The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-11-08
WASHINGTON:
FRIDAY MORNING. NOVEMBER 5. 1850.
pou.Iar istuIbance=-The Police and tn.
President.

over the Alien ana NedliiOn laws al me elder
ADAMS. The Alien law empowered The PREsI-
pESr, among other things, 10 order all such
aliens as be should Judge 10 be dangerous TO the
peace aud safety Of the country, Ia be con
cerned in reasonable measures, 10 leave the
United States The SeditiOn law provided for
the punishment of certain offences, among which
were stirring up seditidn; raising unlawful com
birations Tor resisting the laws and lawful au-
thoritieS aiding and abetting foreign nations
against the United States, their people, or Gov
eminent. The penalties imposed by these laws
Were fine and Imprisonment
In the judgment of our venerable friend, these
laws We're of SO odous and abominable char
acer, so repugnant 10 the spirit Of our insttu-
lions, so unworthy of freedom and freemen, that
they have haunted him for half century.
The idea of furnishing such offences by fine and
imprisonment, on due judicial proceedings, was
not to be borne; and if there is any one point
on which more than another he has particularly
abused the Federaliss and Mr.. ADAMS, it has
been in regard to these same Alien and Sedilion
laws
But Richmond Democracy has become
more enlightened on the subject of sediton.
II now proposes in effect to remove it from the
civil tribunals, and to put ii under martial law.
1t calls for proclamations, and troops, and re-
sort to the army and navy to "put down UNI
lawful combinations for resisting the laws"
In the opinion of the Union case has been
made out by recent occurrences in Boston, which
calls upon President FILLMORE to issue proc
lamatiOn like that of President WASHINGTON of
of the 9TH August, 1874. 1t conceives that the
proclamation OF President w AsHINGToN sets forth
''lacts and acts of outrage which, IN all essen
tidi particulars, were almost identical with
those perpetrated in Boston. President
FILLMORE could at this hour assign substdn-
tidtiy the same those of his llustrious
predecessor, and, considering the critical state
Of affairs, present as conclusive justification
to the country"
We annex the reasons sgned by President
WAsHNGToN for the proclamation to which we
have referred, that our readers may have the
opportunity of comparing them with the state
of things which is represented TO exist in
Boston
Whereas, combinations TO defeat the execution
of the laws laying duties upon spirits distilled
within the United States and upon stills have,
from the time of the commencement of those
laws, existed in of the western parts of
Pennsylvania and whereas the said combina-
tons proceeding in a manner subversive equally
Of the just authority of government and of the
rights Of individuals, have hitherto effected their
dangerous and criminal purpose by the influence
of certain irregular meetings, whose proceedings
bovo Icd to and
opposition by misrepresentation of the laws, cal
culated 10 render them odious; by endeavors to
deter those who mi ght be disposed from accept
ing Offices under them, through fear of public
sentiment and Of injury 70 person and property,
and to compel those who had accepted such Offices,
by actual violence, to surrender or forbear the
cution ofthem; by circulating vindctive menaces
against all those who should otherwise directly or
indirectly aid in the execution of the said laws or
Who yielding to the dictates of conscience and to
sense obligation should themselve comply there
with, by actually inuring and destroying the prop
erty Of persons no we're understood tohave socom
piled by inilicting cruel and Illuminating pun
ishments upon private citizens for other cause
than that Of appearing to he the friends of the
laws by intercepGng the public officers on the
highways, abusing, assaultng, and otherwise
treating them; by going to their houses in the
night, gaining adInittancc by force, taking away
their papers, and committing other outrages-
employing for these unwarantable purposes the
agency Of armed banditti, disguised in such man
ner as for the most part TO escape discovery and
whereas the cndcavors Of the Legislature to obyi-
ate objections to the said laws, by lowering the
duties, and by other alterations conducive TO the
convenience OF those whom they Immediately af-
feet, (though they have given satisfaction in other
quarters) and the endeavors of the executive Off
explanations, by forbearance, and even by par
ticulsr accommodations, founded on the sugges-
son Of local considerations, have been disappont-
Cd u their effect by the Vaccinations Of persons
whose industry 10 excite resistance has increased
with every appearance Of disposition among
the people to relax in their opposition and
70 acquiescc in the laws-insomuch that many
persons in tic said western parts Of Pennsyl
yania hare al length been hardy enough 10 perpe
irats acts uiieh aduised amount 10 treason
bsing ovGt acts " levying against The United
States; the. said persons having. the 9th and
18th Of July last past, proceeded in Con tho
second day amounting 10 several hundreds) e
the house Of John Neville, inspector Of the rcvenu,
Tor the fourth-survey Of the district Of Pennsylva
MIA, having repeatedly attacked the said house
with the persons therein, wounding some of them
having seized David Dcnox, marshal Of the dis
trict Of Pennsylvania, who previous thereto had
been fired upon while in the execution Of his duty
by party Of armed men, OBTAINING him for somt
time prisoner, ill., for the preservation Of his li
and the Obtaining Of his liberty, he found it ne
cessary 10 enter into stipulatons to forbcar The
execution Of certain official duties touching pro
cessos issuing out Of court Of the United States
aud having finally obliged the said inspector o
the iaid revenue, and the said marshal, from con
alterations # personal safety, to fly from that par
'of tho country in order, by oircuitous route, u
proceed 10 tl,e scat Of avoloing, a
the mofiUs, Of these outrageous proceedings, an IN
tsnfion 90 prereni by force If the erecuiion 0
TIE sad iatrs; TO oblige the said inspector Of th
revenue to rcnouncc his said Office; to withstand
by open violence, the lawful authority Of the oy
eminent u the United States, and 10 compel hereb
an oiLfrafiOn VA the Of hs legislature, an
,tpsal Of The iatos aforesaid.'
IN the frs, place, it will be observed tina
tr combinations mentioned for resisting tn
laws had existed from the time Of the CON
mencemcnt Of those laws-say from june
1874. to August, 1894: in which interval the
laI