Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-05-04

AN 9 - N
Mornings, that proceed from a W.ixhf, d
be weighed sgainlt the juf oblelsatlons
and found fenlc Of honea Howard.
has The p~felrnt Secretary Of Ssai
more energy OF character, more know
ledge of men, more information relative /.
ioIc.gn nations, more correct views of The
! l%n'cIelt OF his county, than the mar upon
whom malice and democracy aud power
have emp;ied the viais of their wrath !
Has the prcient Secretary of the Treafury
more huancial .Gs5il, more extenf7e or
minute acquaintance with the various OBJ
jeas, iafcrptible of impoG, a hyperion ia
Guilty to equallie taxes, ana 10 Eende-
them agents in promoting the general inf'
duaEy and wealth of the Country, than
has been evinced in the Administration of
Hamilton or Wolcott? Has the prefent
Secretary OF War " mare or lgG" talents,
knowledge, and genius, for war m!ni,ter.
than Mr.. M'Iienry : HASN'T. Smith DIFF
covered more ability ana information,
neceaary for well cond9eiing the naval
department, than MIR. Sioddart!
PART1Es.-The fsdition law, a mea-
fure of the fcderalifis to refrain tie On.
bounded iiccntiouinefs of the Prefs, and 70
fecnre its liberty within the pak gdsatd,.
has been urged by the party as another.
potert objection asainf the fedora! ad-
minii1fatiop. Some oblervations on this
fubjed may he nsceaary. In fyfematiz
ing the oppofition to cur government, a
regular plan was adopted TO open batteries
upon every par,'of the federal iyfem that
lhould appear vulnerable. Democratic
| pfeffes eitabIilhed for this purpole.--
The leaders of democracy, having the.
entire direction Of thefe pre1es ltletted
,ools from among unprincipled foreigners,
as fit iparuments to carry into execution
70 lnefarious a project. ATE, fraught with
a double portion of malignancy, preiided
over this pondamonian band. Thefe en-.
| gines of iniqoity were foon fet in motion,
and a profuiion OF falfehood and abufe,
againf the government and its meafurss,
| overwhelmed the country. This unprece-
dented conduct ; this boldreE in calumny;
this hardihood in publihing the vilea
flanders againf the government and its
adherents, ju&Iy excited in our rulers ie-
ricus alarm.
To flop the current Of abufe, which
| threatened indifcriminate deeruttion 10
every thing that bore the faAl2 of fcde-
ralilm; 10 counterfeit the deGgns OF
a party by conining their rancour TO the
exprsDfsa of hutb; TO bride the tongue
oftae liar, and to lhield the government
againft the ~unprincipled attacks of It's enc
mics, the fedition law was enacted. Much
as been faid of this law, bur few perhaps
cave thoroughly underfood it. 1t has
cen reprelented by a party as friking a
ieath blow at the liberty Of the prefs-ir
has been proclaimed and reiterated from
one end OF the country to the other as IN
juft and tyrannical, and many have been
led TO condemn it, without a knowledge
either of its nature or effects. For the
benefit of fome of our readers, who per-
haPs have not attended to the fubiett, it
may be neceiary to oblerve, that the i'm
pie object of this law was to prevent the |
publication Of fal@ood; to keep within
the bounds of truth all who hould under |
take to publilh any thing aga:nf the 60
I'M or individuals. Previous 10 The
exitence of this law, if there was any
law on the fubjctf, no perfon profecuted
'or a libel could give the trab gtbe mat
ter IN evidtaee, as a publication; bot
was liable TO conviction and puniihment,
even for FULFILLING the truth. In a free
government this was conlidered as are.
traint upon the freedom of the prefs. To
take off this reftraint, & as an ameliora
ton of the common law, it was determined
thar any thing might be lpoken or pub
lihed c%enformably TO truth. This law
-. r. =. 80 n -. ~ - K