Speech of His Excellency the Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to Both Houses of the Legislature, at the Session Commencing on the Second Wednesday in January, 1812. January 10, 1812: Read, and Ordered to be Printed |
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aid in destroying amendments belligerents Board of Visitors Britain Britannic Majesty British vessels by-laws cause Cincinnati citizens colonists commerce Commonwealth conduct Congress constitution corporation crime declared deeply regret despotism destruction disallow and annul discharge duty entitled existing Federal Convention Federalists firm determination foes foreign recruiters friends gentlemen happiness honour hundred persons indi individuals inestimable injuries justice justly considered love of liberty mand Massachusetts means measure ment merit militia monarchy morbid fountain national government negociation officers paralized party spirit patriotic peace pensioned writers perfect right Persons subscribing political present preservation promote public law received refugees regard remedy render Republicans require revolutionary revolutionary war right to repel royalists sacred rights seamen seized slavery slaves sound policy spirit of party streams of contention tion tive trace the streams union United UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN unjust viduals views violated its perfect votes whilst writers and printers
Popular passages
Page 9 - ... unite the national councils, in the measures to be pursued. At the close of the last session of Congress, it was hoped that the successive confirmations of the extinction of the French decrees, so far as they violated our neutral commerce...
Page 12 - If a nation is obliged to preserve itself, it is no less obliged carefully to preserve all its members. The nation owes this to itself, since the loss even of one of its members weakens it, and is injurious to its preservation.
Page 12 - ... soldiers in a foreign country, without the sovereign's permission, or alienate the subjects of another, violate one of the most sacred rights both of the prince and the State ; it is a crime punished with great severity in every policied State. Foreign recruiters are hanged immediately, and very justly, as it is not to be presumed, that their sovereign ordered them to commit the crime; and if he did, they ought not to have obeyed his order, their sovereign having no right to command what is contrary...
Page 15 - Bute, who was the author of a plan to enslave these states, and to American royalists who co-operated with that government to bind us in chains while colonists ? Is it not morally and politically impossible that a doubt can exist in regard to the choice...
Page 15 - Gerry openly accused the federal party " of being anti-republican in its principles, and opposed to the measures of the general government." " Are we not called upon," said he, " to decide whether we will commit the liberty and independence of ourselves and posterity to the fidelity and protection of a national administration, — at the head of which is a Madison, supported by an executive department, a Senate, and a House of Representatives abounding with revolutionary and other meritorious patriots,...
Page 12 - ... would exclude them from the neutrality they enjoyed. But if they only continue their customary trade, they do not thereby declare themselves against my interest : they only exercise a right which they are under no obligation of sacrificing to me.
Page 17 - This law began with the expressive recital, that " Whereas a communication by means of a canal navigation between the great lakes and Hudson's river, will encourage agriculture, promote commerce and manufactures, facilitate a free and general intercourse between different parts of the United States, and tend to the aggrandizement and prosperity of the country, and consolidate and strengthen the Union.
Page 18 - ... to the exclusion of men of the most enlarged, liberal and informed minds ; and thus destroy the reputation and usefulness of the society itself. The multiplication of such institutions, has a tendency, not only to prevent this evil, which is an opiate to genius, but to produce a competition, and to promote in the highest degree the utility of such establishments.
Page 18 - ... forth the views of the writers on each side of the question. At one time it seemed as if the petitioners would be successful in their efforts, but finally they were defeated. The speech of Governor Gerry, at the opening of the session, contained the following remarks : — " Many Institutions in this Commonwealth which have promised great benefit to the public, would have met with much more success, had similar Corporations been established. When only one of any kind is permitted, it too frequently...
Page 19 - Our late venerable President Adams, that great and good man, who in our conflict for liberty, was the pride of Massachusetts, and an oracle...