Jenks's Portland Gazette

CRITICS.

"Men who are opposed in opinion to the government, as it is established, cannot be safely trusted with its administration. Those who have no confidence in an elective republic, but believe an hereditary monarchy, and a line of descending nobility as necessary, can never administer an elective republic with firmness and patience. Those men who are opposed to all settled rules, and adverse to all the maxims, which experience and wisdom have established, can never administer any government well. Yet this is a case very wide from those opinions which divide the body of the people in our country: the extremes on each side ought to be rejected, but whether a man is in favor of Adams, Jefferson, Burr or Pinckney, ought by no means to be considered as a qualification, or as a disqualification to office."

Should the idea obtain, that men are to be appointed to, or secluded from office, on account of political opinions upon the administration of the government there would be an eternal warfare between the outs and ins. Contentions would be sharpened, and the hopes and fears of men in office, or those who want offices, would have the full effect of bribery and corruption. The number who are in office, will always be a minority, and those who are out, and under disappointment, must ultimately prevail: these will have their day of triumph, and an opportunity to share in the coveted emoluments of the treasury.