The New Hampshire Gazette

With some degree of surprise, we have viewed the observations of our federal newspapers on the reception of the President by the Governor of this State. That he did not order out the militia to escort the President through the State, seems now to be the "head and front of his offending;" for the fact of his laboring under a severe indisposition is so well known, that any further attempts at malicious or witty insinuations respecting his non-attendance, personally, on the President, are abandoned.

Now look ye! gentlemen of the martial spirit, this grumbling of yours about calling out the militia, so forcibly reminds us of your conduct a few years since, that we cannot refrain from giving you a slight jog by way of remembrance. You will undoubtedly recollect that at the commencement of the late war, when it was necessary that every effort should be made and every nerve strained in defence of our common country—when the safety of our republican institutions, and the security of our independence demanded the service of its citizen soldiers—then in obedience to the requisition of the President of the United States, Gov. Plumer called out the militia to aid in the glorious work of defending the liberties of America. What was then your conduct? Did you then approve the measure? Did you not by every mean in your power try to counteract it, and by your pernicious example prevent many well meaning men from performing their duty! You must not think, gentlemen, that these things are forgotten, though they may be forgiven; and when you again wish to gratify your natural propensity for grumbling, in the name of consistency, choose some other subject than that of calling out the militia.

Had the President needed an armed force to protect him in Newhampshire—had a traitorous banditti been 'lurking among us to seize and "transport him to Elba," or to affix "a halter" to his neck—then indeed, would it have been censurable not to have called out the militia in his defence—but when he had his security in the hearts of his fellow-citizens; when he was, in every place through which he passed, welcomed by them, in a manner much more congenial to his own feelings, than by great military pomp and parade, it evinces a little mind to suppose he felt "chagrined and mortified" at his reception.

Far be it from our intention by these remarks to awaken the spirit of party, which now appears to be slumbering, or to again agitate that political rancor which has distracted our country; but if the unparallelled liberality of the republicans is not met by corresponding feelings on the part of the federalists, it then becomes our duty to note some of their past conduct, that the magnanimity of the republicans may be more clearly discerned, in suffering them to identify themselves, and claim an equal title to the gratitude of the nation, with the party who stood by their country in the hour of peril, and by whose exertions a second war for independence was conducted to a glorious termination.

It might be well if parties could in future be united, but the materials of which they are composed are so discordant, that we much doubt whether they can be made to amalgamate. Benefits will, however, result from the present peaceful state of our country—it will soften the asperity of party animosities, and, by giving the great mass of the people an opportunity to view, unbiased, the tendency of our happy form of government, it will ensure to our republican institutions a stability which no power without and no faction within, will be able to shake.