Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

MR. MARTIN'S LETTER.

Notwithstanding the length of Mr. Martin's letter, we have given it entire in this day's gazette; it merits an attentive perusal from every citizen of this country. While it displays in the writer feelings honourable to humanity, it is unrivalled in soundness of argument and justness of remark. Whoever endeavors to destroy the freedom and independence of our Courts of Justice is in principle no better than a traitor or a murderer. It has justly been observed, that, "if private persons are to set themselves over the heads of our courts; denounce the counsel employed for or against the accused, and devote by acclamation, the respondent to the infernal gods, we may as well annihilate all forms of law: proceed to tear in pieces the man who has the misfortune to be suspected; and act afresh in this country all the enormities of the worst period of the French revolution." Our state constitutions declare that whenever any one is called upon to answer to any charge affecting either his life property or reputation, he shall be entitled to as fair and impartial a trial as the lot of humanity will admit. If col. Burr has committed treason, it is to be hoped, for the safety of the country, that he will be convicted and punished in such a manner as law and justice require. No country in the world can boast of having so enlightened and upright Judges as this; yet there are individuals among us who are wicked enough to seize every opportunity to excite among the people a spirit of jealousy and enmity towards this branch of the government. Let such characters be marked as the common enemies of civilized society.