, 1874-07-15


JUDGE POLAND AND MATTHEW LYON.
It is somewhat remarkable that tho State
OF Vermont n1ould hHyo furnished tho author OF
the act practically rowling tho sedltlon law Of
1903, Tlon one of tho brightest pages in tho
hiutory Of that stato il TINT which contains tho
record Of the heroic nuffoling md bravery Of QUO
OF Judge Polanls predecessors under porsocn~
tons inBtitutod In pursunnre Of The 1nw. Among
tho drst actn Of the Federal party sfter the oleo-
ton Of John Adama waa tho paBBage OF what alo
known aa the Alien and Solution laws. Tho
selition Law bears date July II, 1903, exactly
aorontys1 years before Tho date Of Foland's law.
It onactod that my person vino should writo,
print, uttor, or publish, or cauae to bo writton,
printed, uttered, or published, or aasist In
writing, printing, tutoring, OF publishing,
falae, scandalous, ana malicious words
against tho Government Of tho United
States, or other Housa Of Congress-
OF tho President of tho United States, with In
lent to dofame or to bring eithor Of them into
contempt or disrcpute. Or to excite against them
tho hatred Of the good people Of the United
States OF to stir up sedition in the country, otc
should be punished By fine not exceeding
$4,000, and DO imprisoned not moro than two
years. This WEB the law by which the majority
in Congress at that time sought to proyens cris-
cam Of tie proceedings Of Congrcas and Of tho
Administration By tho press Of that day.
Among the representatives In CongreHa at that
time from Vermont was Matthew Lyon, MI &C
two, enorEelio Domocrat. He waH OF Irish birth,
and on his arrival in this country, long anterior
to tho Revolution, had been Bbld for his PASSAGE
money. liz bad, however, Ecen elected by tho
rnoplo Of lis district to- the Logialaturo for
number OF yeara lad hold judlcinl Office. aud
had been twica elected to Cpugrcss. Ho vas u
molnber OF Congreas when this lau passed. just
before the date Of tho Law tho Yeymoat
Journal, IN Administration paper, con-
taincd m assault upon Lyon, which ras
copied into the papers OF Philadelphia. When
CongreaB ras thero in session, Lyon re-
sponded in q letter to thu editor Of tho Ver'noat
Journal, who published the same Oh tho 3lat of
July, or twonty-Auyen daya after tls date OF tho
law. The wholn thing WAS trap cot to catch him.
Onthe ID of October, l799, two months arler the
publication OF tno latter, tho Grand Jury Of tie
United 8ates Circuit Court, held at Rutland.
found an indictmout againut Lyon. Tllora wors
three countu tho frat md principal Of which
uzu upon tho following extract from hia lettos.
As to tho Executive, wien sall the efforts Of
ihnt power beut Oil tho promotion OF tho comfort,
thu happiness, and tho accommodation Of TIM people,
lint Executive shall hayo lny zua!ouH and uniform
support 1lut wllunsyor nlls. On tls part Of tho
Executive, erory consideration o! public wHlfaro
swallowed np III continual Erasp for power, III Iii
uuboundod thirst for ridstious pop fuoiiah adula.
tion, srldnh hyurice: vhen shall Leuod Of
xel merit daily turned out of oco for no other
but inlsronlency Of spirit; wien uha uoo ,lcu Of
tr,nuesu, tnus yoarn. abltlas, anl ezpcrIeucu dz-
csrdcd In their applications for nhco, for fear they
poa4eIa .st Independence aud 1uen of nrGnnesu pre-
fssyoh, for tho with which tAsy eau taks up @,a
advocate opinions, tl,b Consequences Of which thoy
know hut utto uf Whun sIull Coo tlo hacrel nnnA
OF rellglon employed Hato tuans to ma&s num-
kind bato AMI pvysseut4 zach aAey sLAu not ba th1s
| humble advocate.
The acond ooslnt charged hin, with procuring
tho publication Ut "lo!tor from IN American,
diplomatio character to nlombnr Of Congrosu," ="
tho latter having boon wrisssu by 3oel Barlow to
Abraham Baldwin, then member Of conureaa.
Tle count wRa basad Oh Tho following paragraph
! In that latter:
Tho misunderstanding hotweon tho lWo Governments
| {Unitsd utats8 and Er.uce} las bbcn,uo oxtromely
alarming confidence ia completely destroyed mis-.
truat, 1eaous3, and dsposta.l 10 wrnng Astrihn.
Lou Of motives npparcnt ~ to require ts Ut
st caution IN Gyury word und ectlou that xre to cont
fru,n your E1acuslra,-I naaau II yoir object ii tc
| avoid hpRtlltlcs. uAd tAl1 trntl bum uu1oralon1
With you bGore thu roral1 OF Monroc, before tho
lug aud tocund coming of rinlucy, hAd Il guided thf
rtns thu. wrota thu bullying aEcoch Of your presdvu
aud xtuItl auaMoT of YOUR seuale. u tho oponng o
ConCrosn 10 NoYc1ubor Lat, ullolld probably hart
bud occasion to address you lula futar; but wet
~ found lItn borrowing tho lsnguage Vi Edmund
nurke mud tolltug ths world that although hs shou1t
.uccru In treating with tas Frcuch tcra NAE d.
pau.nco to DO placal any ri tho!r snCAssmen!s a
THUR religion aud morality VI end that thay
had turled u3rstta sna plun1svers, ana 1t would hi
naeeusary tn 10 IeruonalIy armed against them
taou9h you arc At PEACE, wa woulernd tho ansHor u
10th uousaa had not baen ordqr 10 seul him to
msl-houEe. Instead Of this, tho HenAts havs arhaut
tas apsoch NTH aosy!llt5 thai oysF fioorGs lh
Third oxpeneursl from aIt4sr uonSa ut Parliament.
1llono, In tho langupga Of tie inllotnlont
rorn pronounced ''Eourrl!oup, scalllslous, MA
lolous, and dofalaatory." In explanation o
uurtaln words In Tho lettor Of Dsron, II ahoul,
b stated that n that timo the President deeir
4rod ullaa IL nou lnoHn - tha ussaags osall
| tb Uunkyssa, And Il HAs a4tlpd iAe "eps$ol4"