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


and profefs TO " regret for the li'crary
reputation of the diitriet, that the united
wifdom of the minority fhould not have
produced a more able itase paper" 1t
fcems as though it would be time enough
TO produce our aate papers, after We be
come tate. And 1t woutd be well, 1t
the hterary reputation of Maine wsre all,
:i.at was likely to futfer in the preient
con.roverfy. But the minority it feem.,
have not executed their memorial in 70
high itylc as to fui, the majority. Ifa re-
mark Of this kind be not beneath the dig.
nifty of an augua aftmbly to maxi. it
may not be departure from propriety
to reply, that a, ths minority did not ap
point eommittee to prepare theme for
literary exhibition. the competition was
not the point, TO which their principal at
ten,ion was paid. The matter with them
was more an object of confederation, than
the manner aud thsy had not m'ntb
allowed them to produce aud polifi their
performance. They were deficient at,
leait g in time" therefore, if sot sin fkil'
for this purpofe Hardly a moment was
permitted to introduce it into the conven.
ton. Blu, under all the diladv antages,in
which it was produced, the protef is
draughted with good senfc and found
reafoning. 1t does not. to be sure, dif-
cover any of the dexterisy, which is sc
quired by apromi!cuous practice Of argu.
ing for both political parties alternately
the peculiar talent Of a Jack Of both lides
the ambidexterity of profeilional ad-
voca,e. 1t difcovers no ufc of the die
tionary at every word. 1t has no affec
,a,ion Of initiating Junius.-It manifeits
no ambition of rounding . period or
pointing an apophthegm The mi.
nority had no particular PATTON for EN-.
phalis or epigran. ihep were not Pre-.
pairing Nsw Edition Of DELLA cRUs.
cA, nor compiling supplement- to
the book Of Proverbs. The proteit
has no more Of the rhetoric of the CON.
mittee, than it has Of their arithmetic, 1t
has as little tide to their logic, as their
:, metaphysics. 1t contains no vitious
phrafro.ogy nor mathematical abfurdity;
and perhaps it cannot itand in fairer
light,shan by being oppoied in every fenle
70 whatever is peculiar to that report. II
IS true, it has none of the ingenuity diff.
played by Eugene Aram, in his celcbrat-
ed defenle, in which he had the addreis
10 get hirfelf convicted I, poAelles
none Of the independent fpiri. of JACK
Cade Or Daniel Shays, and difplay
non. Of the genius Of a Robefpierte or
an Appius Claudius difeoyers none
of the talents Of a stephens Blrfops 10
or George Darlington, iuch eminent
qualifications as ufualy bring a man in
England to the gallows or fend him here
to the itate's prifon. In one word, it has
nothing TO bring blulh into the taes Of
its authors, or to Ramp their characters
with infamy. So much for its diction.
The committee complain OF having
been the andsserved objects of calumny
and reproach and it is luhjeot Of re-
gret, that gentlemen Of higa character
1hould labour under The burden OF public
opprobriun. But i, is always fource
Of fatisfaction to pof.fs an approving
confidence. The price of reputation is
defervedly dear, ,-and it discovers de-
gree of remaining virtue to preferve a
fenfe of its value. While they complain
of having experienced an almoR incon :
ceivsble degree Of detraction, and TO have
fuffsred from the attacks of newfpsper
afafius in every quarter, they have the
grace to acquit the members of the mi:
nor;sy from any concern in the confpira,
cy,and express Il much refpect for their
characters to iuppofe they could have
given it any fupport or sanction. At
the fame time, confcious of their own
rectitude. they profefs to have palIed un-
injured through the hte, and to have
lhakcs off the Ibatts, by which they have
been afailed, 4" like the viper at Melita." !"
The committee, it is true, have had to
ca, their dinner. as the Jews did their
psHover, with bitter herbs,-and they
feem to ind it fomewhat difficult to di.
geit their own diih. Thefe obferyations
NAV nerhaps ferye them as desert -