Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

FOR THE PORTLAND GAZETTE.

MR. ADAMS,

NOTHING can more sensibly affect the mind of every honest and reflecting man than that bold and daring depravity, which to serve party purposes, would endeavor to subvert those principles, which the wisdom of ages, has sanctioned, and uniform experience proved to be absolutely essential to the peace, happiness and good order of society.

This cannot, however, be done by a direct and fair attack upon sound principles; but is always attempted by artifice and falshood.—For instance, few are so absolutely shameless as to pretend that the support of Christianity is injurious to a community; but the enemies of the Christian system, are secretly plotting its destruction. It imposes restraints upon licentiousness which modern philosophers find uncomfortable to themselves, and an abridgement of natural liberty: as the robber, or the murderer would call that law aristocratic and tyrannical, which inflicts punishment on his crimes—but as the present age are not all of the opinion that it is unimportant to society, whether a man "worship twenty gods or no god" at all, these opinions are not publicly avowed, and many, who aid and abet the cause of Antichrist, are so far the dupes of their artful leaders, that they believe themselves engaged in support of their religious rights.

If I had not lived in the world long enough, not to be greatly surprised at any thing, it would be matter of astonishment that any man should imbibe an opinion, that our constitution or laws impose any restriction on the rights of conscience. Yet such is the infatuation of many duped honest men, that they are persuaded to believe as great a falshood as ever was suggested by the father of lies himself.

A large portion of the community do not think for themselves—do not enquire and examine; but are deluded into opinions, because certain persons have formed, or pretend to have formed the same.

Human ingenuity cannot more explicitly provide for the unrestricted rights of Conscience by any form of expression, than our Constitution does, in the language it contains. It is true that the support of the protestant Christian religion is provided for; but it is expressly declared that no man be compelled to pay for the support of a minister on whose instructions he cannot conveniently and conscientiously attend. He is only required to contribute his proportion toward the support of some one public teacher, and with a free election to support which he pleases.

No man who is really for supporting Christianity, and exercises his own powers of thinking and reflection can be opposed to this provision in the constitution; yet many upright christians, for no other reason than because they will not take the trouble to think for themselves, call our constitution aristocratic, tyrannical and oppressive—they are the dupes of a few concealed behind the curtain, who move them about like puppets. They are like those "whose feet stumble upon the dark mountains" And unless the people will examine and think before they act, the delusion will be fatal to republicanism, and our liberties "will fall to rise no more."

We find, but a few of the Baptists and Methodists, who are attached to the principles of federal republicanism, by being deceived by the false representations of our political foes. While those Baptists and Methodists exercise the free enjoyment of their own principles, unmolested, and protected by the constitution, and the laws, from a contribution to any other, than their own teachers it is singular indeed, that they should believe their rights are restricted:—They are taught to believe so; and for this reason many do believe it, altho every day's experience, if they reflected upon the use, must convince them of their error.

So far from having their rights of conscience restricted, the Constitution against which so many complain, is the bulwark of their protection No country in the world can boast the religious tolerance we enjoy, and the leaders of the democratic party, are secretly plotting the destruction of these rights. by sowing the seeds of discord between the different religious societies who, but for them, would have harmonized—Mankind as imperfect beings cannot think alike in religious matters; and where is the man who ought boldly to presume that he cannot err.—Since, then, our constitution is the only protection of our civil and religious rights, let us, whenever we elect rulers for the state and general government, choose these who are in favor of the Constitution. let us elect men whose minds are fair—who will not reject conviction, when found reason for it upon them—men who are superior to the dominion of party prejudices, and who, will think for themselves, and not act as the mere tools of a master.

Let us avoid those who would sow the seeds of discord among Christians.—Christians are, or ought to be brethren

These thoughts occurred to me on hearing among some baptists and methodists, that the democrats are advocates, and federalists opposers of the rights of conscience. Knowing the reverse to be true, I could not conceal my solicitude, lest this democratic delusion should hazard the existence of those rights, the security of which really depend on the success of federalism—and this consideration alone would be sufficient to induce me to vote for

EZEKIEL WHITMAN, Esqr.

as a member of Congress, even, if his pretensions, were not superior, in other respects, to those of Mr. Ilsley.

A friend to Civil and Religious Freedom.