Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

THE GAZETTE.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29.

FEDERALISTS & DEMOCRATS.

THE character and views of Federalists and Democrats in general are well illustrated by their respective conduct as to the embargo. The Federalists, pursuant to their sentiments of genuine liberty and republicanism, and with that openness and confidence which these sentiments never fail to inspire, publicly assemble in legal and constitutional meetings, and with the decision and boldness of freemen express to the President and to the world, a proper sense of their grievances and their rights.

And if they wish their fellow-citizens, who possess the same rights and suffer the same grievances, to pursue the same constitutional measures for redress, they openly and publicly invite them to do it-without distinction of political parties. Thus the town of Boston called upon all other towns in the Commonwealth, democratic as well as federal; and the federalists in these towns legally assembled in town meetings, giving the democrats full opportunity to assemble likewise and co-operate with them, or assign their reason for dissenting, or act in any way they might see proper.

Now what, in the mean time, is the management of these same democrats, self-styled republicans? Why, regarding the interests of their party, more than the grievances of their country, without condescending to reason, they study to applaud the embargo in order to uphold the administration of their party. Party, not country, is the object of all their cares, solicitudes, and enquiries. Such an object not well bearing the light, they of course carry on their devices in secrecy and darkness. The grand central junto of democrats, in Boston, secretly assemble and issue their edicts in the form of circular letters, which they secretly send to the petty juntos in the several counties, who again secretly convey them to every town in the Commonwealth, calling on their party to make the embargo popular, to applaud its policy, praise the President, and make all the display of unlimited confidence in him that is possible, or their party is gone forever! In obedience to these junto edicts the democratic Selectmen immediately set about answering the Selectmen of Boston, through the Chronicle, and send them long patriotic epistles with as much gravity, as if these same epistles were of their own head, and not dictated to them by the central junto. This they in general find much safer than to submit the matter to the people. In the few places where the junto have full influence, they adopt the latter mode. But their chief difficulty is in towns where they have little influence & no democratic Selectmen. The junto's edicts, however, even in these towns are obeyed. Their partisans, as soon as a decent time has elapsed, advertise for a meeting of their party only, in the night time, on business of great importance! Curiosity to know this great business brings many together. Those who in public town meeting had voted against the embargo, must now sign a paper in favor of it. Great names set the example, and some little ones follow. A name is a name whether of frecholder, foreigner, or nonentity, and it is very easy to make up a little column of names, and still easier to trumpet to the world that they have about 300 taking due care that the said names be never seen, but by themselves and the President!

Such is the difference between Federal and Democratic Republicanism. Let any man, who would be a genuine republican, examine and compare for himself, and choose which class of men he will henceforth be ranked among.-N. P. Herald.