The Portland Gazette

Gen. King's Speech

Has been industriously published and recommended to attention. Novelty is pleasing : and those who heard the Gen. make a speech in the Senate will not on that account be less pleased; for this here "excellent speech." as somebody calls it, is "quite another thing." In words and composition it is almost lively and decent, no more like the General's words and composition on any other occasion, than his face is like the face of a Boston lawyer; and in superficial content, such as we use in measuring boards, as was once said of a speech in Congress. it is a great speech, so big that every one will not have time to read it before the first Monday of April. But, it being important that every voter should know what it is. we extract all the substance of it for immediate use as we take the essence of peppermint to warm us, rather than the whole plant, stalk, leaves and blossoms together.

The whole substance of the whole speech.—Nobody says the militia were not employed in our necessary defence : nobody pretends but that they could have been necessary if all the Law called for by the President had been employed: nobody intimates that there was any want of prudence in the expence : I know that the Division which I had the honour to command cost scarcely one tenth part what regular troops would have cost · nobody supposes but that our claim to remuneration is equitable : no, that's not the point. The State Constitution says the Governor shall be Commander in Chief of all the forces of the State : the Federal Constitution says the President may call out the militia to repel invasion. Now all this means that the President may call them out when he pleases. where he pleases. and as long as he pleases : and the Commander in Chief has no right to a doubt or an opinion respecting his duty in the case If we do not pass a solemn legislative resolve that this is the true plain meaning, Congress will spunkily refuse to pay our claim, however equitable ; and, if we do, I am not quite certain they will pay it; but I rather guess they possibly may.