The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-03-16

farmers who worked up the rye
and corn into whisky, and b. duo
ing its bulk made it availabi, arti-
Gle of commerce. Corn juice waset that
time rs much staple article of consump-
ton as beef, pork or flour. Everybody
drank whisky. Almost everybody i'm
bibed with an unclouded conscience. The
preacher warmed his rhetoric with little
old rye, and the good deacon thought it
no harm if the power of his spiritual ex
ercises were somewhat enhanced by the
sustaining influence of well-built toddy.
Whisky was power, in those days, so
strong that it at one time seemed in fair
way to disrupt the Union and upset the
Father of his country.
The trouble broke out in the four West
orn counties of Pennsylvania, and was
called the "Whisky Instruction" 1t
had it's origin in an excise law laid upon
whisky by the advice of Hamilton, then
Secretary of the Treasury tax made
necessary by the assumption, on the part
of the Federal Government, of the debts
of the several States. The sum to be
raised, in view of this added debt, amount
ed to about $4,000 per annum, and
Congress, in 1912, attempted to provide
for it by tax upon imported spirits and
an excise on whisky.
President Washington, soon after the
tax was voted, took tour among the
Southern States affected by it, and by his
personal influence, doubtless, prevented
any serious opposition. But in the North
the disaffectiOn was fomented by the So
called democratic political societies." in
sympathy with which, to a greater or less
extent, were Jefferson Ohcn Secretary of
State), Randolph attorney GeneraD,
George Clinton, and the anti-Federaists.
In 1894, sustained by hopes of support
from other disatfected sections, and even
contemplating successful secession from
the Union as possible result of resistance
to the excise, the Pennsylvania insurrec-
tionists carried matters with the utmost
insolence and reckless contempt of Fed
eral authority. United States officials at
tempting to exercise their office was
seized, tarred and feathered, whipped, and
forced to resign their commissions or
leave the country, and sometimes to do
both. General Neville, a conspicuous
patriot of the Revolution, who, when the
news of Lexington reached him, raised
company Mt his own expense and marched
them to Boston, depending upon his per
sonal services and popularity, attempted
to pacify the insurrectionary districts and
collect the tax. AS result he was be-
sieged in his own house, eight miles from
Pittsburg. He sent to the garrison of
that place for reinforcements. Twelve
regulars went to his aid. The next day
five hundred Regulators, "Sons of Liber
ty" they called themselves, approached.
Neville, at the entreates of his friends,
! finally consented to leave the premises.
An attack was made. After some shoot
ing, the outbuildings surrounding the
mansion of Neville were fired. The
flames soon communicated with the main
building. The soldiers promptly surren-
dered, and the residence of General Ne
vile, the finest at that time West of the
Allegheny Mountains, was reduced to
ashes.
This and other similar instances of vio-
lence brought matters to "a crisis. Gov
ernor Mifflin, of Pennsylvania, was OPP
posed to coercion, so that Washington,
in order to employ the military, procured
the certificate of one of the judges Of the
Supreme Gu. 81 Court that the execution
of the law was INSTRUCTED in the insur-
rectionary district. Upon this procla-
nation was ut once issued, calling upon
the insurgents to disperse and submit.
Fifteen thousand volunteers were called
for, and apportioned to the contiguous
States of Virginia, Maryland and New
Jersey, as well as Pennsylvania.
Governor Mifflin sunk the politician in
the patriot, and from the Eastern portion
of Pennsylvania secured the quota as
signed to his State. The troops rapidly
concentrated at Bedford. Washington
and Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury,
joined them. They crossed the noun
tains with difficulty, and after much suf-
fering.
The display of overwhelming force
scared the insurgents. Their councils
became divided; the ringleaders fled the
country; the courage of the rest oozed
out, aud the authority of the government
was restored without serious opposition.
Informers flooded the camp of the invad-
ing army, and guided dragons to the
mountain gorges and secluded valleys
where clandestine whisky had been man
ufactured. The government was prompt,
ruthless and sweeping in its seizures and
prosecutions. Suspected parties were
seized and sent to Philadelphia for trial.
A detachment of volunteers WAS re-en-
listed for six months, and quartered in
the disaffected district, and, as a result
Of their efforts. the insurgent whisky
makers became the most truly loyal"
people in the country.
/ Al -, IA