Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

From the Boston Spectator.

ON THE PRESENT POLITICAL STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS.

It would give us little satisfaction to assert a claim of superiority in favour of the Commonwealth in which it is our happiness to reside, if that superiority depended merely on the degeneracy of other states; but it is our glory to find Massachusetts distinguished among those states, which have good reason to rejoice in their political regeneration. We exhibit it a character, without its parallel in the Union—a Commonwealth in which democracy has fairly struck its flag.

But a short time since, Mr. Gerry, one of the most violent anti-federalists in the United States; a terrorist; an idolater of France and her sanguinary despot; a very jacobin in heart was our Governor, and, in concert with his coadjutors, took every practicable measure, per fas et nefas, to perpetuate his and his party's ascendancy. Their career was active and daring: but it was short. A large majority of the people withdrew their confidence from Mr. Gerry and his friends; and on the next year, it was deemed expedient, by the leaders of the faction in opposition to Governor Strong, to propose a man whom they represented as moderate, and who, in truth, was so. But he was an avowed democrat. The people would not have General Varnum for their Governor. The popularity of the cause to which he was devoted was rapidly sinking. Though a better man, he was worse supported, than Mr. Gerry.

The prospects of the party now became deplorable. A democratical governor was totally out of the question. There was every probability, and their leaders seem to have been well aware of it, that, if another attempt were made to carry a candidate of their own politics, it would be found that the cause was still sinking. At the late election, therefore, the struggle was abandoned: the party had a candidate, to be sure; but were obliged to submit to the humiliation of supporting a man, who publicly disavowed any political connexion with them, and threw in their teeth, for their civility, the most pointed censures—on the very measures of which they had been the zealous advocates!

Such then is at present the democracy of Massachusetts. The democracy of Massachusetts! Where is it? What is it? Governor Strong has a majority of eleven thousand; less it is true than on the preceding year; but the quality of opposition is of at least as much consequence to the political character of the State, as the quantity. Governor Strong has sixty-two thousand votes, and who has the remainder? A gentleman who was one of the federal cabinet, at the time that it was most obnoxious to the Jeffersonian party—a gentleman, who, before thousands of his fellow-townsmen, recently denounced the policy of our rulers, as a pernicious deviation from the principles of Washington—a gentleman who seems, so far as he has chosen to express himself, to unite with us in opinion, that the war is carried on without just cause, & explicitly predicts failure & disgrace from the grand plan of our government, that plan on which the pecuniary resources of the country have been squandered, and millions in debt accumulated, to blast our future prosperity. It was to a gentleman openly professing these sentiments, that the party, which lately made Mr. Gerry our governor, gave their support; and the only opposition papers we have in this state, warmly recommended such a man, as truly deserving the confidence of every citizen.

Let this, then, be recorded and published, to the honour of Massachusetts. Her democracy is prostrated—it dares not show its colours—it moves, but to kiss the rod. When was it ever so low, in this Commonwealth, since party spirit has been known? Where can such an instance be produced in any part of the Union? We know of none.