?.y-i
No. ay 5.
' ' k - Ft ef iht Balafice.
'.' -V A IWlicAL" CATECHISM. ,
rQueftion. What is liberty ?l ' , .
"Antwerp Liberty is an angel ; flieis.
the firit oora of heaveri ffid is a gojdders ;
. and all who retuto orlhrp her, are
unworthy to breathe the vital air. ..... -
.Q.h this goddefs vifible ? ,
"A. She. is always invifible to man in
civil fociety ;feye hath not i&fo her nor
r. can civilized rnen ! f ully cc&ceive- wha;
fiidis.'j ' j he Savrigr, ah, the 'Siva'c only
Tuiows ,rjer charrus j .and quaffs bowls of
; ' ticftar from her haxias. V i
'-- O. Since liberty is invifibf how is-it
.y.&iow tint liie.reaiiy exms r .,rw
' A. Her exifbnce is known by a fuperi
' natural;- or. rather V pfeter nature laifla
tus bf.anljpi'rafidniiand it is "alio krio wn"
from, the works cf her hands. ' , -t
i QHave fo'ne men beeH favoured with
"'extracr dinar y meal ares ol this afllatui or
, Aeries. ; tnere naveDeen npojtks or 11
Ferty ..fublimated fouls, who panted,
with unutterable fervor for a near com
munication with the goddefs;-fuch were
the French phiiofophifts ; fuch aifo we) e
Robefpierre, Marat, Danton, and hun
dreds of others, in the French Republic,
, who fired with the Holy zeal of liberty,
iacrificed ' ri!lionsMf human vfSims at:';
her fhrine. ' , , - ' : . ' j
Q "What are the '..'works of- liberty,
which' manif eft her exiilance ?
A. The works of liberty, which ma
.nifeit her exiftance, are yeTy many and
" - Very "wonderful to tell. In ! epublican
sFrahee,-above all countries, the works
of liberty have appeared, h numbers
fublimity, luctias to excite a fnb'it pleaf
ing altonilhtnent there a pretty prolitute.
-- deeded in white, was enthroned in a torn
V pie as the reprefentative of the-goddefs
.and was worlhipped by the tnhghtemd peo
ple--r? Was paiti a dear tribute to the
goddefs 'liberty j not of filver and gold,
' buTol the lives of miriads ; of men, 'wo-'':;;jmen'.and'chiIdren.--How
auguft was the
. fcene,, when liberty, in the full exercife
ofhe-r prerogatives, Erected a thotvfand
Bafllles ; when blood flowed from guillo
tines, like rivers ; -vvhen the groans and -""
wailing's ot 'reprobates niet with the mock-
cry aid denuon they -del erved ) w hen
the waters of the river Loire'were:difco--
loured wuh blood and choakedwith hu
Jfnan corles j whetijans-cuioites took rank
ofnebles; and rent the air wuK'fhouts of
vtve-ia liberie Ca iraJWAS relbunded
over the wi'de-fpread gallic regions ; ca ira
Was rtfpqnded, in this country, by eve
rylriindcf the equal Tight of man,
-Ah, ; that was a glorious ' day ! Never
was liberty lb triumphant ; never were
ter works famariifeif.. " . , - ,
S A'; .Whatire yotir ideas of the liberty
A or political opinion ? :.: :t
. I glory n it as the birth-rht, cf e"
vefy free-born American ; it is dearer
y than life itelf : - f tr ippfiti otv,, fiiould"
. fed myfelt a flave a grovelling Worm
': cfxhe duft. . : '.; . ..
- . 'herein cwfjls t?e liberty of poli-
tita opinion ? . r ; . :
" -A- 4iei' liberty of .political opinion
' confijfts lixii?, that cvrry ;rian, nay, that
evuy woiiiaii and child in the United
-i.;.a iidvc rtc , penniiiion to iniuK as
V thedtaders orthe Deniocrats think' :
and 1 boldly aver, and will maintain it7
0 that any after edi& that Ihould contra
vene this libera! conitrttfiiori of the liber
; ty of pofi tjcat opinion, would be an act
. politicnl intolerance," both.frdel-
potic.and wicked." - ' , .:
tW y hat are t he peculiar privi leges.
-ecionging to tholejvhoe pditica!sooihi
- :fns areperfeaiy orthodox ? i;- ' ;
j - A. .fhev are chpr:fl-ir! in ihe hnfnm
cif curdioly church jaff their moral' of
tne mantlc;.!! s and
Weakncfles are tteV'et-mark'd again ft them
. to them cxclufiv?ly belngeth. the privi
r ledge of elHgibilityio offices of all grades,
irom the hiuheft to the loweft. ..'X
; - What afe-t her penalties to; be m
flitied on thole ;tvhp fall 'into a licentK
' oufnc.'i refpectirig political opinion," fo
iar rorth as to prelume to think for them-;
- ''ATfrey areJobe excommunicared :
they'are to '.be anarffeniatiVe'I alttfesir
' former fervices are to be buried, under a
torrent..otttolyif;execration againlj their
abominable hcrefy i they afe to be chaf
ed from whatever .oflites they had held ;
rand their fernbvat from office is to bcin
ftantly followed by gibbetting their, ch?
rscrs "'" t- ". .-' r .., 'vv-,sf" ' " " .'
;Ct Isfucha " procedure" juftifie'd by
rcfpelable'rfrif , n " jl:
A. It fs : the republics, both in France
and England j- the reign of thedwards,
and the- Henrys, of Richard third of
queen Mary ; of the whole . line of the
Stuaris pand alio theiecords of the flat-,
'chamber, fuinilh a variety of precedents
in favour of fuch a compuliory uniformity
pr eedenf s wic,h" ;had .eenbur i e d
underjHe j-uft of time, . and are there
ore vheraBle for :iheiFahuqtiiCy" ""'"
'XSMiBiM Kbeirt of feeeeh' ?,;.; . '
. At It is the liberty SFIpeakfrig welf ol
.the prefent adminiltrftiion, (Mr, lUirr
excepted) and of all who have obtained,
or fhall obtain offices "under if,' in what
-Se the Writi'nrtc nf P hl'iflf'iH- ih AfJ'Rj.
. - ' " I fc. - w - - J
S1? tl0n 'U ndia?e ' TQTfice the reigri of terror fided -pttf iaetf inpjfhmentf r ;
and plunsed them m d
gi flat lire of Virginia hia'dtf and pu lifted i
jjnutcu reioiuuuns agnail iuo jcuciium
aft . iRufe refoludoHs wcie circulated o-!
vef the. United States, v An iriltantaoe-;
pus alarin was given through the coun
try. r Every whre it was .declared, that
the prt't was iljackfed that a blow had
been aimed at the vitals' of iibei ty that
the officers of government were wicked
ly plottrag to-hiile their own villainy by
fupprefiing free iiiquuy- that their reign
had been ihe.reigrt of rerror"- that
the people were to be kept in ignorance
of thedoinas of their.rulers that while
tl-ey were thus hood',wiriked,' the yoke:
'of'flaver'was'Tntendelii-to" be rivited'oh
their necks.. " The happieil"effe1ct$':'xVlifet
produced ; the-people were electrified ;
they were arcutVd they,'weTe' lb ucfc
with horror; they were.filled with in
dignation : - they chaied from office thole
corrupt men Who had pafled the ledition
law, & fupplied their places with charac
O'.lrLwhatei
liberty of the prefs ?
A; I venerate it as the ark of bur poli
tical fafety as the protecting fhiejd of
all our. other privileges. The freedom
of the. prefs has been my favourite toaltj
-2-the darhriR theme that has awakened
'all mv fenfibilities. Witnefsy'ye vener
able f hades bt r-aultusand Franklin, with
what fervours of zeal have I expatiated
on this fubjeft, while liftening aowds
hung Upon my lips ! Witnefs. with what
excciation I loaded the authors of thai
fnfhumcnt of tyranny, the fedition law !
While 1 have a heart to feelj ja tongue
to f peak,, and a.&and to aft, 1 will never
defert this-fact ed-caufe. Ye powers a
bove record my vow -I lolemnly-prctelt
that " I am teady to Ikcu the latt drop
of my blood in defence of the liberty of
the prefs." r; . -
' (Here the refpondenr is fuppofed to
lay, one hand on his bread, and to bran
diih the other hand in a 'moib violent
manner and in utteiihg the words, 'T
am ready to fhed the lait drop of my
blood," he is luppoicd to turn a iittle
pale.)" . - - -"' ' ' ..
Q. Was the fedition law really an a&
oftreafort againftthe rights of the people?
A. It was downright rea!'on againft
the freedom of the prefs ; it was tiea
fon againlt the dignity and majtfly of
the people & agahdt I heir deareit rights
It was the moit tyrannical, the molt ai
bomfnable, the molt horS ile, the molt
accurfed.att, that ever was palled in a'
free country ; and luch I have a.'vyaysJ
cleclarediit to be. 1 hat 'execraMjuaw
gagged and thottled cyr.y printing, prefs
in the land, that was wcrthy of counte
nance and lupporr.
. 1)k the fedition law Tiprefs the
pubTioati'o'n bfctrutb, or deny the: privi
lege of giving trutli in gxi&t&s&&j'
A. The ledrrion law "permitted the
truth in evidence ? but that circumltaiice
was a mere farce .a mocker y, It was
permitting the aggrieved party to avail
themfeives cf impoffibilities !--a Gown
right infult u pon t he underflandings of
man ! It was. for promoting the belt in
terelts af thepeople, .; that.'the ' wicked
.ftefs and trei'ions of the forrher adini-,
ni ft rations -TaH been cxpofed. Waih
ington . had been denounced as " the
man who had . given currency to politi
cal iniquUyi 2nd . had, iegalifed coirup'tir
on" Adams had'betjl called Ja hoary
"headed traitor, andliad been charged
with the murder of Jonathan. Rbbbtns
Jay had been acculed of having been L rib
fd with Britifh gold; Pjkaing of rebbina
the'pubfiC f real ufy of mlllions of ' dol lars
-Wolcottfd burning the.vvar office, to
conceal the knavery of the oilicef. -
T hefe Charges have been circulated thro?
utthuflkmraftd "t 'reyughtrdTjnr
lafe,5 without check or hindrance, for'
the information bt ; the abufed people
but though their truth was as clear as a
fupbeam, they could not be proved in a
court of juftice ; and for this plain rea!bn,
becaufe the'were-'not of profitable na;
ture. I- I tierefbre tin edition 1 aw,in
viting proof when it was -welt known
jhat proof was rio' where to bi found,
did but add infult to injury, ' y j
' C Iri what.mahner did the paiiing the
fedition law; dSeft the characters of the
former adminift r.atlon ; . - x ;
A. T he fedition law mortally wound-,
ed the charafters or thofe who paued it.
and the. reign of equity and mildneis has
commenced,, what. is theT liberal induU ,
genee that is cow given to the prefs? ;
' A. :'ifies't'he'-vrx of the former
adrnjnilfratidnSj' Mr. -Curr, the fecond
magilir'ate in the nation, is alfo given up
'to the printers, as' free and lawful plun
der ;.. aad I have almoft burft my fides
with laughing, to fee with what art and
indultry our imported patriots, Uuane &:
Cheetham, ha hunted- hirri' dewn,
while thefubalterns all fit up their bark
ing and followed the : chafe.
Q. Is not your ' party indebted to the
talents and influence of Mr. Burr for its
triumph over the federalifts ?
t A. This debt is caiifelfed. M. Burr
is "excommunicated ; he lies under the
bahn of our church ; he is an outlaw :
it has been difcovered that he eat and
drank with hereticsthat he even offer
ed a a tcaft, this abominable, this trea
fonable lentinient,; 4hiuhion of all honefl
mn" T hat man has1 finned beyond the
hopes of mercy ; - floods of tears would
"not avail to wafh" away his crimes ;
The ballot the holyfVaw is thundered
againft him; its anathemas are poured
upon his devoted head and all patriotic
printers are n duty bound to denounce
him as a traitor, and to compare him to
Benedict- Arnold. ' - - - - '
Q. Wharis-the ilandard of freedom
by whipli the preis "is and ought to be
guided, as it ref;cfts the character and ,
meafures of Mr. JefTeifon ? .
A. 'As it refpefts that auguft perfort
age, the excommunicated " left' is, al
yet, allowed a very licentious .indulg
ence ;i inafmuch as no pm'tous reftiaint
is laid on the prefs, by binding federal
printers, while unconvicted of'criml, to keep
the peace and to their good behaviour.
A great apgftle of liberty who contem
plates the beauties of the goddefs, with
ineffimabie rapture and daily kneels af
her altar and kifTes her' fhrine, in vain
attempted fucha previous reftraint,
Mortifying defeat ! Ah, the bhndnets ot
certain jwdges 1 1 heyhad not far enough,
advanced in the " march of fenriment"
to perceive the neeeflity and lalutary na
ture effucK a meafure.
- Q. On what grounds was the previous
reftraint attempted,? ..: -
. A. If was attempted on the ground of
the ftatute ofFdvvjrrd third, a great and
v orlhipful king of fcnland ; who lived
nearly five centuries ago ; indeed long
before; any printing profs had- been
ijtnowrir : A moft luminous period that
was: "wa ;all bufinefs in England was
lyQ: fs her thjw&irit' of :1firtJc'.- '
ferioiis charafteT and mealurtfi inn" , ..ft'
"manner tflutlded from the unhallowed.
ftcuch of federalifts ? : , I' - :
i YA.Hi U; in manner, (though alas ! . i';
too feeb)y,)Thielded from thole vile cai-
tiffs, by tl r liiitijjl Comlntn liw, " Printers , . -
have the licentious induigehec of pub- iili,
lifhnts''what"fhey pleale..cdncerningMr. . y'l)
Jefferforu They are laid under no hea- "A-
vy bonds for their good behaviour :"hoO- - : l
comm,(Iibhers have been appointed ro '-''' , ;ftt
fiiye a previ&arlicence toolitical pub ji'-j
lications.- Undeed, " they order thingi : ..i'
petrewn-r-rance, . mat aear lana.or u- . ff-1
HcWsztimt.tet, IM, arc allowed V-
to puDiiin wnatever iney pieaie on pon 1
tksT?1?able merely to finest bonds and - 1
-.'.n--?:
imprifonment. if they orefume to pub-
lifh aught, that may tendjo diminifh
the chirafterof our augutt chif, or.of
the other officers of government, whorij
hejdelmhteth to honour, ,
u. May not printers pubiilh proveablc
"t ! .1 i ' a . u
It was the engine that pulled theai, down j
' "'' . '' y ,' . ';"' Auy- --, '..
ahfh toiicue was lcar eel y- fooken.' Yet
fieither jhe.reafoiibleneis- ot .''the. thing,"
hor nntiquity of the president availed.
' hernbifion was rejecled, though prefTed
with all the pathetic eloquence that ever
inh'irecj a tongue devoted to. liberty's fa
cred caufe. Blaft the difappointment !
I wafh my harids of it. Whatever man,
with mre individual might, could do,
was aftually done. It a fingle arm could
have affected it,-the freedom ofihe prefs"
would have -been eftablifhed on a firm
and .immoveable bafis : but fome men
who' are right in ihe mairr'need; further
difciplining. ; -: r.ryy
Alr.r Sitrr itii been a8uH JetuuiBd" at
trait or i and has even been compared to BtncdiS Ar
void,' iii fomt of lit dtmotratie Peft
A. No fuch an indulgence would. I
lead to the moft f4tal confequences, and
is not to be fullered in a free coufttif
It would opeh a door for intolerably li
centioufhefs; it would tend to proftratef ...
government by bringing it into contempt;-1
it would expofc the faxifts of great men . '
to vulgar eyes, anu mignt wouna tneir .
feelings. Truth is fh'arper than a lerpent'i ;
tooth'; it flings and irritates an elevated -J-mind
ten fold more than faUehood. H "
Therefore oxir w ife ancef tors, fome fe
ven or nine hundred years ago, eltablifh
edit as a maxim, that " the grtuter the j
truth, the greater tie1 Mel." "-:'- ,r : "" A .
Do you then approve the Britifh
government?...,,.;:,, - ' - $iu.'. -'f-
A. Noil s c an approve it lefs, or dcteuVU'
it more ; it is afyftem of intolerable op-r 1
preffion and 11a very j it is a rnafs of rot-
ten inltitutions. i o call lt. a free gov
ernment is an infult upon the human un
der (landing ; levery good republican's ,
hound to execrate it, and to wifli for it
fpeedy downfall :' Yet the linglifh com- .
mon iawj a-; relates to libelS is, tmder
prefent circurnltances, an excellent weai
pon. wherewith to defend the lights of
the jpeople : -.tiVexattly fuited to thcV y
condition ot this country. - :':., r-,--
In cafe that Mr.- Jefferfon Thould
betray and iaenhee the deareit mterelU
of the nation, and that thela&s relating
to his perfidy fhould be capable or peing
fully fubftantiated by proof ;- might they S
not be pubhfhed with impunity ?
A. Such a thing is impoffible.Thc;
Englifh have a maxim, that . the king
can" do no wrornj:' 'tis ftupid to fay this
of a king : but Mr. JeSerion fias raore
wildom, more virtue", more honour- ,
than all the kings have put together, who
reign tn Chriltcndom. betray and I
faciiflce the interelt of the nation ! The :
fuppofuion is blafpherhy. - '
.Q, I tiafrinich as the angel of light be
come foul apoitatcv it is furely not im
ppdible that even Mr;rlefrerfon may err '
a nd do wrong ; and it fuch an incident
ihould exilt and the public fhould there- 4
by - be-greatly endangered, 'blight not the
peopfe to.kaMw it i; ' '.' -v.-
it. It woald be bcfl that the people
fhould not know it, the publication of t '
luch intelligence would light up the torch , -of
ledition ; it would Tdiminiih the pco ,
pie's confidence in their chief mamftrate,
land would tjtraige their hearts troxhhii
i 'wfOfl rj 'firm -, i- j
iavi -w4 j'wi .urn ' . .. 1 ' u
Should a -printer pnblifrnany- faft
of this kTndv together . with fubllantial
documents in-prtof ; what muft be .the
coufequence I --- - - -. ..p .;-
A. i he prefumptious wretch muft be
-
-if
Hi
s
indifted, and nunifhed according to law.
. - Q. Should he produce iri court twen
ry fubftantial wirneffes, in poof ot his al
legation, would not - this llircumftance i
tend to alfcft his acquittat.?: ,;-,. ,::'v '
A. If he .fhould produceln cpurt al l! r
,nundrea witneues, it couia no wiiea-
van rum. liie uencu wouia n.pi pel
mit them to be fworn : : common law
forbids it. f. yi-:''''Yy- 'yyr'' -y y:':
if Mr. Jefferfon fhould per fonat
v appear irt court, and acknowledge.
the-faft allcdged agaioft him, might not
this exculpate the pubhfher f ' -
A It would iri no manner tend to his
exculpation but would really aggravate;
the offence ; it would prove that the" aU ;
legation wcre ' greet truth and confc .
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