Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1862-01-29

li,ica language addressed to his couslilu-
ents.
Charles Holt, another victim, publisher
Of the Bee, printed at New Lor don, Conn,
was found guilty Of delaming the Presi-
dent and discouraging eniistmcnts in tho
army, and sentenced to three months inns
prisonment and n fine of 5000.
Thomas Cooper the friend and associate
Of DR.. Priesty, and afterwards so distin,
guished in the United States, was tried
for charging the President with unbecom
ing and unnecessary violence in his otll-
ca! communications, calculated, it was as,
serted, to Justly provoke war; for bring
ing upon the country in time oipeace the
expenses Of a permanent navy, and
threatening it with that of an army for
interfering in the case Of Jonathan Robins,
a native impressed citizen Of the United
States, to deliver hiln over to British
Court Martial for trial, IAN interference"
Cooper alleged, without precedent, against
law and against mercy act which the
king of Great Britain would have shrunk
FROM &c. Cooper was found guilty, and
Judge Chase sentenced him to six months
imprisonment and to pay fine OF S4OO-
The prosecution had been directly iasti
gated by President Adams himself In q
letter to Timothy Pickering, his Secretary
Of State, TX Adams works l3, he says
"A meaner, u more artful, or a more
malicious libel has not appeared. -
AS far as it alludes to me, despise t but
! have no doubt il is libel against the
whole government, and as such ought to
be prosecuted"
James r, Callander was tried for libel
on the president His counsel raised the
question Of the constitutions lity of tue
law but Judge Chase refused 10 hear
them, treating them with the most arbI-
trary rudeness. They threw up their
briefs and lett the court. The defendant
was sentenced to nine months imprison-
ment, and TO pay fine OF two hundred
dollars.
"Mr. Baldwin, Of New jersey" says
, Hammer d, il his political history Of New
York, "was indicted. tried, convicted,
under the sedition law for the following
offence Mr.. Adams, on his return from
the seat Of Government, passed through
Newark some cannon were discharged in
compliment to him while passing through
that village; Mr.. Baldwin, who, it would
appear was rather low bred man, said
he wished the wadding discharged from
the cannon had lodgeG in the Presidents
-. For this he was fined one hum
dred dollars.
Judge Jared Peck, Senator in the
Legislature of New York, man Of most
exemplary personal character, had the au.
daclty to offer to his neighbors for their
signatures, petition to Congress for the
repeal o. the Alien and Sedillou Laws, in
which tue odous features of the law were
severely hanaled. Complaint was made
to Harrison, U. 5. District Attorney at y.
York ; a grand jury was empanneLcd who
found bill Of indictment, (grand juries
are convenient things in New y Ork SOme-
times, and Peck was arrested in the
midst OF his family and taken 10 the city
The fearless victim, we doubt not, at ey-
cry stopping place, after his usual custom,
mingled prayers and pious celebrations
with vehement political appeals, before
the assembled multitudes. Mr. Hammond
says
"A hundred missionaries in the cause Of
Democracy, stationed be,weeu &ew York
and Cooperstowu, could not have done so
much for the Democratic cause as the
Journey of Judge Peck, as prisoner, from
Otsego to the capitol OF the State. 1t was
nothing less than the public exhibition Of
q suffering martyr for the freedom Of
speech and the press, and the right Of pc.
titioning, to the view of the citizens OF
the various places through which the
Marshal travelled with MS prisoner"
Another OF the victims, VIM. Duane, ed
iIor of that famous Democratic paper, the
A,rora, published at Philadelphia, at
tracled the especial vengeance Of John
Adams. In q letter to Pickering, his
Secretary of State, dated July n 1899,
Mr.. Adams wrote There is in the Au-
rord of this clty, an uninterrupted stream
of slandel of the American government,
(meaning his Administration, | shall
give il to Mr.. Rawle, (U. S. District At
torney, and is he thinks it libelous, de-
sire him to prosecute the editor" In re-
ply to this Mr.. Pickering wrote on the lst
of August, 1899: :-"Ii Mr.. Rawle does not
think this paper libelous, he is not fit for
his office and if he does not prosecute it
he will not do his duty. The matchless
efircntery of this Duane merits the exc
Grafton Of the alien law, also. | am very
willing to try its strength upon HIM. -
TX adams Works, p. 35,
As to the number of convictions under
the law, Nj. Randall says:
at has been said that the victims of
the Sedition Law were but few. We do
not know the number. They were assu..
redly few compared with the whole nun
Der of our population, but they we're nu>
merous enough to show that a free criti,
cism ofthe acts OF the Government, in
any class of persons, was uttered by the
press or in conversation at the peril of
property and personal liberty. They
were numerous enough to give our Gov
ernment, practically, ali that power over
the people in political affairs which had
been exercised by the highest Tory Ad>
ministration over the people of England
during the long reign of George ILL.,, and
when the deadly struggle with republican
France had produced reactionary feel
ing against liberalism that was ready to
sanction almost any infringement on per-
J L.. -