Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

Fellow-Citizens,

ONE of your old Whigs of '75
wishes to address you, and recall to
your Remembrance a few facts which
have secretly led you into this horrid
Vortex of War-a War against
Nature, against Reason, against true
Policy, and finally against your dear
bought independence. Remember
that after eight years struggle for our
Charter Privileges, as we then called
them, we obtained all we fought and
fought for, Independence, this being
granted, we mutually agreed to
bury all past animosities, friendly correspondence
and interviews revived,
kindnesses were exchanged and our
Merchants pursued their usual routine
of commerce-in a few years, those
banes of civil Society, Pride and Ambition,
raised their haughty heads,
and burst forth into an Insurrection,
which spread like a contagious disease
into the other States in the
Union, and caused the Fathers of that
day, to consult further for the general
good-this brought forth what we
now call the federal Constitution,
which fixed a general Power, under
a President, over the whole United
States; this gave great offence to
these aspiring Demagogues; these
Demagogues opposed this Constitution,
either in the making, adoption,
or in the administration under the
great Washington, who led in the business;
and have by art, low cunning
and sophistry, seduced the people,
and by fair words and feigned speeches,
led them into this cruel, wanton
War-It is a fact that these opposers
of the federal Constitution, these opposers
to the first administration of
it, were all Rehoboams.-Ask yourselves,
did ever a Nation under Heaven
prosper better than the United
States did under the Washingtonian
administration; then ask, who opposed
this administration? who sapped its
foundation? who overturned this
beautiful, prosperous and happy
Structure? who courted the favor
and smiles of the Tyrant of Europe?
who were the Supporters and favorers
of the Insurrection in '86? who
were the fosterers of the whiskey insurgents
in '94? my friends, they
are all known to you, you see them
daily in the highest Posts of Honor
and profit, determined, if we can
judge by their Conduct, to undermine
your constitution and deprive you of
every Vestige of freedom and republican
Liberty-hark, don't you hear
their threats! "it is high time to
have a Guillotine for these old Tories"
meaning the old Whigs of '75 and
Patriots of the Revolution; and Bonaparte
like, set themselves in the
great chair of State, with an Army at
their beck, to kill whom they will,
and whom they will to save alive: It
is a fact that every Republic in Europe
is blotted out of History--look at
Holland, a few years since one of
the most flourishing Republics in the
world, their bank at Amsterdam, was
a deposit for all Europe, now reduced
to a mere Province, by this Tyrant,
this Scourge of the world; not only
the Republics of Europe, but all the
neighboring Kingdoms, are brought
to bow down and pay Tribute to this
Arch deceiver of the human Race.
Look at Spain and Portugal, see this
usurper shedding the blood of Millions
to obtain Supremacy over these Kingdoms-if
Great Britain was not in
the way, nothing could hinder him
from spreading his Conquests, not only
over Europe, but Africa, America
and Asia, the whole globe! There always
were and always will be aspiring
Demagogues, opposers of all rational,
free and republican governments,
who flatter in order to crush,
who smile in order to stab, who coax
in order to deceive-and depend upon
it will laugh when they get fixed
in the chairs of State enjoying your
loaves and fishes-think of these
things, my Fellow Citizens, rouse in
the majesty of your strength, hurl
from the chairs of State, these opposers
of your wishes, your peace, your
prosperity, your happiness and your
true welfare; do not fear their frowns,
nor ask their favors; but tumble
them to their original, and fill your
offices, with true Republicans, disciples
of Washington, rational thinking
men, who manage their own private
concerns with prudence and discretion-they
will restore you to
your former rank among the nations
of the earth I do not mean to say
that Great Britain has done us no
wrongs, he has, essential wrongs;
but is and ever has been willing to
remedy every existing evil, which
have happened, principally thro' her
officers abroad, as far as is in her power-we
ought to consider that she is
contending for her own existence against
her old, ancient, natural and inveterate
Enemy, whose conduct is
governed by no known Rules practiced
by civilized nations, but wantonly
burns, sinks and destroys your property
on the ocean, without Law,
Judge or Jury, at the caprice of an
individual Commander of any of this
tyrants ships of War-therefore, my
Fellow-Citizens, think of these things
cooly, ponder them in your minds,
weigh them in the Scales of justice,
and then act as freemen, as rational
Republicans-assemble yourselves in
legal town Meetings agreeably to the
Constitution of your country, appoint
able, discreet and prudent Committees
of safety and correspondence,
consult with your friends in the neighboring
towns and counties thro' the
Commonwealth, renovate your government
like true Americans, like
Whigs in the days of old, discountenance
every idea of rashness, of rioting
or Mobocracy, but say like Men,
like Patriots, like freeborn Sons of
Patriots, we will be free.

OLD STYLE.

July 1812.