The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-05
Jefferson's Contribution to the Free Press
Continued from Second Page

tiers and measures. and of free COM
munication among the people thereon,
which has ever been justly deemed
the only efectual guardian OF every
other right
jefferson, seeing the coming of the
Sedition Law before 1t was enacted,
was gathering ammunition with which
to attack it before it was on the
statute books Writing to MIR. Madi-
son April 26th. 1898. he prophesed
thus: "One~of the war party, in q fit
of passion. declared sometime ago
they would pass citizen bill, an
alien BILL and a SeditiOn bill, accord
ingly, some days ago. Colt laid Il mo-
ton on the table of the House of Rep
resentatiVeS for modifying the citizen
law. Their thrNSts point at Gaiiatin,
and 1T is believed they will endeavor to
reach him by this bill. Yesterday Mr..
Hillhouse laid on the table of the
Senate a motion for giving power 10
send away suspected aliens. This is
understood to be meant for Volney
and Collot. But it will not stop there
when it gets in a course for execu-
ton. There is now only wanting, 10
accomplish the whole declaration be-
fore mentioned, sedition bill, which
we shall certainly soon see proposed.
In November of the same year he
wrote to John Taylor: For the pres
Alien and Sedition laws to be against
the Constitution and merely void. ana
for addressing the other States to OBJ
tain similar declarations: and L would
not do anything at this moment which
should commit us further, but reserve
ourselves to shape our future meas
ureS, or no measures, by the events
which may happen.
In the same year he wrote TO Madi-
son OF the threat of an alien ana Sedl-
ton bill. and of the sedition bill said:
1.-THE object of that is the suppression
of the Wing presses, Bache'S has been
particularly named. That paper and
also Carey'x totter for want OF sub
scriptions. We would really exert our
selves to procure them for if these pa
pers fail, republicanism will be en-
tirely broW-beaten.
In June. 1893, seeing the fulfillment
of his prophecy, he commenced the
agitation for the repeal of the law
that abridged the freedom of speech
and wrote to Madison us follows:
"They have brought into the lower
House sedition bill, which, among
other enormities, undertakes to make
printing certain matters criminal,
though one OF the amendments to The
Constitution has so expressly taken
religion, printing presses, ETC., out OF
their coercion. Indeed, this bill, ana
the alien bill are both so palpably IN
the teeth of the Constitution as TO
show they mean to pay no respect 10
it"
He followed closely every act and
speech attending the passage of the
Objectionable law, and all subsequent
debates on it, and gave this pen-plc-
ture in a letter to Mr.. Madison, in
February, 1893, of q scene in the
House of Representatives: "Yester-
day Witnessed a Scandalous scene IN
the House of Representatives. 1t was
the day for taking up the report of
their committee against the Alien ana
Sedition laws, etc They the FEEDER
aIists) held a caucus and determined
that a word should not be spoken on
their side, in answer to anything that
should be said on the other. Gallaun
took up the Alien, and Nicholas the
Sedition law; but after a little while
of common silence, they began to en-
ter into loud conversations. laugh,
cough, etc, so that the last hour OF
these gentlemen's speaking, they must
nave had the lungs of vendue mas
ter to have been heard. Livingston,
however, attempted to speak. But al
ter few sentences, the Speaker call
ed him to order, and told him what
he was saying was not to the question.
1t was impossible to proceed. The
question was carried in favor of the
report, So to 49, the real strength of
the two parties is Sc to so"
Again to Madison in the same year,
he wrote: Petitions and remon-
strances against the Alien and Sedi-
ton laws are coming from different
parts of New York, New Jersey and
PENNSYLVANIA. l am in hopes Vir-
ginia will stand SO countenanced by
those States as to repreSS the wishes
of the Government to coerce her,
which they might venture on il they
supposed she would be left alone.
Firmness on our part, but a passive
firmness, is the true course. Any
thing rash or threatening might check
the favorable dispositions of these
Middle States, and rally them again
around the measures which are ruin
ing u.s."
With the instinct of the political
seer he looks into the future and sees
that [if the opponents of that law con-
tent themselves with firm and orderly
protestsl, the attempt to abridge the
freedom of the press will destroy the
Federal party. Writing to Edward
Pendleton in February, 1893, he said:
I'm Pennsylvania, we fear that the
ill-designing may produce insurrec-
ton against the Alien and Sedition
Laws). Nothing could be so fatal.
Anything like force would check the
progress of the public opinion, and
rally them around the government.
This is not the kind of opposition the
American people will permit. But keep
away all show of force, and they Will
bear down the evil propensities of the
government, by the constitutional
means of election and petition In
the same month he wrote thus to
Archibald Stuart: Several parts of
this State (Pennsylvania) are SO vio-
lent that we fear an insurrection. This
will be brought about by some if they
can. 1t is the only thing we have to
fear. The appearance of an attack
of force against sc government would
check the present current of the Mid
die States and rally them around the
government; whereas, if suffered to
go on it will pass on to reformation
of abuses"
He believed that the Alien and Sc
dition Law was but the first, step in
converting the republic into a virtual
monarchy, for in 1899 he wrote to S.
r. Mason: II consider these laws as
merely an experiment on the American
mind, to see how far 1t will bear an
avowed violation of the Constitution.