The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1820-05-30

hoiuef, Out IeaiizlilS that IL Is associated WIN
the whip of The driver and the back of the
slave; OF fancyiDg that your little fame has
ventured on sea Of glory and finding that
it has dropped into the kennel
You have publickly avowed your faith in
day OF judgment, when every work shallbe
made manifest. Are you prepared to meet at
that day, will not say thousands of this gen.
Grafton, but millions of their posterity, whom
your vote has marked for unconditional degra-
dation in this life, and ignorance of the life TO
come Ifhen called TO your account for their
state, will you lisp in courily phrase the new.
colned'plea OF a /" fair compromise" by estab-
fishing the hellish horrors of slavery in one
state, as an atonement for establishing honest
liberty in another ? Are you ready to invite
the Just doom OF those who d. epd that good
mag come2 The plea which is diabolical H.
fusion at the bar Of humanity, would be
blasphemous illusion at the bar of God.
shudder and pause.
To the State of Maine were given the bes.
sings OF Independence the same day on which
you and one other Of lis citizens decided by
your casting voices the decree which sanction.
ed the dominion Of slavery in Missouri: Of
this bondage, therefore, you and he will have
been conspicuous authors. II would be I'M
kind 10 wish you, with this guilt on your head,
false security and peace on this side the
grave Through the remnant of your life
tears OF bitter coDtriiion ought 10 be your re-
past by day, and groans OF deep repentance
your song in the night. But should hundreds
OF the miserable victims of your decision, as
probably they will, gasp their last under the
torment of the scourge and the faggo;, may
their imprecations OF everlasting vengeance
never light on you and your colleague, wan
ton, causeless and aggravated as your sbom-
Unable ,ransgression against them has been :
but may they, by almighty grace, be enabled,
with their last loud voice TO cry Tor you, as did
the first christian martyr for his murderefs,
Lord, 10y mol dis sin 10 their charge.
REPUBLICAN FRIEND OF INDEPENDENCE.
MR.. sHIRrEy-I observed in the last National
lntelgencer, an act Of Congress establishing :" an
uniform mode Of discipline and field exercise for
the militia of the United States" which trans
scribe for the information of those who are par
ticularly interested -
:" BE IL enoeied by the Senate and House of Rep
resentatces Of The United Stcfes Of l,nerica m Con-
gress dsstmied, That The sls'em Of discipline and
field exercise uhich is and shall be ordered 10 be Oh
serred BY the regular oymy ofhe United States. IN
he different corps Of if/ontry, artillery, and rife
men. shaH also be otserped by The miLta IN he
exercises md discipline o. The aid corps rcsptcipt
", throughout he United States
s. Set. 9. -1,d be IL farfier enacted, That so
much Of The act Congress approred the eighth day
81 May, one thousand strea hundred and Ninety
iteo, approres aud establishes he rules and dsci-
pine Of The Baron de sfeuben. and requires them 10
be observed by the mihtia ttrous hour The United
STATES be, and me same IS hereby, repealed
Washington, Nay f2. t6g0-dpprered,
JAMES MONROE"
While the nations Of Europe have been for
thirty years making rapid progress in military
science, the americans have been q mean in
regard to their militia systen) comparatively
standing still, I" careless of that progress, con-
tented with the theory and practice derived from
the little volume Of Steuben-a book, though
valuable in the emergency which produced it,
now rendered of little value, by improvement in
the Theory and practice of war"
The writer of this is aware Of the difficulties
which officers Of the militia labor under, and it is
foreign from his intention to make invldious re-
marks upon their merits" An officer cannot be
the work Of day it requires time, study, and
close attention." His object is solely to draw
their attention to modern improvements in
the art Of war. The constitution of this State
places all on the basis Of rights equally pro-
tected," AM promises, If met by correspond
ing disposition on the part Of our Legislature, to
be OF benefit to the citizen soldier.
II must be apparent to the most superficial OBJ
server ofmilitary tactics, that those practsed by
our militia are not the most modern. II is true,
there has been some improvement in the military
science within the last four or five years, but il
has been principally confined to the old tactics
Of Baron de Steuben. IL seems to be FREEDOM
inant principle with our officers, TO follow the old
beaten track, and aim at nothing more than a
slight knowledge Of mere play framing maneu-
vres, which practsed, with wonderful facility,
on all occasions. There honorable excep-
tions however, but such will duly appreciate the
writer's motive.
II frequently happens that an officer is elected
TO the command OF company without having an
opportunity Of examining book upon tactics
and, Of course, his military knowledge, il he has
any, is derived principally from observation. But
this is the effect Of our military system, and adj
mits of no proper remedy-we ought, therefore,
TO cast the veil Of charity over their imperiec-
tions. But. on the contrary, when we see an
officer who has held commission for years, and
had every chance Of obtaining information, aim
ing a. nothing more than a sufficient knowledge
of tactics TO acquit hlmself with decency, and
aasrer the io,c, we naturally led to doubt his
patriot;an, and euterpriza