Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1816-02-13

u. nlfty years VIII carry uS odAA TOT =
f,5uch to take in the whole period thai las
ell psed since the formation of the present
government, ard something more. With 'tf.
however, going beyond that era, we take lie
liberty to ask Mr.. Johnson, TO be more par
ticular. The plan of praising by wl1olest e,
is very often suspicious, and not untrequeat'y
unjust. The orator has here come out %
plain matter of fact and the truth ofhis re-
m TX is susceptible Of being reduced 10 also
lutte certainty, by. a mere resort TO hs6fy.
That, then, zye ass Of ham, are those sgase meas
ures the government, since the adoption ot die
Constitution, 9th ss,hich Mr.. Madison is iden-
tilted?
For eight years, General Washington was at
the head of the nation. We presume Mr.
johnson will say, and, indeed, we think he
must saw, that there was not one meas ure o.
any importance adopted during that periot,
are not much mistaken, Mr.. Madison was as
relative to all great measures, without exep-
ton, in the opposition, and the leader ofit.-
This would be bold assertion, ever for
Kentucktan, distinguished as they all ire for
that species of hardihood. And it is tie more
remarkable, that it should be made jus at this
moment, when the subject of this very eu,ogy,
as well as the eu'ogst himself, are engaged,
with the most exemplary zeal, in shaking off
| the political measures which their owny0isdom
| has induced them, from time to time, Il adopt,
and in taking up, for the salvation OF their own
popularity, many of the measures, which Mr..
Madison formerly so strenuously opposed.
In the year 1894, # we recollect the date
Correctly, Mr.. Madison, under the tulelage OF
his Master Jefferson, brought before congress
! his celebrated commercial resolutions. The
object of them was, TO detatch our trade from
Great Britain, and TO force il upon France.
He supported them with all the talents and
zeal that he possessed. Indeed, it may fair
ly be said, he ssas identified agish hem.-The
project failed. Had it succeeded, What would
have been the situation Of this country? We
can now look back and discover the practical
effects of measures, and, in that best of all
modes, estimate their wisdom, or folly. What
would have been the situation Of this country
now, if we had been, as Mr. Jefferson and MIR.
Madison intended we should be, ,deatfed
with the french revolution That revolution
is now over. II has been crushed by'a more
gigantic power than even France possessed, Jet
loose as she was, from all moral, as wei. as
political restraint That tSe same gigantic
power would have found us Ieagued with her,
against the peace, the security, and the ipde-
pendence OF nations, and we ,hould undoub-
eddy have shared in her destruction. The
partnership between us and France, would
have been technically complete. We should
have been interested not ony in are profits,
but in he losses of the firm. This measure is
the mos, distinguished Of Mr.. Madison's politi-
Cal efforts. MIR. Jefferson, may, at his leisure,
point out its wisdom.
| The Navy, the Bank, &c were measures
of the Washington administration. Is MIR.
Madison identified with the establishment OF
the former, and is he not with the destruction
of the latter of these measures And which
course, as the world now goesis the wise one
Mr.. Madison was the bosom friend, couf-
dant and supporter OF Mr. Jefferson and his
measures, perhaps we are to look there for the
ss,ise measures with which he is IDENTIFIED
The Dry docks the Gunboats, TIE Embargoes,
&c. are on the catalogue, Mr.. Modison may
be easily found there also; bit, as for his
wisdom, ue knosg not The place thereof
Since his own administration, he has TO
boast of the sar. He is identified scith thai,
and oil its disgrace, as well as is misery. He
is identified with the dastardk fight from
Bladensburgh, and the shameful abandonment
of Washington, TO the pillage OF handful OF
troops, whist lac was skulklng in the woods
for his own personal safety.
We have endeavoured. accoIlng to print
tive fashion, to prope the doct',ne nfga,vefy.
Mr. johnson may prove II atirnalisey at his