 5 to4 Ii you had never heard
OF the Brunswick Convention should you pronounce
uch management either honest hoiourable or egalp
Or would you say it was " doubtful" and refer
the subject to the determination Of the General
Court. ais
Bnt Il is time to dismiss this subject for the pres
ent, hoping that all things may work together for
your good, and that in future you may be an unde-
waiting advocate for truth and righteousness.
OXFORD
We have received many particulars of the dam
ages sustained BY the sDreadiue of the FIRE ,lia