Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-05-20
wAhHALLA. SOUTH CAROLINA. MAY 90. 1908
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Written for The Courier by 81


Reference was made in last weeks
article to "The Alien and Sedition
laws" They were adopted in 1898,
when John Adams, the second Presi-
dent, had been in Office about year.
He became unpopular almost from
the beginning of his administration.
This was owing partly to al irrascible
temper, partly to his assumption in
official life of the pompous court Gus.
toms of the British government, and
partly to his oyerstepping, in some of
his official acts, the bounds of the
constitution. This last element of
unpopularity eliminated in "the
Alien and Sedition Laws" which he
had inspired. These laws became
prominent factors in>bis defeat for a
second term. "The Alien Act"
history informs US, "gave authority
to the President to order any alien,
whom he should judge dangerous to
the peace and safety of the United
States, to depart out of the territory
within such time as he should judge
proper, upon penalty of being i'm
prisoned for term not exceeding
three years." etc. The design Of
"the Scdition Law" was to punish the
abuse of free speech and of the press.
1t imposed heavy pecuniary fine
and imprisonment for term of years
upon such as should combine or con-
spire together to oppose any measure
of the government upon such as
should write, print, utter, publish,
ETC., any false, scandalous and mali
cious writing against the government
of the United States, or either House
of Congress of the United States, or
of the President, etc. Thomas JEFF
ferson, though warm personal
friend of Mr.. Adams, was one of bis
most decided and outspoken political
opponents. He was the author of
the famous Reptucky Resolutions of
1898, which condemn all such acts
as unconstitutional, and being unau-
thoritatiye, should be regarded as
null and void.
The famous "Virginia Resolutions"
of about the same period, prepared
by James Madison, of Virginia, and
probably inspired by Mr.. Jefferson,
are of the same tenor with the Ken
lucky resolutions, and aimed at cor
recting the same evils. They are
more lengthy, and detail with more
particularly the encroachments of
the Federal Government upon the
reserved rights of the States. Both
sets of resolutions were circulated in
all the States, in the Presidential
campaign of 1900, and contributed
very greatly toward the overthrow
of the Adams administration and
the election of Mr.. Jefferson, the
great apostle and high priest of
Democracy.
John Adams was not bad man at
heart, but being high tempered, he
chafed under adverse criticism, and
with his puritanic notions and train
ing, he seemed to think the best way
of getting rid of his severe critics
was to get the government after
them, with power to administer
severe punishments.
The Puritans of a hundred and
fifty years before had burned witches,
cropped the ears, pierced the noses
and tongues of the peace-loving
Quakers, and without any compunc-
tion of conscience, hanged many of
them Tor holding tenets contrary to
Puritan orthodoxy. Roger Will,
liams, a dissenting minister of the
Baptist persuasion, was forcibly
driven from the Colony Of Massa-
chusetts into the wilderness among
the wild beasts, 'sand men as wild
and fierce as they" Like Abraham
of old, che went forth not knowing
whittier he went" But the wild
beasts did him no harm, and the
wild men, to the best of their ability,
sheltered and fed him. After days
of wandering, he turned up in Rhode
Island, whore, in recognition of
divine protection, he called the set
tlement that he organized PRovI-
DENCE! Providence is a great city
now, the capital city of the State of
Rhode Island. But the wide spread
ing elms under whose lower limbs
the bigoted Puritans used to hang
Quakers and burn witches, have all
passed away, roots, branches and
trunks? Strange mutations and
illustrations in certain sense of "the
survival of the fittest."
Considering the Puritanic fanati-
cism of the early colonial era in New
England, we can make much allow
ance for John Adams impatience
with the abuse of free speech and q