The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1820-02-22


eau correct it.
From the National Intelligence.
Hartford Conuenii0M.--Letter ".
The imaginary mystery which overshadows
the history Of the Hartford Convention is at once
developed by con fnns the attention to the only
fair and correct evidence which is admissible in
the inquiry. This il has been already minated
is TO be found only IN The record Of the proceed
ings of the legislative bodies which to be
sidered the trainers ofthe project, or IN the acts
Of the Convention itself. To the first we must
look for the Instructions And authority Of the
persons commissioned TO act: to the last, for the
result Of their deliberations. There Is other
just criterion to which the measures of any repre-
sentative body can be referred. In our daily re-
searches We are Infatuated to no other. The
measures of national assemblies, conventions,
parliamsnts, and congresses, receive their charae
terstic stamp in public opinions from their aeis.-
To presume that legislative body, consisting
of at least 1--WE hundred persons, as did that Of
Massa chusets, sitting constantly with open doors
could be capable ofdigestng formula ofinstruc-
tions for its public agents. clothed in the solemn
y Of its usual sanctions, and published to the
world, With an understanding that Il should be
regarded as merely colorado, and that the dele
gales to be appointed by them should exercise
:
subject even Of debate, and which it was not ex-
pcdent to define, is an idle suspicion, that must
vanish before the fret intimation, not merely OF
its variance from all usage and analogy, but OF
its practical impossb'ty. But the extravagance
! Of the conjecture ends not here. II would not
be sufficient for tho Legislature that should have
first conceived this unrsvealed scheme Of disuniop
to communicate its secret purpose, by s6'as;.n, to
is immediate delegates. 1t was essential to the
| plan, that other states should be induced to CO.
| operate in its execution. Yet was there no cor.
ference or correspondence between these legi.la-
lures. They were not even in session at tho
same time. The only invitation given to them
was in conformity to the Two following resolves
which form the basis Of the powers OF the Con.
vontion, and which, with the resolves accomps.
pying them, and the report Of the committee
wherein they were founded, and the circular let
ter written in pursuance Of them, are all mAttsrs
Of public record, which were published in their
day.:
'Reso1ued, That twelve persons be appointed
as delegates from this commonwealth, to meet
and confer with delegates from the other states
Of New England, or any Of them, upon the sub
jeots OF their public grievances and concerns and
upon the best means Of preserving our resources,
and of defence against the enemy, and to devise
and suggest for adoption, by those respective
states, such measures As they deem expedient s
and also to take measures, if they shall think
from all the United s aies, in order to revise the
& constitution thereof, and more efectualy to 81.
cure the support and attachment Of all the peo-
pie, by placing all upon the tasis Of fair feprssen
tation.''
7 Resolred, That q circular letter from this
legislature, signed by the President Of the Sem
ate and Speaker efthe House Of Re representatives.,
be addressed TO the executiye governms ut Of
each ofsaid states, to be communicated to their
lnyI at amin L. .~fA
sed conference, aud inviting them to concur in
sending delegates thereto"
Upon such an Invitation. the Legislatures 10
whom it was addressed are to comprehend the
hilden purpo Of Mass achusetts, and TO commu-
nicate IT. in their turn, by nspafion, TO their del,
egates; who are ultimately TO meet qualified and
} prepared to make or receive proposals., and set
tie prelmnarics for dissolution Of the Union.
} What can be more egregiously absurd 1t results
then, from internal and une ,atrollablo evidence.
in the nature Of things, that these legislatures
could not have intended more than they express
cd; and there is then left refuge for the jcal-
Gus mind, but in the belief that these delegated
or some Of them. ware inclined, Of their sssrs
aotto, and in contempt Of their instructions, to
, enterprise dismemberment Of tho Union, at the
risk OF the disayowai of their const ituents, and
their own consequent disgrace an confusion !;
and that to this end propositions were made BY :
minority, Of which the majority would permit no
trace to appear on their private journals, though
requisite TO their own vndcation. To some such
untounded and extravagant conjecture, n resort
Is indispensable, 10y those who imagine that
more was intended than met the eye,n in the
organization or proceedings q tho Convention.
n There is then no shadow Of reason for any sus.
plcion that the public report and private minutes
oithat assembly do not contain full recital OF its
proceedings and the idea that any part Of them
is suppressed, or in any particular varied from
their original tenor, would imply either the con-
currence of all the members, dispersed at
great distances from each other, in base fraud
or the commission Of a fraud upon chem, by the
certifying officer To the weakness as we'll az
the indignity that would be couched in such an
nsinuation, noperson acquainted with those n-
dividuais, will believe it can be necessary to an-
ticipa'e reply. These proc eedi,gs must, theres
fore, be brought TO the test, by which those Of 9th.
er representative bodies are ascertained. Hfs By
the record onlv thaf.ts trial be had and il is
by departing from it into he extfaneous . ,ions
Of suspicion, and indulsing propensity natural
IN d'stempered times, TO believe in plots and
eonspiracies, that the Hartford Convention has
been distingu she'd as the most dangerous meas.
ure Of opposition during the late war. Yet this
is so remote from TRUTH that its history proves to
demonstr len. that il promised eypnd all other