Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1865-06-01
Treason TRIALS In she United
3s4 ) ei.tigso,r States. ~ sy. 81 y8 !, sss a,

nOEx passing through are, utterlY unprece-
dented iip our history, q Many assure US that
they are also without parallel Or precedent in
the history of the world. Without stopping
to criticise this tendency, common 70 oil ages,
To magnify present events and interests, and
lconceding fully the extraordinary character
of the times in which we live, it ID at the same
| time pertinent to recall those events in our
history which have a direct bearing upon the
great questions which now arise Tor settle
ment 1t is probable that the trial of the
| chief conspirator and traitor In the now van
quished rebellion will soon occur; and It be-
comesinteresting to consider the former trials
for treason in our history, to recall the char
acter and crimes Of the offenders; and to mark
the principles on which they were decided.
~. THE WHISKY yIEsURREcTIoEIsrs.
What is commonly known as the whisky
Insurrection gave, rise to the first trials for
treason under the Consultation of the United
States. This rebellion upon asmall scale, as
it,would now be considered, sprang up in the
early years Of Washington's administration,
and has been honored with elaborate histories
BY two scotemporaneous writer's, and by one
historian of modern date 1t grew out Of the
act of Congress, Of. March 3, l79l, which inn
posed duty upon spirits distilled within the
United States, This measure, although nee
essary To raise revenue toward canceling the
heavy debt Of the Revolution, was violently
denounced in the Middle and Southern States
ss burdensome and tyrannical A portion Of
North Carolina became seriously disafected,
and large meetings were held to denounce
the law But it was in the western part Of
Pennsylvania settled chiefly by the Scotch,
and Irish Presbyterians, that opposition to the
law was most determined " In the Counties
of fAlleghany, Washington, Fayette and West
moreland an agitation was started, which, in
two or three years. ripened into an organized
insurrection, and involved its leaders in the
crime of treason. 9 .YRd
1t was the strong motive of pecuniary in
terest that led the people of these counties to
such lengths. The war Of the Revolution, by
cutting off transportation, had stimulated these
rich grain-growing regions to the manufac-
ture of spirits, until the most of the United
States was supplied from this source, and the
whole "Western Country of Pennsylvania as
it was then called (for as yet the greatness Of
Ohio was not), swarmed with distilleries. The
trade was lucrative, and whisky was so valua-
Bile that, in the scarcity of specie, it was used
universally as currency, thus becoming in
more sense than one, q circulating medium"
Those who are familiar with the fervid 10y
atty of Western Pennsylvania in the present
day will read, with surprise, of the wide
spread disafection which then obstructed the
laws of the Federal Geyep,,aentyza had:
previously opposed the adoption 81 the Fed
eral Constitution, Public meetings were
everywhere held to denounce tie law;
the Pittsburgh Gazette teemed with vio-
lent abuse Of the Government and its Off
GERS petitions for repeal were poured into
Congress; the excise officers were driven
from their offices, prescribed, and, in several
cases, tarred and feathered; leagues of dis
tillcrs were formed, pledged to non-compli-
ance with the law, and the stills Of such as
complied with it were destroyed; an associa-
ton, called the Mingo Creek Society,"" was
formed composed Of a battalion Of militia,
governed, absolutely, by a President and
Council, and its members sworn to secrecy
These outraees were stimulated by the for,
bearance of the Government, just as the fail
ure Of the Government to put forth its
strength, early in 1861, brought it into con-
tempt with the rebels and semi-rebels of the
South. Congress, in 1892, modified the law,
somewhat, to pacify the malcontents, but this
had the opposite effect The violators Of the
law were encouraged by the hope of i'm
punity, and the first mild proclamation Of the
President Washington, issued in September,
1892, was utterly disregarded. ~. s.,.
AT length Congress awoke to the necessity
Of, some stringent legislation, to enable the
Executive to enforce the laws, and, in June,
1894, an act was passed providing for the trial
of oHenses against the revenue laws, at the
same time it was, determined, and instructions
issued by Alexander Hamilton, the Secretary
of the Treasury, to prosecute delinquents with
rigor, and to collect the revenue at all haz-
ards Process was served upon q number of
persons, but the Marshal was fired upon, cap
tured, and threatened with death unless he
promised to serve no process west of the
mountains. General Neville, Inspector, of
the Western District was besiegedf in his own
house, near Pittsburgh, by a party of insur-
gents, numbering forty guns. Warned of
their approach, his windows were nailed up
with plank, and q number of his negroes be-
hind them, supplied with arms and ammuni-
ton. The rioters fred upon the house., hut
being Unexpectedly attacked in return by the
negroes--one of them killed, and six wound
ed-they hastily retreated. pl "a, al.
The attack was renewed the next day by
five or six hundred men. General Neville
could procure as reinforcements for his ne'1
groes, but eleven soldiers REGULARS from Fort
Pitt The civil authorities feared to order out
the posse comitatus to suppress the riot, lest
it should be found that, the majority were on
the side Of the insurgents The latter had ap-
pointed a. committee of three lin imitation |
Of, the National Commissioners which at
that day, attended the French armies
who were to superintend the, enterprise, hold |
parley with the besieged, and compel him, if
possible, to resign his obnoxious office with
out bloodshed The redoubtable earmy march
ed to the Inspectors house, and the "com-
mittee"s gravely seated themselves on an en-
inence, at some distance, to overlook the war.
A flag was first sent in, to demand his rcsig-
nation. This being summarily refused, notice
was given, by another flag, for the women and
children to withdraw, The attack then COM
menced. The defenders Of the house replied
warmly, and Major Maclane, who led the as
sailants, was soon killed. A message was
sent to the committee" toknnv whether the
house should not be stormed Meanwhile, the
onthouses we're fred, the house threatened
With confagration, and the small party with
in were compelled to come out and surrender
themselves. The attack lasted about an hour;
Two Of the assaiiants were killed, and three Of
The soldiers wonpdede' While the house was
burning, the insurgents broke open the oellar,t
frank up the wine, and, becoming intoxicated,
,,ara bo rdI roetrasn snod frotn tho y,aecarra of Ii