Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1816-10-15

90 not conhder II q matter of much conleoueuce
a. IL does not affec; the 6ual refuls.
The majority Of delegates at the late Bruns-
WICK Convention having suspended for a sea-
son, their abuse Of powers entrusted to them,
and having agreed upon cessation Of hostili-
ties agains, truth and honesty, IT remains for
the people whom they have basey BETRAYED
to call them 10 account. The temper dis
played by those few, who at the opening Of
the convention, magnsnimously undertook to
think, act, vote and direct for their party,
will be sufficiently displayed in the journal of
proceedings, which we hope will be examined
with that attention it deserves. Never was a
majority drilled, manBuvered led and COM
manded with more adroitness and Gespotism
than those who served under Holmes and
Preble. The appointment of a committee by
an almost exclusive selection from one side,
OF their most efficient men, and the strenuous
resistance made against all attempts to enlarge
IT, plainly indicated their determination to
prevent fair investigation ofthe votes. The
only instance OF oppugnation 10 their leaders
was vote directing the returns 10 be read in
convention before they should be handed to
the committee. This was fortunately obtain
ed against the will of their masters, and op-
Grated as the only check against frauds which
they have since by their conduct, proved
themselves abundantly able TO commit AZ
ter trying every scheme they could devise to
reject votes enough to secure themselves the
sths required by law, they were compelled 10
resort to the pitiiul evasion of comparing cor
porate majorities, and applying the legislative
rule OF proportion to these results 1t was
hardly to be conceived that in that committee
men could be found with the etfrontery, Sc.
fiousl y to advance such monstrous absurdity
Nor was it expected that the men who devils
ed this Ubiquitous expedient, case hardened in
conscience as they are, would have the hardi-
hood to risk their characters, such as they are
with sucn shameless effrontery. We will
hazard the assertion that not one individual
in that convention believed when he went
there in any other honest construction of The
law than that 5ths OF the whole number Of
votes was required to enable them to form a
constitution, or take any measures Tor sepsra-
ton. 1t seems next 10 nonsense to require
any demonstration of the ahsuIdily of the cal.
culalion adopted to secure fictitious MAORI
ty as this committee have done. By their
mode, any majority, however small, will be
suihcient.-TowDs nearly equally divided
have little or no influence in the question
end the proportion is in fact applied to snail
part instead OF the Qhole. Ii is utterly inn
possible that any man of an honest, unpreju-
diced mind can mistake in bis application Of
the law, nor is there in fact, the least doubt
OF The intention Of the legislature. One men,
Der, indeed, from Portland, who had the mod
esty to denounce four Of his colleagues as hav
ING betrayed their trust, had also the harJi-
hood TO avow that conscience had nothing 10
do with the question. There was a lrankness
l. courage in this open ayowal which entities
the gentleman 10 degree Of credit for some
qualities which he has not been generally sus-
pscied OF possessing The conduct OF the
committee in regard 10 the Lyman votes needs
only TO be named, to be rprobated. The
principles avowed By the chairman OF the
committee as TO the correctness and proprie-
y oil embezzling votes, is a striking evidence
OF that gentleman's notions OF honour and
honesty. 1t will be recolected that another
gentleman, who once had the Elliot votes in
his possession, avowed his opinions OF the
same high moral stamp. The foregoing are
but few brief sketches of the high handed
proceedings Of an unprncpIed majority,
which IN baseness and prohigacy exceed eve
ry thing known In modern deIiberatiye assem-
olies. 1t is cur duty to hold such men up to
Publick indignation. We do believe there is
virtue In the people to preserve them from the
Vaccinations OF men, whose only aim is TO
raise themselves where they can trampe un-
der foot those by whom they attain the means
OF oppression whose ruling passions are, am
biilon and unhaowed lust of power; in
whom every good principle is extingulshed
by the venom of party. There are certain
limits within which artiul men have usually
circumscribed their efforts in a cause Of per-
sonal and party ACKNOWLEDGEMENT this they
have deemed prudent to ensure success. In
the present case, however, no such precau-
tons. have been used. They have boldly
ayowed their disregard OF all such obstacles
as truth and justice, enemies whom they have
so long successfully combatted that they be-
ieve them feesle, and nmy claim the reward
OF their iniquity. Let that reward be" SHANE
AYD EVERLASTING CONTEMPT"
Things BY their right Names.
Let every honest man whatever may have
hoe he fsvr,1 If. &c