The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-11-21

laws as intended to enroach on their con-
stitutional rights, and when the proper
time arrived administered lesson to the
President and congress as severe as that
which took place last week. They viewed
the abuse of power with indignation and
unbesitatingly condemned it. 1t was the
death blow to the Federal party from
which it never recovered. Other episodes
are given herewith bearing directly on the
result of the recent elections which pos
sess interest at this moment
THE ALIEN AND sEDITIoN LAWS.
These laws, which became word of
fear and reproach to the popular ear in the
United States, were passed in l79o during
the administration of John Adams. Their
enactment, it has been conceded, was the
greatest and most fatal error OF the FEEDER
al party. The Alien laws empowered the
President to order out of the country such
foreigners as he deemed dangerous ON pain
of heavy penalties the Sedltlon acts de-
clared that printing or writing false and
malicious charges against the President or
congress, IN order to defame them or ex-
cite hatred against them, should be deem
ed seditious and be punished with fine and
Imprisonment. These violent und uncon-
stitutional measures were borrowed from
the extraordinary apprehension entertain
ed by Great Britain relative to the spread
of the revolutionary spirit, and were vain
IL opposed by the Republican party OF that
dav. The country feared rupture with
France. and extraordinary efforts were
made TO be ready for the war, which was
thought imminent 1t is true that there
we're several thousand aliens IN the princi-
pal cities-French, Irish, English aud
Dutcb-who we're imbued with the advan-
ced political ideas of the time ana were
considered by the Federal party to be dan
gerous, The press, too, winch had grown
into large proportions and which was guidi-
ed by writer's Of great activity OF mInd,
handled Adams and his administration
with severity. During his Presidency
party animosities reached their hight, and
the Chief Magistrate was actin unison with
the age. He was passionate, dogmatlcal
and obstinate sort of man. Alien laws,
Sedition laws and annoying taxes came
naturally euought to such President. -
The attempts to punish individuals
FOR EXPRESSlDNS Or bI1NioN'
on public measures and public'men' tosub,
iect them to fine and imprisonment anu
certainly to heavy and burthensome eX-
nenses in their defense, for exercising a
iatitude of speech in the heat OF political
contest in a free country Terged too closely
mon an abrdgment of the liberty ofspeech
and of the press to be consistent
with the theory of our institutions, and
Thomas Jefferson took occasion to de-
nounce it as "detestable. The same
great statesman, ia letter written soon
after TIE passage Of the obnoxious acts, re-
marked, For my own part, l consider
these laws as merely an experiment on the
American mind to see how far it will bear
an ayowed violation of the constitution.
If this goes on, we shall Immediately see
attempted another act Of Congress declar-
ing the President shall continue in office
during life, reserviDg to another occasion
the succession to his heirs, and the
establishment of the Senate for life. The
Alien and Sedition laws were fought
against with determination by the Re
publicans, who were silenced by the tur-
MOL of the threatened French war. Moth
~; ;usn "G on these measures and even dis was
;n,nose;hin in CONGRESS- Finding them.
salrco Of No nse thrrc thcv determined te
resort r. the State arenas. and the result
waS ,ba Kanturtv and Viroinia resolutions
If 'os .leffprson drafted the Kentucky
declaration drnouncinr the obnoxious law,
and ;ntmating denomination ON the
mart If the STATE
nv - ro .o,,.n n,.s,s,,,rcr
~ rNo' ED ~ Nt'nhp Ni'7','' .,''n'
'N'9 WIZ io''0"e" III - ~
az resolutions ufa"n up W 'n'o'ooi' ~" Az,
ealing on the 3,ate I? ma,n,a ,na 'helr lip
ei''o' ~. 'o''' u, ho 'iii"1 VI nIi;''-',