Page:History of Journalism in the United States.djvu/204

178 triumph. To Madison he sent word that this onslaught on the principles he held dear was about to occur.

"One of the war party," he wrote, "in a fit of unguarded passion, declared some time ago that they would pass the Citizens' Bill, the Alien Bill and a Sedition Bill. Accordingly, some days ago Cort laid a motion on the table of the House of Representatives for modifying the Citizen Law. Other threats pointed at Gallatin, and it is believed they will endeavor to reach him by this bill. Yesterday, Hillhouse laid on the table of the Senate a motion for giving power to send away suspected aliens. . . . There is now only wanting to accomplish the whole declaration before mentioned, the Sedition bill, which we shall certainly soon see proposed. The object of that is the suppression of the Whig press. Bache has been particularly named."

The Alien act, which has been characterized as "without parallel in American legislation," permitted the President to order out of the country all such aliens as he should deem "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States." Any alien who was found in the country after receiving such an order was liable to imprisonment for three years.

The Sedition act of July 14, 1798, made it a high misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of $5,000 and five years imprisonment, for persons to unlawfully combine or conspire against the government, or to write, print, publish or quote any false scandal or scurrilous writings against the government of the United States, the President or either House of Congress. Through the efforts of Bayard, a Federalist at that, an amendment was added, amending the common law of libel by permitting the truth of the matter contained in the publication to be given in evidence as a good defense. It will be recalled