Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1816-10-29
Washington City, My 2, f8i6.
DEAR SIR,

DEAR SIR,
THE FIRST session OF the fourteenth Congress hav
ing closed, and being about TO return to my family
| aud friends, you have right to expect from me
as your representative, full and general statement
OF the measures which have been adopted at the pre-
sent session.
The subjects Of deIiberation have been so various
aud at the same time so important, that manu-
script letter Of ordinary length would hardly be
sufficient TO enunerate them, much less TO afford you
any information II is for the purpose of giving
you more general view that have adopted this
course.
The period Of the commencement Of the present
session Of Congress was critical and important aud
required all the exersions of diligence ability and
of the councils u the nation but crit
cal as il was it less datterng 10 the pridet
-
All, Squire have we this " right p
How mseraby ignorant, then, have we been
OF our rights and how basely have we been
defrauded by cur former Representatives !.
Gen. Wadswoth, Mr.. Ilsley, Lawyer Whit
man, Squire Widgery, nor Col. Hubbard ev-
er gave US any "/uu and general statement o,
he naeasares''-and we were obliged TO CLEAN
up, from the public papers, both the doings Ct
Congress as body, and the particular parts
which those gentlemen took in the transac-
tons. But you (bessing on your dear head
and nimble fnges) have given us, on one
sheet Of letter paper, a view OF the whole
ground-have told us bow you acted and
9 aarocatea'' and ssusat for our bene6t-and
how much more you would have done, il you
could have got rest to join you. And now
think OF i'll remember when you made
your speech on stills" and ''roots," you
were sick-very sick indesd--for you told US
Of it .fue times in that very speech-three
times at the beginning and twice at the end.
Now thought man must have an ardent
patriotism, who would expose his health at
such rate merely to profit his constituents
and heartily wished had been at your ell
bow with bottle Of that. good stuff. which
you so feelingly and truly described as prefer
able TO any other spirit in Maine. However
as was not there, please to accept my thanks
Tor that speech and this letter, and my con-
lions, that your health is not fre times
the worse for these exer.ions.
t Flottring 10 The pride of evcry .4meri-
cda!!! Now in this matter must beg leave
to differ from you, 'Squire---and know you
wont be offended, as you are Republican,
friend to freedom ofthought and freedom of
expression. Yet there is something SO sublime
and SO beautifully sonorous in your two next
sentences, that | ought to repeat them before
presume to state my own opinion in opposi-
ton TO yours. !" The mighty conflict you
say " in which we had been engaged had ter
minated. The storm Of war, which had ragged
and beat uuih all its furu npon our belovad
country had subsidized" Well the conflict
had terminated-the storm had subsidized
but how was this 6 fiattering 10 the pride of
any American? What had we gained in
this g conflict and this g storm" Our gov
eminent raised "the storm, to gain g free
trade," an exemption from 6 vexatous block
ades"-and freedom from impressinents. In
tact =" tree trade and sailors rights
were the a0o~ed objects Of the war, as stated