The Washington herald., 1913-03-20

TSUGS0 SOuO fAS OSue0 " -
and Goes in Person to Quell Ii
Country Enrased Over the New II
Copyright. 1875. By HaIsr Brothers Al rishts
rcsered.)
tccwrisht, 1913. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate,
NO GA.
While the country waited upon the
object-lesson in the power Of its new
government.
In March, 1871. Congress had passed
an act laying taxes on distilled spirits:
twas part of Hamilton's plan to show
that the Federal government could and
would use its great authority.
The act bore nowhere so hard upon
the people as in the vast far counties
Of Pennsylvania and Virginia, beyond
the mountains-and there the very
allegiance of the people had been bit
the other day doubtful. as Washington
very well knew. How were they to get
their corn to market over the long
roads II they were not to be permitted
to reduce its bulk and increase its value
by turning II into whisky
Refuse to Pay Tax.
The tax seemed to them intolerable
and the remedy plain. They would not
pay 1t.
They had not been punctilious to obey
the laws OF the States; they would not
begin obedience now by submitting TO
the worst laws Of the United States.
At first they only amused themselves
by tarring and feathering an exciseman
here and there; but resistance could
not stop with that in the face IF a
government bent upon having its own
way. Opposition organized itself and
spread. till the writs OF Federal courts
had been defied by violent mobs and
the western counties Of Pennsylvania
were fairly quick with incipient ilsu--
rection.
For two years Washington watched
the slow gathering Of the storm, warn
ing those who resisted, keeping Con-
gress abreast Of him in Preparation for
action when the right time should
come. letting all the country know what
was afoot and prepare Its mind for
what was to come.
Washington Summons Militia.
1t must have won him to a stern
humor to learn that 1000 armed men
had gathered in mass-meeting on Brad
docks field to defy him. At last he
summoned an army Of militia out Of the
States. sent it straight to the lawless
going with it himself till he
learned there would be no serious re-
sistance-and taught the country what |
was back of Federal law.
Hamilton had had his way. the coun-
Try its lesson. |
THE servile copyist of Mr.. Pitt |
thought he must have his alarms, his |
nsurrections and plots against the Con- |
sneered Jefferson. 1T aroused |
he favorite purposes of Strengthening |
government and increasing the public |
iebt: and therefore an insurrection was |
and proclaimed and armed
against and marched against but could |
lever be found. And all this under the |
sanction of a name which has done too
much good not to be sufficient to cover
larm also"
THE powers Of the executive of this
ountry are more definite and better
perhaps. than those of any
'ther country Washington had said.
and my aim has been, and will con-
inue to be, neither to stretch nor to
elax from them In any instance what
'us circumstances" and that was what
10 meant the country to know, whether
he laws purpose was good or bad.
Oppose Jays Treaty.
The next year the people knew what
jay ndu zone. ne Ic6Cne0 new
FORK May 2S 1796; and the treaty ne
with him was laid before the
enate on the Sth Of June.
On the I'd Of July the country knew
that he had agreed to and the Senate
ad ratified.
There was an instant outburst of
vrath. It swept from one end Of the
ountry to the other.
The treaty yielded so much, gained
10 little. that to accept 1t seemed q
reritable humiliation. The Northwest
rn posts were. indeed, to be given up
Il last: the boundaries between Eng
lsh and American territory were to be
determined by commissioners; unre-
tricted commerce with England her.
elf. and q free direct trade with her
last Indian possessions were conceded;
nut not q word was said about the i'm
ressment Of American seamen: Amer
eizures in the West Indies were re-
erred to a commission along with
american debts to Englishmen: the
oveted trade with the West Indian
stands was secured only to vessels of !.
evenly tons and under. and at the cost
{ renouncing the right to export sugar,
nolasses, coffee. cocoa, or cotton to
Europe.
Washington Favors Treaty. /
Washington agreed with the Senate
hat ratifications of the treaty ought ]
OF to be exchanged without modifi-
alton Of the clauses respecting the
Vest Indian trade, and October had
ome before new and better terms q
ould be agreed upon; but he had no
oubt that the treaty as whole ought 2
, be accepted. q
The opposition party in Congress had '
efused to vote money for an efficient
avy. and SO had made 1t impossible to
heck British aggressions:, they must p
ow accept this unpalatahle treaty as
etter at any rate than war. {
A Political Crisis.
It was hard to stand steady in the !
form.
The country took fire as it had done
the palaaGa of thu Sfnmn Act L