The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1820-02-15
MlSCELLAN Y.
From the National Intelligencer.
Hartford Convention. letter III.
A DREAMER.


Hartford Convention letter III.
The imposture of the Popish plot, before allud-
ed TO, which will remain an eternal monument
Of the credulity to which a great and intelligent
nation is liable, was couptenanced by evidence
more plausible than any which has authorized
belief IN the chimera Of a northern confede racy.
real and most atrocious conspiracy, the gum
powder treason, had preceded. IL was raised
upon the usual scaffolding of accusations indict.
ments, oaths, and judicial sentences. The oaths,
indeed, were those of pefjnred onsters, and tue
charges an outrage upon common reason, and
violation OF the cougruites of time aud place
Bu, oaths and judgments, and the axe nd the
gibbet, are eogent Arguments. by which not only
the love of the marvellous is confirmed, but the
faith Of nations. religious and political, nd some
times their governments, are Influenced and
changed. In this affair Of The Convention. how
ever, there has been from fist to last absolutely
nothing corresponding with our common notion,
of the lightest historical evidence. Among the
proceedings oltho State Of sssachuseits, which
was regarded as the pioneer ct opposition, no
speech o, message Of the Executive. no report of
committee, no vote, resolution, or act, has ever
been, or can be, presented, ieh,ch taken together
icah ats conteIf, can be tortured into the expires.
sion Of a sentiment favorable 10 dsme mberment
of the Union. On the contrary, in many OF those
public messages and answers, this object is ex-
plioitly disayowed, and the event regarded as a
most deplorabie possibility, which all were SOL
emily conjured to avert. 1t is believed also,
that No speech or writing has ever been imputed
TO any Senator or Representative, either in or
out OF his place, even glancing at the expeden-
oy Of separation of the states and that no ex-
preston Of such an opinion from any Getting of
ciizens formal or otherwise, emitted to be view
ed as indicative 81 public sentiment, can any
where be found. II is true that some industrious
compilers, (ofa class who deny the pretensions
of Clarendon, Temple. and Hume,* to be con-
sidered as writers Of authentic history,) have en-
bodied in their compilations, votes Of corporations.
extracts from sermons, and from the essays Of
anonymous writers in newspaper, in which the
idea OF separation of the states is held forth as
likely t. become choice of evils But this whole
isrfaso OF scraps, so far as | car hnd, does not
concern more than hall dozen small towns,
three or four clergymen, and the anonymous
dealers IN occasional sqnibs and paragraphs. Yet
on this foundation Is built, by one OF these COM
pliers, " deep, dangerous, and reasonable con-
spracy among leading men to dissovs the
Union.n
II can require no effort of reason to satisfy sye-
ny calm inquirer that the government OF state
Is not responsible for the efusioas OF the puly..
or for the resolutions Of towns or corporations. Il
has no power to bring preiate to the block or to
the stake, or to order his sermon to be burned by
the hshgman neither can it muzze the town
meeting orators, or manacie the press. Intem-
perate and unguarded expressions, in times of
excitement, escape from the lips and pens of the
prudent, which neither the government, or the
party whose policy they espouse, would sane
ton I; and there will always be men. among
friends and foes, who, constitutonally impru-
dent In the harangues aud ESSAYS OF individuals,
and IN the proceedings Of more than one assem-
blags OF citizens. that adhered 10 the admins
iration, during the same period, can be found
without much research, sentiments, 10y which
neither the Executive OF Congress would agree
to be concluded Honest and mistaken zeal, aud
ierv'd imasnations, frequently impel individual
oil ,e most upright characters and eminent tai
ents into tone OF conversation and writing Gle
waited much~abovc the views of the party with
whom they act. And II, on the occurrence of
these ipdiscretions, they were exposed to the
perpetual rebuke aud disavowal Of their friends,
II is manifest that such party would be deeom-
pose and fall to pieces by the fermentation OF
its own materials. Admitting, however, that
these suggestions are sufficient TO exculpate the
state legislatures from the imprudence Of individ
uals not under their control many will be ready
to array fcrmid bic catalogue cfthe Executive
and Legislative proceedings of 4 c state Of Mas
sachusetts, teeming with censures upon the poll
cy OF the administration which preceded the late
war, aud with bitter reprobation Of the wal il,
self. These, it has been insisted, encouraged
spirit ofdisunion, (Which they might not express,)
the tendency of which was towards dissolution
OF the confederacy.
But the question here intended TO be consider
ed, is not the merit or correctness of these legis-
lstive proceedings, nor the effect upon the public
"see Vindicis Hiterpice, aud the Olive Branch
passion.