Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political

From the Salem Gazette—June 26.

Address to the State Government.—Hardly had the people from this town to Congress borne, on Monday last, to save us from the horrors of a war with Great Britain, when all hopes of success were blasted by the tidings that a declaration of such war had actually been made, and our country and all that we hold dear put to this dreadful hazard. On Tuesday arrived the official act itself. The whole community of all parties were struck with consternation and dismay, as if led as a sacrifice to the grim Moloch of Europe, who can be appeased with nothing but the blood and groans of his fellow-creatures. Thus in their apprehension exposed to ruin by what Mr. Samuel Adams once termed a "foreign government" they turned their eyes with anxious solicitude to their natural guardians and protectors, the government of this state. A town-meeting was called for at an early hour on Wednesday morning. The inhabitants accordingly met, and having chosen Jacob Ashton, Esq. Moderator, & Benjamin Merrill, Esq. Clerk, pro tem. [John Prince, Esq. the town-clerk, being absent from town.] Ichabod Tucker, Esq. opened the business of the meeting with some observations on the perilous situation in which we were placed—plunged into a war, unnecessary, inexpedient, unjust, and the calamities of which were not to be described, nor the final issue calculated: and moved that a committee of nine persons be chosen to draw up a memorial to the house of representatives of this state, to express to them the general alarm which was felt by the inhabitants, and the misery which they apprehended would ensue; and praying them to exercise any constitutional powers they might possess to rescue their country from ruin. The motion was adopted and the following is a copy of the memorial:

At a legal meeting of the free-holders and other inhabitants of the town of Salem, qualified to vote in town affairs, holden at the court-house in said town, on Wednesday, 24th June, A.D. 1812.

Voted, that the following memorial be adopted, and immediately forwarded to the House of Representatives, signed by the moderator and town clerk.

To the honorable the House of Representatives of the commonwealth of Massachusetts.

respectfully represents, the memorial of the inhabitants of the town of Salem in the county of Essex—That your memorialists, viewing with the most painful apprehensions the approach of a war with Great-Britain, had just addressed a memorial to the Congress of the U. States (to which they beg leave to refer,) praying them to avert the calamities of such a measure; their memorial however was scarcely adopted when they received the intelligence that War was actually declared. They, therefore, now address themselves to the Representatives of the people of this commonwealth for relief from the manifold evils with which they are threatened. To your memorialists such a war will be peculiarly distressing; their loss of property will be immense; but this consideration, weighty as it is, is not to be compared with the afflicting circumstances that eight hundred of their sea-faring townsmen are now
abroad, defenceless and exposed to all the sufferings incident to unexpected capture and imprisonment; while their wives and families at home will be overwhelmed with poverty and wretchedness. When your memorialists therefore contemplate the incalculable distresses which will ensue from this war---a war which in their opinion is demanded neither by necessity, policy nor justice, and which will essentially contribute to aid the gigantic designs of the Despot of France against the commerce and liberties of the world; when they consider that in the prosecution of it the remnant of the resources of our country must be exhausted, and the liberties of the citizens put at hazard; above all when they reflect, that a necessary consequence will be alliance of this rising republic with the most despotic government the world has yet witnessed, their emotions are too powerful for utterance.

Under the deep solicitude inspired by the occasion, they are constrained to make this appeal to the Representatives of the people of this commonwealth, with the fullest confidence that your honorable body will use all the means which the constitution has placed in your hands to avert the impending calamities, & in all such measures as may be thought necessary for their relief, your honorable body may rest assured of their most zealous support.

JACOB ASHTON, Moderator,

Attest,

BENJAMIN MERRILL,

Town Clerk pro tem.