The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1861-03-15
NOVEMBER 10th, 1901.

, FELLow-CITlZEss OF THE SENATE
: AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
When we call to mind the gracious
, indulgence OF Heaven, by which the
} A merican people became a nation;
when we survey the general pros
{ perity of our country, and look Tor
, ward to the riches, power, aud hap
piness, to which it seems destined;
with the deepest regret do | announce
to you, that during your recess, some
OF the citizens OF the United States
have been found capable Of au in.
, surrection. 1t is due, however, to
! the character oi our government, and
to its stability, which cannot be
+ shaken by the enemies OF order,
freely to unfold the course OF this
event.
\ During the session OF the year
1890, 1t was expedient to exercise
the legislative power, granted by the
Constitution Of the United States,
"to lay and collect exciscs." In a
majority of the states, scarcely An
objection WAS made to this mode OF
taxation. In some, indeed, alarms
were at first conceived, until they
were banisbed by reason and patri
otism. In the four Western counties
of Pennsylvania, prejudice, foster
ed and embittered by the artilice OF
men, who labored for an ascendancy
over the will Of others by the cui-
dance OF their passions. produced
/ symptoms of riot and violence. 1t
is well known, that Congress did not
hesitate to examine the complaints
which were presented, and to relieve
them, as far rs justice dictated, or
general convenience would permit.
But the impression, which this mol.
Grafton made on the discontented,
did not correspond with what it
deserved; the arts Of delusion were
no longer confined to the ehJrts oil
designing individuals.
! The very forbearaIce TO press
prosecutions was misinterpreted into
fear Of urging the execution OF the
laws; and associations OF men be,an
to denounce threats against the Off
GERS employed. From a belief, that,
by more formal concert. their op.
Grafton might be defeated certain
scli-cre.trd societies assumed the
tone Of condemnation. Hence. while
the greater part Of Pennsylvania
itself were conforming themselves to
tho acts Of excise, few counties
were resolved to Illustrate them. 1t
was now perceived, that every cx
pecth.ion from the ten lgrncss. which
had hitherto been pursued, was ua.
avai!ing. and that further delay conld
only create an opinion Of impotcncy
cr irresnlution in the government. -
Legal process was, therefore, deliv.
cred to the Marshal, against the
rioters and dclirqnent distilcr5.
No sooner was he understood to
be engaged in this duty, than the
vengeance Of armed men was aimed
at has person, and the person and
property OF the Inspector OF the rev.
cnue. They fired upon the Marshal,
ar. estcd him, and detained him for
some time as n prisoner. lle was
obliged, by the jeopardy Of his lite,
to renounco the service Of other pro
cess on the West side of the ALE.
gheny Mountain; and a dep1ta,ion
was afterwards sent to him to de.
mani surrender OF that which he
had served. A numerous body re.
peatcdly attacked tho honsc of the
Inspector, seized has papers of Off e,
and finally destroyed, by fire, his
buildings. and whatsoe they con.
tanned. Both o! these officers, from
a just regard to their safety, fled to
the seat Of government; it being
avowed. that the motives to such
outrages were to compel the resign
alton of the Inspector, to withstand.
hy force Of arms, tho authority OF
the United States, and thereby to
extort repeal Of the laws OF excise,
and an alteration in the conduct of
government.
Upon the testimony OF these facts,
an associate Justice Of the Supreme
Court of the United States notified
to ne, that "iu the counties OF Wash
ington and Allegheny, in Pennsyl-
vania, laws Of the United States
were opposed, and the execution
thereof obs.ructed, by combinations
too powerful to be suppressed by the
ordinary course OF Judicial proceed.
ings, or by the powers vested in the
Marshal OF that district" On this
call, momentous in the extreme, |
sought and weighed what might best
subdue tho crisis. On tho one hand,
the judiciary WAS pronounced to be
stripped Of its capacity to enforce the
Ia 8; crimes, which reached the very
existence of social order, were per
petrated without control; the friends
of government were insulted, abused,
and overawed into silence or An ap.
parent acquiescence; ard to yield to
the reasonable fury Of 30 small
portion OF the United States, wonld
be to violate the fundamental prin.
ciple OF our Constitution, which en-,
joins, that the will Of tho majority
shall prevail. On the other, TO array
citizen against citizen, to publish the
dishonor of such excesses, to encoun,
ter the expense and other embar
easements OF SO distant an expedition,
were steps too delicate, too closely
interviewer with many affecting con
alterations, to be lightly adopted
l postponed, therefore, tho summon.
ing Of the militia Immediately into
the field; but | required them to be
held in readiness, that. II nv anxious