Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1816-07-30
FOR SEPARATION.
roR TaE PORTLAND GAZETTE.
EXAMINER, No. 1


YELLOW CITtzENs,
On the second of September next, you will he
called upo, to decide question the most important
to you aud to your Posterity, ever acted upon in
the district of Maine Ii is other than the dis
oi,,ion Of connection, which has ssppily subsist
ed Cor long time in the same family Before you
undertake 10 examine and finally drciie this i'm
portant question of Separaton--I.et me ask you to
perform verysdAicutf task, but one absolutely
necessary to be performed before yos can impartial
Nv il re in the case-!et me intreat yon to lay a.
side all personal interest, which yes or any one Of
Won NAV have, distinct from publick good and al.
% let me solennly caution you to lay aside your
political attachments and aatipaibies Tor il is inn
possible for you to decide impartialy and correctly
white under the influence Of party feelings. see
at once that il is difficult for 10 differ, in this
question, from the party with whom he has usually
acted, in whom he places confidence and whom he
hiss found to be right, and to unite in opinion with
Others t. whom he may have been opposed. hut,
Fellow Citizens unless You will be faithful to your
selves and honestly perform this task, you are in
danger o. giving an erroneous judgnent--and de-
ceiving yourselves; OF making this greatest ques-
ton. which is above all party considerations, po-
tica one. Your only enquiry should be, will it
be beneficial to the Inhabitants Of Maine and their
posterity to be separated from Massachusetts Prop
er and erected into an Independent State, upon the
terms proposed That Maine ought to be sepa-
rate State, and that she will be at some time and
upon some conditions reasonable man will deny.
The finger of nature points to separation-but the
question u.s. has the time arrived, and are the cond
tons beneficial The wealth, the population, aud
the talents OF Maine, IL must be acknowledged, on
all hands, are abundanty sufficient for the forma-
ton and government OF state. The only question
then Is, are the terms such as we ought to accept
Let Us not partly decide, but carefully examine
and impartially Judge. Our present connection
with MASSACHUSETTS Proper, though in many res
poets inconvenent. il by no means 90 bnrdensotne
as to compel us accept CT terms manifestly une-
quail and disadvantagcous. have noticed with
some nc sret, that the communications in the Argus
on this momentous subject almost Unfortunately
advocate the measure and eulogize the terms, and
that no writers in the Gazette favour the Serera-
ton on the term.H ought not to be sosuch courae
may impercepti bly, aud Internationally make II q
political question, which would be extremely unfor.
tunate.
If we hsve a new government, it is an indispen-
sable desisIeratum that there should be union of
parties, and an indlscriminate participation Of of
fees for there are gentlemen in each party, who
would fill important stations in government with
usefulness to their country and honour 10 them
selves; and amy country must languish. and any
government soon fail, which cannot command and
employ her most enlightened and virtuous citizens
in ksr support-It j. an acknowledged position BY
all, that Mainc, whenever she may leave Msssa-
chusetts Proper. will be justly entitled to the same
proportion Of the public property in the whole
Commonwealth. that she may, Al the time Of sep
ernton contribute, 10 the support Ut the govern
meut. and that proportion is now over one 6fth and
less than one fourth. The question il. the terms
now offered Is beneficial for Maine a her proper.
ton Of tho publick property would be--tf so, we
have all we are entitled to--if not we ought to re-
ject the proposi,on-h her proportion would be be
tween a fourth and fifth (say fourth Of The prb
lie lands in Maine, il the State Honse and States
Prison, the old Province House and other scraps
Of land in Massachusetts; now Is quarter part Of
the State House, Province House. State Prison-srd
other real estate in Massachusetts more valuable
than quarter part oil the pubiick lands In Maine
selected as secure them. The answer to this
question will be answered in my next plumber.
CANDOER