The American herald of liberty — Exeter, N.H., 1794-09-23 00:00:00, page 1

Committee of Confertme»
’Weftrhoreland county/
John KirkpatHck,
George Smithy
John Powers.
Washington county
David Bradford,
, James Matfhal,
James Edgar,
z layette county.
Edward Cook,'
. Albert Gallatin,
James Lang,
/ Alleghany county.
Thomas Morton,
John Lucas,
H. H. Brackenridge.
Ohio county. ,
• ’ William'M’Kinley?
William Sutherland/
John Stcphenfon.
rr^HE Committee having met
I on the 3i ft, proceeded to the
eleftion of a chairman,upon which
Edward Cook, was nominated ^nd
took his place. i
A question was made, whether
the proposed Conference with the
Commiflioners from the govern-■
mertt should be private or publit.
h was determined that it Ihould be
private, as lefsliabteto interruption,
> and as leading the Commiflioners
- from thd government to give a
• more frank and full communica-.
rion of their sentiments and inten-.
tions; and that after the preiimina- [
ry arrangements, the correspon
dence asto what was material would •
be in writing, which the committee
werenot at libtny co communicate i
co the public immediately, but to
report to the Committee of Safety,
which was to meet on the firft
Tuefday of September. ' i
It was moved.aod direeteawt'
two members be appointed to wait
Upon the Comtniffidners'on the
uirt of the Union, and of the State ।
government, and to Adpft with
A Report of the proceedings .of the
committee appointed at the meeting
at Parkinson s Ferfy^ on the 1 ^th
ult, to confer with commiftionert
on the part of the Executive of the
Unton, and the part of the Execu
tive of Pennsylvania, on the fuF
jett of the late opposition to the
laws of the Union, and violation
of the peace of the ft ate govern*
ment.
On the fart of the executive of the Union.
William Bradford, attorney gene-
JMfper Yates, afibciate judge of the
(upremie court of PennfylVania.
Jarhes Rofs,fenator in the Con^refs
of the United Spates.
O» the part of the executive of Ptnnfylvaniu.
Thomas M’Kean, chief jultice of
the Sate of Penrifylvariia,
William Irvine,' reprefentanvc in
the Congrels of the United States.
Volume IX.J
By the P itlfburgh Mail of las Evening.
PHiL ADEL PH I A, Sept. 5.
Domestic Intelligence.
ral of the United States.
American Herald of Liberty.
v K t J t < n —— T v - • y*f* If * ■*' * ' ' ■ - •; • 4 ■** < / • •• * » • ' ’* • »?*■ V '
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FMJMon Tuesdays, by Stearns andW inslow ,in Main-Street, Exeter, (New-Hampshire) at 6/3 per annum.
—
them the place and time of con
ference. n ,
Thomas Morton and James
Edgar were appointed.
Agreeable to arrangement a con
ference took £lace at ten o’clock
next day, and was opened by com
munications on the part of the
Commirtioners of the Union, ftat
iqg with all the fdlemnicy due to
the occafiori, the extreme pain it
had given to the executive, to have
heard from time to tim^ of the
deviations from the constitutional
line of exprefling a dislike of par
ticular laws, to those means of vio
lence and outrage, which would
lead to the having no laws at all;
that in the case of the present in*
fractions, they were solemnly call
ed upon by the constitution tbexert
the force of the union, to fupprels
them; butthatin thefirft inftarice,
all these lenient n!ea lures of ac
commodation were about to be
tried, that the great reluctance of
the Executive co have recourse to
force, had induced iuo use; that
for this purpose, they had been
commissioned with certain powers
from the Executive in order that
if possible, Ihoft of blood shed,
submission to the laws might be
obtained, and peace restored ; that
in the mean time the most effectu
al and decisive measures had been
taken, that Ihould a pacification
be found impracticable, by an ad
dress to the patriotism and reason
of the people, submission must be
enforced, and however painful,the ■
strength of the union drawn out to
effect it; that the militia were ac
tually draughted, and their march
delayed only until the fifrft of Sep
tember next ; within which time it
behoved the people of this country
to make up their minds’ and give
an answer, that the government
might know what to expedL
On the part of the commission
ers from the Executive of Penn^
lylvania, it was stated, that it was
fn like manner with great pain that
it had been heard, by the state go
vernment, that a resistance to the ?
laws of the Union, and a violation |
of the public peace, had taken
pla^e within this particular jurif
diftion f violations of lo flagrant
a nature as the invasion of perfonai
fecunty infa domestic h abitationof
an officer of government; the
‘burning dbW'w mansion house ;
reducing him to the beceffity of 1
relinquiffiing,. the country by a t
flight at an unfcafonable hour, aad >
by a circuitous rout of many hun
dred miles through a wHderpefs ;
the*attacking the marlhal; expel
ling an-.Affociate judge, the Pro
thonotary of the county, &e. and
above all invading the cabinet
of government, in the intercept
ing the publicall—and violating
the right of rhe citizen by break- j
ing tpe re’ppfitw of his private 1
thoughts, which ought to,have
been confidefed as facrcd as in bis
fcrutoire; that the Jaws of the U-;
jjipn oWere a part of the laws
TUES DA Y, September 23, 1794.
country to the bosom of peace and
happiness.
On the part of the committee,
a narrative was given of the
, , grounds of that uneasiness and dis
content whiqh have existed in this
country, and Have grown up at
length to that popular fury which
has ffiewn itfelf in the late traafac
: tions. ■ a-. . j ■» !
To chi&the commifTipner^ re
plied and then proceeded to state
more particularly, the nature of
their powers, and that certain as
surances were neceflary previous
to their exercise, all which have
been since reduced to writing, the
documents will Ipeak for. them*
pelves. They atfo declared their
expedations that the committee
would declare their fenfc on this
fubjebt. . t
It was ^pf^eted by the commi t
te^ jth^t^itM^s ^heir duty to hear,
and report, for this purpose were
they appointed L tot no power lay
with thepi to ftipujate for the peo
ple. A- . \
It on the part of the
> ^omputicc that such wastheix lib
* *
Pennsylvania, and the ftategoyem
ment on principles of delicacy and
honor, could not avoid taking a
very fenlible part in defending
t.heiri, independent of the obliga
tion under which it was by the
constitution > but that these out
rages were branches of the muni
cipal law, and as such the state
government was under an indef
penfible neceflity of taking notice
of them ’,~-and by every necessary
coercion repressing chem^ that for
this purpose, the governor had de
termined to give the most prompt
and decided afllftance .to the gen
eral government in the requifnion
of militia, and had thought it pro
per to call the aftembly, in order
to make prOvifion for any farther
forced that the exigency of repres
sing the infurreiftion might require;
but that it must be peculiarly dil
treffing to be under the necessity
of arming against a country always
heretofore refpe&able for its obe
dience to the laws; a country which
had been preculiarly an object of
attention with the present state
executive; nevertheless, it was im
possible to avoid it, unless order,
by the voluntary adt of the citizens
cobid be restored ; that toeffedt
this objtd the Governor had com
missioned them to co-operate in
their good offices with the com
missioners on the part of the Union,
and for this purpose, inasmuch, as
tHe consciousness of having violat
ed the laws might lead to a farther
violation as a means of impunity,
they were authorifed;on an accom
modation with commissioners of
the United States, and an assurance
of adifpofnrbn to prefcrve peace,
to stipulate and engage a free arid
full indemnity for what Mas past ;
so far as regarded the corp mon -
wealthof Pennsylvania, and that it
would give them ptrfonalfy great
pleasure indeed, if by these means
a return Could be facilitated to this
HAVING had a conference
with you on the important fubjedi
that calls us into this part of Penni
fylvania, we fhdl now date to yoil
in writing, agreeably to your re
quell, the nature and object of our
mission hither. —Ccnfidering this
as a crisis infinitely irirerefting to
our fellow citizens who have aU-,
thorifed you to confer with us, we
Ihall explain ourselves to you with
that traoknefs and unferity which
the lolemnicy of^he occasion de
mands.
You well know that the Presi
dent of the United States is charg
ed with the execution of the laws.
Obedience to the national will, be
ing indifpenfible in a republican
government, the people of the U
nited States have ftri&ly enjoined
it as his duty " to fee that the laws?
arc faithfully executed.”—and
when the ordinary authorities of
the government are incompetent
for that end he Is bound to exert
those high powers with which the
nation has invested him for so ex
traordinary an occasion.
It is but too evident that the
infufre&ions which have lately pre
vailed irt some of these weftern
counties have fuppreded the ufuaf
exercise of the authority j and it
has been formally notified to the
President by one of the aflbciatb
judges, in the manner the hw pre
icribes, “ that in the counties of
Washington and Alleghany, in
Ptnnfylvanh, laws of the United
State* are opposed and the execu
tion thereof obftrufted by combi
nations too powerful to be fupprcfc
fed by the ordinary course of judi
tW proceedings, or the powers
veiled in the marlhal of that dif
tri^t,” He therefore perceives
With the deepest regret,,the neces
sity to which he lijay be reduced
for calling forth the national force
in order to support the national au
thority, and to cause the laws td be
executed but he has determin
es, previoufty, co address himfelf
to the patnotifm and reason of the
people of the wefterri counties,and
to try the moderation of govern
ment in hopes that he may not be
uatibnjthat they could not dispense
with requiringfrom the commkteej
at kaft co recommend what opin
ion they themlelves should forrh brt
the lubjedt of the propofitiont
made, as otherwise they could haVc
no encouragement to go oh, and
wait the refuk of the opinion of
the people of the country.
This, was thought reaionafilei
and it was. agreed on the part of
the committee that it ffiould be
so. . ,
It was then agreed that the pro-?
positions of the commissioners
Ihould be received in writing, and
the conference was adjourned.
Tbefollowing letter was now receive
ed Jrom the commissioners on tbi
part of the Union,
Pittfiurg August 21, I^94*
Gentlemen,
[Number 12;