The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1824-02-17

biued operufion 81 zoe delegations a Aasss-
rhusetts and Maine a. he last session II Con.
grras, q memorial was presented % the Presi-
dent u cause the subject - be takes under I'm
mediate consideration, and BY him referred %
the prupeF department for examination and adj
iusfsnent. subject % certain views which had
heretofore beea taken Of Il by the national
adlniuissr4iion. Tie opportunity being deem
"a favorable Or determination, Gov Brook.
with TIE advice IL General King. made a CON.
munieagson % Gov PARIS, inviting the co-0pe-
ration q MS state. a. being IN his judgment ex
trcmely dssirable, 4 not absolHicly essential To-
TIE successful adjustment u the claim. The
perfect understanding possessed By General
Ming If 81 The facts merits and circumstances
81 tie claim, which indaced Gov Brooks 60 act
GA bis advice, coinbiaed with bis experience
and inaurnee IN political affairs, the general
force and practical sagacity q his mind and the
energy and efacienry Of his characier--thougi
rsihef distins uisaed perhaps b. stamp q de-
cision than an absolute uniformity Of discre-
lion and lnE8riable absence Of desuit0riness
to indicate him 70 Gov. Paris as the most
suitable agent o execute this Office on the
part VI Maine aud be was instructed By our
executive % cooperate with any agent
designated on The part Of Massachusetts, ~ such
manner az would be most likely 10 effect an
object equally desirable and Interesting 10 both
states" And Oh the election Of Gov Easlis, IN
der The nov cluHeils OF Massachusetts,, II was
undoubtedly regarded a. a favorable 0pportu-
nifty for urging tie claim upon the attention OF
government under The patronage OF q Fepubli-
can administration Of both states. The agents
Tor Massachusetts, were accordingly selected
and Neutrality-suspicious. prepared by Gov. kustis )
an under these auspices, all the old obstacles
especially being thus apparently removed, ra-
tioRal expectation was naturally entertained Of
seeing the business brought TO a speedy and
prosperous nsue Under al these cfrcumstan-
eeS Of eucouragcment. therefore II mast be with
surprise as well as regret, thai the people of
both states are informed By the report Of Gov.
King, that there isno immediate prospect Of OBJ
tanning any par, 81 the claim and that il Is
doubtful whether is present situation Is not
wore than Il was q the commencement ol the
discussion. The onls explanation OF the causes
Of this unexpected embarrassment is contained
IN the letter Of GOV. King to Gov. Paris, com
munieated TO the Legislature, Ia which he con-
cludes by expressing hope that his determf-
nation TO abandoa an agency, which, under ex-
isling circumstances and With bis present associ-
aies he represents As a Hominal affair, will
be approved BY the executive as well as Lis fell
low citizens
The most Ineligible information, that we can
derive on this point from the narrative Of Gen.
King, as the cause Of this ahrup; determination
on his part, is that the course pursued by the a.
gents Of Massachusetts, and aequiesced in, as il
seems from his account 10 have been BY Cover
nor Eustis though at the same time different from
that recommended BY Governor Brooks, was
such that no favourable impression appeared to
have been made on the mind OF the President
Nor do we perceive how there ever can be, in the
stand the government has takenagainst the claim,
while the obvious bias on the Presidents mind
is sustained by a declared disagreement OF
opinion and contentioa between the agents OF
the two States in his very aHtichamber. We
are not acquainted with the difference Of
the instructions Of Governor Eustis from the
views OF Governor Brooks, though we should
not suppose il senatorial as Gen King imagines
Still we cannot help being somewhat struck by
bis statement, that " the claim has been advoca-
ted on SRch principles as rendered Il more ex-
ceptionahle in regard TO he employment Of the
militia, than Il was under the decision Of the
Massachusetts Judges" This i the more inter-
estins 20 learn. as that Was supposed 20 be the
ne Plus 8ifrC. -Genersl King states that there is
not 10 his knowledge au individual of either
delegation that Is satisfied with the course Of
Alr Sullivan and that nothing but his respect
for the parent state OF Massachusetts restraiRs
him from ehsracterizng Il as il deserves He adds,
however, that he does not 4" despair of obtaining
whenever Il Is advanced on proper principles.
Now Il is impossible 20 say how this subject
may affect other minds, but il strikes ours as a
sort OF soleeism in public Jurisprudence, that a
claim for indemnity, an the material facts rels-
ting TO which are established and fixed as clear
" as the stars in the ornament, should be infu-
enced by any considerations in creation, saving
the true and simple principles on which il is 70
be decided II would be a novel and INDUSTRIOUS
doctrine % maintain that persons civil rights
should depend on his political opinions. go
venment administered on principles Of that
Kind, according 20 the speculative creeds or dia-
iectic systems Of It's subjects, would be one Of the
worst OF tyrannies Mems rights do not depend
upon their own notions OF them, neither in regard
to the shrewdness of their reasons nor the pra-
dence Of their assertions They may be exer-
eised with very little discretion and defended BY
very absurd arguments without losing attraction
OF their specific force or abatng iot Of their in
trinsic weight in the scales Of even and discrimi-
native justice.-No mans rights depend in fine
on his knowledge Of the sw--nor his concessions
20 the court.
General King attributes the failure which he
anticipates Of the present negotiation to Mr. Sui
iivan's train OF argument. This is attributine
much to the weakness of the argument, but Little
20 the wisdom OF the sovereign He saws the
strong ground which should have been taken has
been altogether eglected; while the one select
ed viii find very few advocates IN any part Of the
country" II does not appear however that Mr.
sullivan has taken any ground different from
what he found 10 bis instructions and though
Gen King Is entitled 20 an equal share in the
council Of the claim, Massachusetts may no,
be willing 70 give up the whole direction Of the
concern 20 Meine.
Tur rrCY-r aurrrpr-