The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1920-01-09
SED|1ION LAWS
ARE AMERICAN
Proved Disastrous and We're
Repealed During Term Of
President Adams.


tisan league ut its recent convention
In st. Paul against sedition laws in
times of peace calls to mind the
fact that the only sedition laws Amer
lea has attempted in it's century and
Il third of existence, until the espion.
age and sedition laws growing out Of
the war with Germany were enacted,
were the Infamous ".Alien and Sedition
Laws passed i'm 1885, during the adj
ministration of President Adams.
These laws have been branded by prac-
tiacllN every historian since that
period as Il blot and {: stain ON Ameri.
can history. They caused such IL re-.
volt of the people that the party guilty
of placing them on the statute books
and passed away forever, although it
was the party which took the leading
part in the foundation of the republic
and was supreme up tn the time it
made this fatal mistake.
The present espionage and sedition
laws are remarkably like those re.
moved from the statute books and cast
12O years ago. II remains to be seen
i'm the results of future elections how
much of that original spark of Ameri.
can liberty is still alive in the hearts
of the people.
Origin OF Laws.
The 'Alien and Setlitiom Laws were
enacted when we We're at war with
in
consisted of anything but, overt acts
by France against the American navy
and merchant marine on the high seas.
1t was tllc result of the quarrels be-
tween France and England for the
support of the United States. The
/ fedeialist party under Adams and
Hamilton favored England. The re-
publican party under Jefferson aud
Monroe sympatiized With France. The
criticisms of the administration by the
republican party becoming particularly
bitter and virulent and being supported
ny many men of foreign birth. the
federalists. in order to put an end to
1T and get rid ut what they considered
a dangerous foreign element, passed
IL
und July, 1893.
People Muzzied.
The first increased the Length, of
residence necessary for naturalization
from five To fourteen years. The other
laws authorized the arrest and depor-
tation of turbulent and dangerous
aliens at the discretion of the presi-
dent. even i'm time of peace. and the
arrest. trial and punishment of those
who would either unl4,wfully combine
With others to oppose amy measures
of the government. or write print.
utter or publish anything with intent
To defAme the president or the houses
OF congress. or to- weaken their author
ity or bring them into contempt" An
alien act passed in July. 1888, author
lied the president i'm time of war to
restrain. secure or remove from the
country, as he pleased. all subjects of
hostile power
President Wilson. under whose ad-
m1nistration laws strangely like these
have been passed. is frank and clear
in denouncing these laws of 12l years
ago in his "lIistnry of the American
People
Wilson's Opinion.
He says: "Thc sedition act cut peri
lously near the freedom of the press.
There was no telling when such eNer-
cises of power would stop. The only
limitations and safeguards lay i'm the
temper and good sense of the president
nj tho utt ,rnpnp.,l
Clearly the fedcralists had gone too
far. The Indictment of their enemies
seemed proved-t.cy were the party Of
power. Of amtocratic power, and not
the party of popular privilege"
So great was the Indignation of the
American people over what they. con.
sldercd "a blow mt their most sacred
liberties. that i'm the election of 1900.
Jefferson. the avowed bitter foe OF
these laws. was elected president, and
Admins who, signed them. received
only about one-fourth of the electoral
votes. The federalist party. which
had dared to sponsor these laws. never
received the support of the people
again. and disappeared from history.