The Portland gazette., 1819-05-04


nin'hs as that without which they Jid not
desire that separation should take place nor
think that il ought. Now !" The majority of
votes in 1916" is, without apology. addoecd
in support OF separation. But even this
boasted majority does not include the ma
Jority who remained at their homes, con- |
tented with their happy laws and govern.
ment. From the number OF votes given on
that occasion subtract those also, in the
opinion OF any man pretending 10 sincerity.
were influenced by expectations of the seat
Of Government, or of Office, or favour, or
Glamour, or talk about intervening land or
water, or other notions wholly distinct from
the general good, and what will remain
MOI. five Dinths ofthe people nor two ninths.
The universal increase of friends to seper-
ation is pretension. Single instances may
be found; but On the other side numbers
remember the Beunswick Convention and
enough The citizens oil our region have
j, is-true, been surprised rohear respe ctable
men, declared by name to have changed
their opinion and TO be in favor of sapera-
lion; and tqusiiy surprised 10 hear these
y
Strange how they knew il, Inever told any
body so, nor do / thick SO" Itis an impu
dent game, impudenly played, with no
modest effect.
5. With equal assurance it is declared in
the precepts that inconveniepcy to the coas-
ting interest was the principal argument
relied upon against. separation. III these
genlIemen have so poor memories they
will do well not 10 set themselves up as IN
falIibie guides of the public. If ahey.do not
remember, every body else does, that nu-
nerous objections existed, which were
deemed insuperable. Have they, them.
forgotten that half the public lands were re.
served, to remain under the proprietorship
Of Massachusetts, which the free, sovereign
and independent Commonwealth of Maine
was, like colony of slaves, to be bound
down unsIterably, by their constitution it.
self, to hold from taxation, and to protect by
laws VI hich they should not have the power
ever 10 relaxi And do they not know that
hundreds whom an inconsiderate zeal for
separation impellea for the moment, now
sbhor the thought of such badge and bur
den of never endiag servitude A plague,
compared with which the yexations of all
the patentproprietors in our countrgrsre as
the poverty and expressions OF few pro-
prietorships of 50 or 40 miles extent, 10 the
plaques af Egypt in which the first born in
all the land, were " dead corpses I" Are.
serva,ion which would ultimately cause
Maine, after subduing her own land and
raising she valGe ofthe reserve, TO support
substantially both the government of Mas
sschusetts and her own as is now The case
inConnectlcut, By means OF fund. created
from,-just such reserve, which yields to
the towns more than their State tax
6. We are told that the Representatives
Of" all the other States" are convinced that
the time has arrived FOR US to be indetsen-
dent and we must not suffer them TO
rcoroach Us hereafter" The insinuation
that the Coasting Law was passed with no
tiew to the good of the other States, but to
aid separation, would, If true, be reproach
on Congress but the threat that they will
"reproach Us" for exercising what every
State in the Union is willing we should en-
joy, Indehendence," is too triHing to be
worse than ridiculous The writer of that
notion must just then. have been employing
hi. common sense about something else.
T. The absence OF party spirit is describ-
ed with great painseanc in many words as
reason for separation: if the 5 makers of
sh- erecepts are conscious that the " euit
seirit" of party has gone out" of them il
is recommended TO them to examine
whether he has not taken TO himself s sew
en- other spirits" of desperation more wick
ed than himself, who enter in and dwell
there IL so their last end may be worse
than their hrst.
Blu, TO what great objectis this great talk
TO inpel US 1t is to choose d full repre-
sentstion, without one exception !; 10 tax
every town to the utmost extent for the
hire of men not to hear argument or use
reason, but, right or wrong, and :" under
instruction" like the committee, to prose-
cute scheme, of more vital Importance to
the State, than whole years OF common leg-
islation, and one which more demands re.
-iection and deliberstion. When men wish
to s,ifie reason and conviction, il is because
they believe resson and convic,ioa will be
against them when they urge crooked ar
guments, they aim at some crook,S adyan
tage. TheIight is never clear, when it
comes to US through agreat many crooks
ard cracks. ~ i
And now, fellow-citizens, what claim to
our confidence and compliance, greater