The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1820-03-21

the best interests of his country, forbid it. We
merely wish that the state of political influence
and power in this Union. should be well IN
derstood and fully. comprehenicd.
II should moi be concealed. also, that the
power Of the executive, which we would no,
impairor diminish, in this country, is mol in
considerable. lie has under hiscontrol, eight
or ten thousand officers. distributed over the
Union, comprising the most active and IN
fiuen;isl men. together with perhaps twice.
nay, ten times that number Of expectants Of
| office all OF wbom are under an inducement
TO adhere 10 bin, with all their influence and
power. Whenever power in this country,
then. shall have taken root 10 quarter in
which there shall be found such common
principle OF union, j, cannot be easily eradi-
Gated.
The lessons which have been ineulcated in
The course Of the discussion OF the questions. in
relation to Maine and Missouri, should for
| ever hereafter be borne in 1AInd. Missouri is
now TO be admitted as slave holding state.
| Arkansaw is next 10 follow Thus this prioci.
pie Of union this rsllying point is TO be ex.
| tended aud strengthened. The Indian title
to the residue of the Louisiana Country is moi
YET extinguisheJ. Till il shall he, the country
csnpol be settled, and it viii depend Oh Two
thirds of the Senale whether tie tile ever
shall be exiinguished /; as no treaty can be
made for IFS exinguIshment, but by the con.
currence OF two thirds OF that body. Till The
restriction as 10 slavery shall be removed. no
doub, need be entertained, thai more haa
one third Of that body will be found in op
position 10 any such treaty. In this way
they may prevent the formation of any new
non slave holding states, ives, the Missouri
10 this way too, they may prevent the posi-
bili,y of having their Influence impaired-but
Oh the other hand. will secure its increase.
The undersigned were, however, more
especially prompted to address you, in order
to explain the operation OF this scheme, OF
making the admission OF Maine depend on the
admission of Missouri, upon ourselves. twas
as il respects the members from Maine, in the
highest degree insldious. II was calculated
land whether designed or not for that purpose
you will JUDGE TO circumvenl Them. We
cannot suppose ,aat any member Of the Senate
was ignorant Of what had been done 10 Maine.
l, was well known, in fact. that se have been
long struggling Tor independence. and fsr al.
missioa into the Union, hal Massachusetts
had, al length. consented "a Tie separation
that, al great expense, and afer a delibefa.
ton OF many weeks, a numerous convention
had formed conNiluiIos--ihat the People.
I'm their primary assemblies, had, almost
unanimously, ratified i-,hai upon tn. lhe
delegation from Maine were expected TO con
summate tier wishes by procuring admission
inio the Union. II was foreseen further. thai
the votes Of the Maine delegation, if secured
against the restriction upon Missouri, would
defea, that measure and, moreover. il cannot
known, that not more than one OF yeur dele.
cation was so inclined TO vote.
What, then, did the Senate know TO he the
manifest tendency Of this measure How
could they have been ignorant Of it What,
then, did they virtually say 10 The members
from Maine, Was it not this You desire
the admission Of Msine-you are under The
strongest necessity Of obiaininns tive have
no objection TO it--you ooght 10 have il
but you shall not have il, without you viii t,
nolsns volens, vote for he admission Of Mis-.
sooft buio tue OHiot, WItiiuut 6Hs iebuidtIoIl
as TO slavery-whst-ser may be your senli-
ments, os however alI,orreni II may be to your
notions al the rights O, man and of humanity.
BY way Of sweecring this bitter draughi,
a regulation Is annexed IN relation 10 ~rriory,
west and north Of Missouri, which is not yet
purchased from The Indians, and which, il
may be intended. we never shall purchase.
And this is called compromise.
We were disposed 10 be governed, in this
instance. bys spirit Of amiiy, and Of that
mutual defence, and concession which the
peculiarly Of our political situation might
demand. But the undersigned believed they
were not sent here to be Influenced by con-
sidesstions other than those flowing from the
dictates al their own unbiased understandings;
and, at any tate, that they were not 10 be
placed in such a situation as 10 he compelled
to yield implicit obedience TO the mandates
of any man OF set Of men whatever.
The undersigned. therefore, utterly pro-
tested against such course Of procedure
and refused 10 sanction il with their sppro-
baton. In dong 50, We trust and believe,
that we can bu, have fulfilled, a, least, the
reasonable expectations Of our fellow citizens.
NJ. kINSLEY,
JOSHUA CUSHMAN.
EZEKIEL WHITMAN,
80 =