Litchfield enquirer., 1849-06-14
MlSGGL IL A N Y.
Prosecution of Matthew Lyon under
 the old SeditiOn Law.

seditioh law, but few can realize, at this late day, the absurdity which it present. ed in its working. We find in 'Whar- tons State Trials,' book just issued here, an account of the trial of Matthew Lyon for seditious libel, tried in the Circuit Court of the United States at Vergennes, in Vermont. Lyon was a member of Congress from that state, and man of political importance in his day, particularly in his determined resistance to the elder Adams and his attachment to democratic principles. He was ren- dered an object of particular attention from personal fight he had in the House with Roger Griswold, of Connecticut, with tongs and pokers, of so disgraceful a character that both belligerents came near being expelled. This fight made a prodlglous noise at the time.
 ~. y. Dispatch.
 Matthew Lyon came over from Ire land in 755, poor and friendless, then in his boyhood; and as was the custom in those times. he was sold to pay Lis pas sage to gentleman of Litch6eld, Con- necticut, the purchase money being said to have beer "a pair of three year old bull stags.' The master of Lyon moved to Vermont, and he served out his time faithfully, receiving only New England education, which at that time was moderate in thin population. Be- ingenterprising and of good temper, he managed to become acquainted with lea ding politicians before he attained the age of twenty-one. He also joined the militia as subaltern, and served under Gen. Gates, then in command of the northern division of the continental army. On certain Thanksgiving day, the Yer monters went home with Lyon, intending to return; but Gen. Gates cashiered him for desertion, which was.reversed the subsequent year by Gen. St. Clair, and Gen. Schuyler appointed him pay master. He subsequently, left the army l and returned to Vermont, where he en- | gagged in paper making, type casting, printing, publishing, oredigging, hollow ware and iron casting; and to show what was done in those primitive days, the Lrt,i latuIe of Vermont allowed him to raise, by lottery, six hundred bushels of ut-ro ruuE'rr ,o e"ra. gc'",s r~rl.aoo, so as to cast 'flat-irons, spiders, bake pans, and dish kettles,' which in his pe- tition he called the solid coin of the day. He edited and printed paper with the singular title of 'Tke Scourge of Aristocracy, and Repository of Inn partial Political Truth He connected himself with the radicals, married daughter of Governor Chittenden, and was elected to Congress about the time that Adams hard completed the two first years of his administration.
 Much has been written and spoken of the famous sedition law, passed by Con- gross to the utter disgrace of the coun- try, which punished with fine and impris- onment any one wlfo spoke, wrote, or published anything disrespectful of the President and Congress, or of the gov-s ernment, aiming at once at the foundation of the liberty of the press and of speech. The following is the article which Mat thew Lyon wrote and published in his, paper, for which he was indicted, tried, convicted, fined, and imprisoned, under that vile law-an article which any Pres ident at this day would treat with inat- tention and indifference, no matter from what quarter it emena eG:
 As to the executive, when shall see the efforts of that power bent to the promotion of the promotion of the com fort, happiness and accommodation of the people, that executive shall have my jealous and uniform support; but when- ever shall on the part of the executive see every consideration of the public wei fare swallowed up in a continued grasp i for power, in an unbounded thirst for rid iculous pomp, foolish adulation. and sell fish ayarice: when I shall behold men of Teal merit daily turned out of office for no other cause than independency of sen timent when I shall see men of firm ness, merit, years, ability, and experience discarded in their application for office for fear they possess that independence, and men of mcanness preferred, for the ease with which they take up and advo-
 cate opinions the consequence they know
 but little of; when shall see the sacred
 name of religion employed as state eR-
 zine to make mankind hate and perse-
 cute each other, l shall not be theil
 humble advocate. ... ...
 Who would suppose a. this day. that
 any jury could have been found to indict
 and convict citizen for libel such a'
 the above, or any court to imprison him l, for an article written in the above spirit Yet it was done in what was called thu reign of John Adams and every wort
 of the above was true. John Adams al though glorious whig of the revolution and a man of undoubted talent, becam
 when President, a proud, aristocratic