Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1816-08-06


terest oil Maine. Now the people Oh the Dor
ders of our population understand very we
the value OF this bargain oi cutting up VIZ
lands into lots, and parcelling II Out IN tbs
manner prescribed by the act they know
that lands in this condition Ca mot be calcutta
ted upon as source OF reve nue., and henc'
they do not hesitate to reat the bargain as !
bad one with great iesity and very little Ger
emory. Perhaps they do not CONSIDER Sc
great degree OF sacredaess attached TO mel
! ~ power, as TO feel toe necessity oil benz
dumb and acquiescen when they clearly per-
ceIve their riguts aud their interest TO be pul
in jeopardy.
The Argus seems TO be actually In distress
that the people at Castine from the eastern
counties understood this subject so fully, and
threatens them with a terrible vengeance from
the votes of the people on the first Monday OF
September next. II must be extremely n'or-
tifying TO the gentlemen OF the Argus, who APP
pear SO lively il its columns upon the ocea-
sion if IN the county OF Cumberland large
majority of votes should be given against ac-
cepting this bargain which appears 10 them
so exceedingly profitable and yet, stranger
things than lhi. have happened.
1t is impossible for all The grave and gay
writers in the world TO make this bargain APP
pear very bright, on the side OF Maine, to The
eye of conmonsense. There is one mc1e
resorted to in the Argus, to burnish it up, that
is curious the writer has takea the Noblebo-
rough address as lustihcation OF the terms oil
separation proposed in the act. have un-
deistood that tue printer OF the Argus abso-
lute,y refused TO publish that address on the
request OF the Hon. MIR. Carlton to give it a
place in that paper. Ii ii had been published
in the Argus, its readers could have then fairly
judged OF it, whether or not II would purport
10 Justify such sacrifice as Is offered IN the
act providing for separation. writer in the
Argus now garbies the address, which Was re-
fused admittance there, and introduces de-
tacbed sketches and sentences as soothing APP
plicaiions 10 wounded pnde, and pautlses to
public sentiment. But what Juslihcatlon Is
that address for putting public property INTO
the hands of Massachusetts without an equiv
alent for il Our Legislators are not To be
governed or justified by the opinions Oh any
voluntary assembly whatever, IN arranging tue
distribution OF public property. ne amount
OF the writers argument on tins subject Is this
6 we have made as good contract, or better,
than the people al marlborough thought We
should, and therefore we have made good
contract" Now, however grave ihis reason
ing may have appeared to the in'enler OF II,
It is Tar from conclusive and the Sentiments,
expressed by The meeting at Castlne, 60 lar
TO shew that it is by no means universally ac-
ceptable.
There is another mode of reasoning used in
The Argus of long tried experience, intended
perhaps, TO convince the people that they
have been very prohtably dealt by, and this,
Tor breyity's sake, shall denominste personal
reflections, and personal abuse. But this kind
Of argument, though OF long established prece-
dent, and very constant use IN the Argus, rs
nevertheless, in some degree Objectionable
Tor however it may convince the public, that
some writer feels rooted nalgnliy to"aros
a particular individual, and denves great
pleasure from clothing him with various cpl
ibets intended IN derlsioD, il affords very ut
tie instruction TO the public, and no pleasure
10 any individual, except he participate
IN the same maiignity from which this
cast OF palsgra. hs emniate.
A !hird mode OF convincing The people has
more diversity in il than the former, and is
certainly equally curious: 10y this, il is made
10 appear, hrst, that the contract would be
greatly in favour OF Maine and altogether sat-
isiaclory to the people, il ii We're not tor SIX
descriptions OF evil minded people, who ope-
rate as spell, and prevent the tar exhibition
OF lis merits anI secondly, that their oppo-
sition is calculated to prevent clear saving 10
the people Of Maine OF FORTY OR FIFTY THOU
SAND DCLLAEs yearly, which they would ra-
ceive if the contract, ior separation, with
Massachusetts, were carried into effect by the
votes oil the people. These SIX SORTS OF peo-
pie are the following "Otice holders, eJice
erpectlsts, land no ders, merchants, tratere, DC.
who find it convenient to be elected to the
general Couri) stickiers for The dignity q old
Massachusetts, and those sgho haze no conf
dencc in the people," Now if it be true, that
these people, as they are described, are OPP
posed to The condil ions Of separation,an from
selfish motives too, cannot perceive how their
opposition alters the intrinsic merits OF those
conditions, any more than the opposition oi
men to popery would establish the merit OF
thai form OF reiigion.-But the assertions, res
pect.ng the lofty or fifty thousand dollars saw
ing, requires particular attention; not merely
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