Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1816-11-19


1t has been made the fubi:ct alternately
of reprobation and ridicule. In the Bof-
ton Yarkee, republican print, it was
pronounced to be abfolutely +" outrage
Gus" In the New. York Columbian, it
was called "very clever piece of foph
ilfry' In the New ork Courier one
of the mott Respectable papers in that
city, it was declared to be i" the grsateit
yankee trick ever practiced." 10 crown
all, the Richmond Enquirer, the leading
democratic paper in the Rate of Virgin
ia, a highminded and independent prefs,
denominated the report piece OF +" ho-
Gus pocus," and obferved that I" it beg
CARED all comment" A precious chance
Tor cur adnillion into the union by con-
lent of congrefs after all this ihe Ar.
gus alone has had the fidelity of Abdiel
TO " the convention, its committees" -
and the whole race of proceedings ref
pecting feparation. Calumny however,
the committee may have the confolation
70 remember, has ever been the fate OF
virtue. The undersigned" protea ,tha,
they have clear consciences. In the in
potencc and iniigni6cance of their aHall-
ants they have fortunately found fafety.
Judgment was tempered with mercy.
rhe committee have felt too much prize
of character to regard this /" Intellectual
outrage" Mailed in intesrity,the fhafts
Of malice fall harmless at their feet like
the viper at Msli,a--and with peace in his
own 5realt. an upright man may tand
erect amid the ruins Of periihins world
Such is the character Of the psrfor-
nance, which the committee have pub
lfhcd as kind of memoir juiti6catory of
the conduct of themfclves and the con.
val:ion, at the same time that they have
levelled all their artillery asainf the
p,steqant' interea. What iatisfaction
it has afforded ihs so,ictude of their
friends and fellow !abourers in the work
of feparation, it is impo0ible to fay. How
far they have focceedcd in vindicating
tHemlelyes and their principals from any
difagreeable impu,ation, the public will
judge, Such Of tha, Respectable tribunal
| Of juitice, as may happen to notice thefe
obvious remarks, will alto judge Of their
pertioency and prorriety. Ibe whole
! queftion between the committee of the
convention and the minority, j, will be-
recollected, turns upon the point of the
conifruction of the law recommended by
the report. Whatever was the object Of
that committee in adopting the conaruc-
tion, whether to effect the separation, or
merely 10 preferve the convention from
dinolution, is of equal unimportance
For what ufe is i, to continue the con :.
vention in exiftence, if i, has nothing
further to do!-The queiiion Gill re.
turns and will oon,inue. TO return, j. the
c,nRructisn eorreH :.
l, may be inconvenient always to. ad-
here rigidly to fevere a5nract principles.
Still; however there feems to be lome.
thing extremely queaiopablc. in the NOR
ality Of adopting political expedients to
ferve temporary purPofes. 1t is in vain
for the Committee TO plead, tha. they
could not refh the temptation Of giving
the &C, fuch plauGble and convenient
conitruction. independent of the inter
cts, the rights and principles, 70, exten-
five in their compass and SO important in
their confequences,to be facri6ced to this
contlivance, there is a.fo morality even
! in politics, and men in honourable Offices
are not abfolved from its Obligations by
any political conldcra,ions. 1t is true,
that in the excitement of popular ca
reer, in the ardour of perfonal ambition,
and the natural anxiety TO carry favour
ite point, men may be abandoned to EN-.
ploy expedients aud refort to nealures,
which, in the intercourie of private life
and the exercie of focal duty,,hsy would
reject with abhorrence and diidain. But
when the monetary frenzy has fubfid-
ed, when the fever has paard away and
the feaion of reflection arrives, the ret.
rofpect, which the mind cats upon the
events of fueh period, fails of affordng
that pure and ferene fa,isfaetion, which
always succeeds the concluiion of life
| fpent in the honourable difchsrge Of PUB
\ liz dutv nd the invariahle 2xerc;fe ~ M