Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1816-07-23
Fer the Portland Gasssts.
MR. HANNE1ss GRAFTON, 4,

Fer the POrfIsad GGsefte.
MR. HANNE1's ORA1lONs ~
Ma. SnlaLxY,
"A Constant Rsaaern has published in the Gag
cite /" 40 extraCt f,on an orason delivered u
Bath by Abraham Hammet Esq. ON the Ath Of J0-
~" This Censtant Reodtr may be the friend Of
Mr.. Hammet, but doubt il for this reason, that
real friend will not be socitous to oyercome the
modssty Of virgin author, when be 6seluctant
that his performance shosld meet the public eye.
Il seems, however, that b could pot prevail on Mr..
Hsmmet TO furnish copy Of The whole work for
the press, bat only 4 /" specimen" Now il seems
to me very clear from this specimen that Mr.. Haul-
met acted The prudent part in refusing copy Of the
whole fer the pres, aud l ara very far from an O.
pnon with the that refusal Of she
remainder is 10 be regretted. Not that Mr. Ham
met is to be discouraged in bis patriotic efforts 20
enlishten tbs good people Of Maine but beesuse
ne may have expressed himself in such figures a.
viii b difficult Cor them TO understand. Twill hert
make little extract " hich appears to me 70 be
hgurs which cannot be properly assigned TO any
definite rank in rhetoric. Pabiie opiniss, (says
Mr.. Hammet) 6as Pounds us ctanne! aud 1t sciIimers
onwevd, notwithstanding lie obsirncii0ns opposed by
ms Judging snsn. 1Ae snsoSta surface efhe current
1ndy indeed be distnrbed-ihe MUD aud fill ,ssicl
~, I'D he quietly al Ae boitsr may Be ra:ssd to thu
SUFFICE -pestilcatiat rapou's may % made to issus
from "s CHANNEL and spread disease and /am,ne mpo,
s'e land. ad the miserable shati.dnt, trenhIsng up-
on The bank titfe,ess Of soul sci vent srscrations
upon the stream, which only deserved By the dis
ir3srs " its pure aud health si fountainn There
seems 10 me ne little dit6cuty in understanding
this passage. A part of il is plain enough, aud
that is, that public opinion, by natural figure o!
speech, Is represented stream finding for itssclt
. channela very muddy filthy chsnnel full Of some
kind Of Pssiiaentisl substances that may spread
famine and desos'ion--it seems also these pstrid
substances are confined u the bottom, but are t.
be hooked up 70 the surface by nlisjudgine men,
and that they will then produce ihe before mention
ed mischief Ii Is ccrtaiolya great misfortune
II public opinion has in reality, got into such foul
channel, and tlink the sooner we should set a.
bout diverting u; the better. But the other part
OF the figure is really to me mex plicabie. Il seem.
tness disturbers hard at work, some how or
other upon the stream IN stir up the unwhoIesome
substances the bottom GIFT and by this work
OF mischief the fountain, the pure and hesithful
tounisin" 10 di turbed. Can IL 20 SILLY ba that
these unwholesone substances being disturbed, will
contrary to the laws OF nature, ruu up stream and
get into the fountaiu. Again there seems 10 be
no good rca.on. why the iahabitAnt on the bank
should stsnd trembling and cursipg al this while,
unless the orator intended he should turn crazy
and 10 that ca.r, humanity would dictate that be
shousd'be immediately taken care Of.
Take another specimen, as follows, :. Thsrs seems
TO be Paase ~ the raging elementsthat luN IN the
storm passion, ssAea ds prudent asarinss calls up.
on hserew 10 use their utmost srsrfiens to repair the
disasters the ship hd; sista med" What is it that
lvlls in a storm OF passion should think a storm
bad shelter for any kind Of creature u luIl in.
Elements may indeedlsll but it is difficult to con.
lecture how they could well do it in storm. Per.
haPs this quotation IL n:sl rinted, and il 50 il is
needless " enquire what the meaning of il is.
There are some things stated as matters of fact in
the extract, which requires little explanation.
the following, for exenpie, The people orMe Dis
fr'cf Of Maine haze csisly and citho artificial ea-
element determined upon, great political change
the ersm may be retarded but Il CANNOT be prersnfed
OPporiiss 10 the puOsic uiH mag create into ac.on
The angry and mqlignaat passions'' &c. The polit,
ical change here alluded 10 is sep ion.-Let us
sxp'sin--Is Maine are Sy,sSS legal voters as sp.