The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1821-07-03
TO THE REPUBLICANS OF MAINE.

In consequence of tire misrepresentation in
serted in the last Argus, relative to converse
ton between the publisher of that paper and the
subscribers we think it a duty we owe ourselves
and the publick to state the facts as they occur
red, that you might judge of the propriety or I'M
propriety of his views and conduct, and of our
Own.-Some time in April, number of gentle
men having accidentally met at Mr.. SToRER' S
office, it was observed in the course of CONVEX
sation, that great exertions were made by few,
who were supposed to have the principal direc-
ton of our State affairs for the past year in ia
your of a candidate for the Office of Chief Mag
istrate, whom they had selected, evidently with
a view to advance their individual interest; that
letters had been circulated through different
parts of the State in order to proposes the peo
pie in his favour, previous to any public nomina-
ton, and that their whole course of proc eeding
was Anti-repubican and improper. 1t was fur
Their remarked, that in this arrangement Mr..
WARE, the Secretary of State and Editor of the
Argus, appeared unCommonly active. Such be-
ing the case, it was deemed expedlent that the
republicans should know the ground which the
publisher of the Argus intended TO occupy in this
election Whether his columns should be open
for the admission of any respectable name of their
own party that might be offered, or be exclu-
sively devoted to the favoarite of Mr.. WARE.
For this purpose the subscribers were selected
by the Gentlemen present to wait on MIR. ToDD,
the publisher of the Argus He was asked by
them if small part of his paper, not exceeding
two columns, could be reserved for the support
of such candidate as they and other republi-
cans might wish to offer, should they have the
misfortune to differ in opinion from himself and
Mr.. WAaE. The reasons for this request were,
that the Members of the Legislature, to whom,
during their session, they had been accustomed
to look for the nomination OF suitable candidate.
had separated without making selection in case
Governor KING should decline. That perhaps
no general Convention would be called for that
purpose, and should the Counties nominate, it
was not probable they would agree on any single
candidate. Situated as we now were, there could
be no fair pubIek expression III favour of any one,
and the result would be that different candidates
would be offered, that the publick might weigh
and decide on their merits. We thought in JUS
tee, that the people, who are fnallyto decide,
should have a statement of their qualifications
fairly before them; and that the most effectual
way of doing this was through the medium of his
columns. For our own part, whatever commu-
nications might be offered in support Of any cam
didate we should propose, would be ansWera-
BILE for the contents. In reply Mr.. ToDD observ-
ed that he could not then accede TO our wishes
he requested time to deliberate and would give
US an answer on the following day. According
ly he called on one of the subscribers and observ-
ed ne could not comply with our request. After
several weeks the same person called ON Mr..
ToDD to be informed explicitly, whether he
meant to persist in his former determination.
Then MIR. Topp stated that he should make no
promite to insert any communication or the name
of any candidate until they were offered, examin-
ed, and approved of by him. Thus were a part
of the Republicans, deprived of this usual and
only channel of communication, by which the
community might be enabled to Judge Alright of
the qualifications of candidates for the Office of
Chief Magistrate--and this terminated the en-
quiry respecting the intentions Of The publisher. |
WOODBURY. STORER,
ISAAC ILSLEY.