The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-19

The Alien and Sedition laws enacted under the
Administration Of John Adams, az the sugges-
ton Of Alexander Hamilton, were despotic to q
degree that now seems to us scarcely credible.
The Sodition act made It felonious and punisha-
bio with a flne Of 5000 and Eve years impris-
onment for persons to combine In order to i'm
pedo the operation OF any law Of tho United
States, or to intimidate persons from taking
Federal office. or to commit or advise o riot or
instruction or unlawful assembly. It also do.
clared that the writing or publishing Of any
scandalous. malicious, or false statement
against tho President or either house of
Congress should be punishable by q hne
Of $4,000 and imprisonment for two years.
This law rendered It impossible freely to
discuss an act Of tho Federal Legislature or
the conduct of the Federal Executive. 1t was
intended to be a denth blow to freedom OF speech
and Of the press. Edward livingston declared
the law would have "disgraced Gothic barbar-
ism. Infinitely worse, however. was tho Alien
act. passed by the same Congress ut tho SAME
session. Under plea Of civil commotion, result
ing from tho residence Of Foreigners In the
States. II was enacted that any aliens might be
summarily banished without assigned cause.
and at the sole discretion Of the President.
There need have been no suit. nor even public
charges. Any suspected person might be or
dered to depart within a specified time from the
limits of the Union. and. If he failed to obey. he
might, on order Of the President. DO imprisoned
for three years. Imprisoned aliens might be de-
ported, II the Executive so chose; and mas
tiers of vessels were Obliged to report, on
arrival, all aliors on hoard. or tho Alien act
Adams boasted. to Jefferson. as late as 1918.
that II was not executed by him In a single In
stance. It was Hamilton's legislation. no said
and he did not approve Of tt In n letter written
TO Pickering, however. in 1893. Adams certainly
did tho deportation Of an obnoxious
enemy. Pickering. in return, suggested getting
rid Of DIR. Priestley, and implied In the CORE
epondcnce that Adams gave him authority to
expel a certain Gen. Collot. At all events. II tho
Alien act was not vigorously carried ont by
President Adams. the ,sedition act was enforced.
The outrages perpetratod on personal liberty
under tho Adams administration wero as seri.
ors as any complained Of under royal colonial
Governors. Tho prosecutions which took
place under this statute passed from
the oppressive to the .RrotesNre. For ex-
ample. President Adams, passing through New
ark, was complimented by the firing Of cannon.
A man named Baldwin said he wished the wad.
ding might hit tho Presidents backsides. For
this he was arrested and had to pay 800.
F~rothingharn, IN editor. was Imprisoned and
fined for saying that Hamilton attempted to
bny II AuTUTus IN oruer ! suppress IL.
Thomas Cooper was Kept in prison six months
and fined s4oo for saying that President Adams.
in 1897. was hardly in tho infancy Of political
Mistakes" Ten printers and editors were
among those prosecuted for sedition. Among
these were B. f. Bache. Thomas Cooper,
and Abijah Adams. A now moral as we'll as
criminal code was created. In the case
against Calender. Judge Chase harangued
tho Jurors against tho accused, and ordered
the marshal to put none but Federalists on the
jury. On Callender's lawyers Chase threatened
to inflict corporal punishment. Judge Peck of
Otsego, n. ", circulated o petition for the re-
peal of the offensive acts. For this action no
was indicted and taken to New York city for
trial. Matthew Lyon. q representative in Con-
gress for Vermont. when canvassing for re-elec-
ton, charged tho President. with "unbounded
thirst for ridiculous pomp, foolish adulation
and a selfish ayarice.' For this utterance he
was thrust into jail and held for four months.
besides being made to pay a fne of 81. 900.
Sent by his constituents back to Congress an
attempt was made to prevent him from taking
his seat. Such was the determination of the
party then In power to perpetuate its rule and
to suppress criticism. In 1s4o Congress re-
funded to Lyons heirs tho amount of his fine,
with interest.
The popular Indignation aroused by these
octs oI CohBresb r1pioiy passed. into alarm.
Virginia. In her General Assembly. adopted
resolutions calling on tho State to nullify
within its limits - the enforcement of the
sedition law. The resolutions declared that
Virginia promised support to tho Gov.
eminent Of the United States In all meas
ures warranted by the Constitution; but do
clared tho acts of the general Government INC
further valid than they are authorized by the
grants enumerated In that compact; and that.
In case OF a deliberate, palpable and dangerous
exercise of other powers not granted by said
compact, the States who are parties thereto
have the right. and are In duty bound, to inter
pose for arresting the progress OF the evil, and
for maintaining. within their respective limits.
the authority. rights and liberties arpertAin'
ing to them" This General Assembly there.
upon declared by law Of the State oil
Virginia that the Alien and Sedition laws were
unconstitutional, and invited other States to Co
operate in resisting them. "h order TO main,
tain unimpaired tho authorities. rights and lib
critics reserved to the States respectively or to
tho people, Madison himself. drafted these
resolutions; and they expressed not his vic VS.