The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1819-07-06
PAYABLE YEARLY.

Have we not good laws, well administered,
| iowing to our very doors, protecting per
| son, property and life Are not our civil
| and religious liberties watched with guar
dian care by the government What can
We ask more ?-It has been an acknowl-
edged evil m republics that The people are
fond Of change and TOO ready I'd encourage
innovations, pleased with novelty and new
theories, and too often carried away by the
lmPulse u the moment. Let the settled
habits Of The people Of Maine contradict this
gtHcral charge Of republican instability.
One cid friend is worth an huud "a new
! ones on experimeat--Old systems, well
matured. under which we have enjoyed
every thing man can ask, should not b. bar
tered for new end unIried experiments.
Fellow Citizens, LOOK at the picture before
us-l dread 10 hold il up it would be we'll
IT /; could sink IN forgetlulness and hide
itself IN obscurity iOFever-DO YOU remena-
Der The Brunswick Convention That stain an
the reputation of Maine. that stigma and
disgrace on the moral character and intse-
rIiy OF our country. Who sanctioned that
imposition upon the psople ? Ii was the
very men who arc ''th5 life s-blool" Of the
present project Of Separation. Let him
deny II who dare said this convention
ought 70 be forgotten. / recall the express
s;oh, " il was sin against posierity II was
2 treason against Society II ought rather
~ be bluz1ned before Tie world, that ike
the Character deCiphered by the ProhAef IL
Gsd 10 the eastern tyrdat, ii might ENLARGE
and bIscken in the sight of the present and
future generations 20 warn aud terrify them
from deeds SO wicked
These are my reasons for voting against
separation. ONE OF The PEOPLE.
lsit excellent that the District Of Maine should
be separated from Massachusetts, Proper. and Be-
come an Independent State This i the great
question, which the people of Maine have very
soon to decide. tits now more than one hundred
and fifty years, since Maine has been united with
US, under one government. We have grown m
as It were, FROM our infancy in a state of mutual
dependence. Our ancestors encountered. hand
IN hand, the difficulties and periIs attending
settlement ia wild and savage country Thew
fought side by side, under the same banner IN
their contests with the natives, in the colonial
war win France, ana in the more glorious wax
OF our independence They labored together il
the great work OF framing and establishing con-
sttutlon OF civil government under the protection
of which, W have, for early forty wears. united
iy enjoyed all the blessings which could fey from
torn Of government, most perfectly adapted 10
our condition, and prudently and happily admin
Istered- Under these auspices, we have advanc-.
ed IN improvement, and, at length, have become
pOpulous, wealthy, and powerful commercial
state. Our united resources have enabled Us to
support the government, and bestow on our pub
nc ofhcers honorable salaries, without laying
heavy, burdensome taxes on the community and
at the same time have afforded Us the means az
making many and various improvements of a pub
lie nature OF promoting the arts and sciences.
and building up and supporting literary and hu-
name institutions, that reflect honor On our coun.
try. Our laws, modified and CORE cted. by the
wisdom OF successive legislatures, for a great
number otyears have become suited to the inter
ests and character of the people !. and the con-
structlon Of them is settled, by series of lum.
nous JUDICIAL decisions. Our civil and religious
lnsutuhons are stable. Political factions and re-
hglous disputes, The bane of small states. have
never very seriously disturbed the tranquility Of
this Commonwealth. We have been divided IN
10 political parties-but our party controversies
have never engendered those bitter animosities
80 common IN small communities As no one
7 IN 80 large community, obtain an election
to any public Office, without some good preten-
sions, nor dares abuse the trust reposed in him
when chosen, we acquiesce, as We may safely.
with great good humor and unanimity. on ali
our elections, in the will Of the majority These
are but few OF the benefits which Maine and
Massachusetts Proper have derived from being
united under our present constitution of govern
ment- he name OF Massachusetts, is revered
and her political influence is felt in every part Of
the United states
Citizens of Maine, shall this union. which has
endured so long, and which has been cemented
10y similarity of interests, pursuits aud charac-
ter, be dissolved forever ?-Shall that COMPACT
soiemnly entered into by our revolutionary sages
and parrots, Tor themselves and their posterity.
10 framing which they most deYoutIy implored
the direction OF the great Legislator of the Uni
verse, be hastily torn up and destroyed shall
we be thrown back forty years in our prooress-
aud plunged INTO that state ofanarohy aud confu-
sion, which existed before the adoption Of this
excellent constitution Shall the respectabiIity
and influence Of this great Commonwealth be lost.
and the pride OF the citizen, the warrior the schol
ar and the statesman, be hunbed Some mos.
urgent necessity alone viii justify a separation,
attended with such calamltous effects D~-v
such necessity Al present exist Let the pee
PIE a Maine pause and reject. They have .a
good government now and will II be prudent
10 give up that which is certain. ior that whicl.
Il uncertain VIII not b-nore safe to rally
round the good old msitutions az our ancestors
and adhere to tile social c1tspae. framed ana
entered iHto IN the days That tel mems souls 9-
This Is the rock, ca which CIR 40ertiea now stana
perfectly secure. 1hase wbc have asv respect
for the ssses and patsiats'ot ne revsluto3, WI
consider yell what they sra lively az Z. .py IL,
before the4 abandon asnrnr.tse, SAieA sh9ss =:
ges made not CAP RI III a1nsalvas- 81 .'r.=st
poste1,ty.-hs.f n..a easlrr il sssto % >etsL