Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1816-11-12

.so committee appointed to' the purpose.
~. re,o, therefore has no legitimate sane
'ian whatever except what it receives from the
.Srt, @ blanche given them by the convention,
'sbich aulaorses them TO accept their own re-
r",.s obtain their own discharge. BY this del
sse,ton Of delegated authprty--an act which.
iseont,ary 10 a principle OF public law, ihe
..on,ian. II il could be considered, that a
.or,oration had any conscience, places as ozgn
i commission, and eonsigns to the discretlon
e small number of indiN iduals, whom it in
vests with fall power for tie purpose, the task
of,mdicating Il their reputation, with the priv
lese Of publishing whatever they please on
,Le, behalf in their name-leafing themselves
u larl entirely at the mercy OF their own min
;,,ss In saat manner such committee
,ro.ll be likely 10 execute the office assigned
hem. may he inferred from the circumstance,
lbat they were the principal members OF the
very committee, which made the original re-
mort and Of course possess all the feelings and
hare all the inducements OF paTticipaiors.
Accordingly you find them CHIEFLY anxious for
their own excuipalion, making the convention
stalking horse under which 10 discharge
heir functions, and exercising the liberty Of
deyolsing upon their principals the heavy load
d inputation which they have personally in
mrred. Ii is manifest, that such communi-
r,t;on so made, comes clothed with no extra
ordinary importance--beng altogether a post
lumous affair, aud deriving no consequence
from any ratification il has yet received from
the convention. 1t may therefore be consid-
cred as the reply IN PART of three persons I'M
plicacd in the report, TO the protest ct large
and respectable minority.
There is a greater inducement to adopt this
conclusion from the manner in which the com.
miee have executed their comlnisson,--a
manner wach is entirely Inconsistent with
tbe respect which large and honourable body
owes t. ilsell 1t cannot therefore be con-
suuted into any Gisrespect lor that hohoura
bic body to say thatit is performance. in
temperate, indecent aud undignhel that is
entirely deficient IN TASTE, interest or elo-
quence II is yltious and oeclamatory
prot.c,ion altogether unsuitable 10 the gravity
ofadeli5eratYe assembly. Ii clseeyers much
uneasiness, Irritation and perturbation and
naniiests state OF mind OF great solicituee
and unhappiness. 1t is strongly expressive
of the feeling of alarm and agitation incident
oapowehui public accusation, succeeded by
sudden conviCtIon, when violent effort is
about being made to prevent judgment from
being rendered On the verdict /; and while it
eiaees all the agony of apprehension, it al
ecls at The same time 10 assume and carry out
blae last the character and language oi i'm
ps,chcd integrity OF injured innocence and
saenng virtue s
10 Iroceed from the manner OF this pro-
duelien u its matter, i. would appear that
j he convention had somewbst receced from
\ asoriginal ground assumed in the report, il it
! dees net indeed amount TO an abandonment OF
il 4beHit gas the only correct construction
Ii tsa Tseg oalg, The committee there say can
ihey gge construction to the language en-
ls3yed in The act, end the construction adop-
led BY ihe eonml..s was solemnly pronounced
ID lae, convention to be true, as God himself
Nssine. Softer strains have succeeded the
s.Gaplanee Of the report, since its reception
sylhe public has been ascertained; and the
ealsea.ion have now expressed a simple pre-
ference but mol a decided opinion in favour of
that mode Of construction There is no &C.
easlon 10 enter into any discussion Of pure
points Of preference, especially as taste is ad-
niued not to be subject Of dispute. But it
Scehainly a taste of some singularity to pre-
er that which is not true TO that which is.
Next TO telling a tale Of that kind is the vir-
Tue loving it; and even TO prefer the inter
peia'i0n adopted for its doubtfulness, seems
only to be choosing darkness rather than light
-apreierence Of evil to good argues depray-
iy appetite not TO be imputed gratuitously
10 gentlemen sustaining high and honourable
relations in society. That the committee
preferred, that Maine should be separated from
hassschusets whether there was any majority
nrA OF not there can be no manner of doubt !;
ala they profess therefore TO prefer The con-
aneton most likely TO produce this desired
0nsammation, Indifferent whether the act az
aoiised ii Or not. To resist so plausible and
aaonai acon,tructon merelyon the g4ound of
~ novelty they consider would have been
lsaly eensurable. But il would be letting.
VI he Convention too lightly to suffer it to be
@pposed that the act will Jedr their construc.
40, when the fact is that il will not admit Of
]S Interpretation imposed upon il, and can be
1aae aPparent not only TO be mol the right
pe, oat one which it can with no ,ioleuce
a ioTtea 10 endure.