DAILY EVENING ADVERTISER. [No. 60 of Vol. Vl.] Treajury Department, Augtiji 16, 1794* ... : '& R. T r appears probable, that advantages will result 1 J. from giving to theciniscn? at large fill I iirfornia tvsn on the of tha disturbances which exist mrtie welter; pares of Pcii%Jvlvanij. With this ■ View, if no o'ij afid! to the meafuie mould bcCur to you, I would c;iufe4 VvW'ica>!<in ro be Wuitte of'thit r-port tfvhich I had the honor to adiifc& to you, dk 'tit 1 the jrh iftti With the most perfcift refpcsS, Jhave.the honor to he, fir, Youi most obedient, and Humble f. rv'a. t, ALVXANDER HAMILTON The President of rhc 7 United States. | United Slates, (gtb Augujt, 1794. S 1 R, I AM iiredled by tfte PrefiUeht to inform you, $ reply to your littst <Jf the 16th indant, that re lying that the fads contained in th» report, have been stated with due care, and from authentic sources, he perceives no' obje&fon to the publication of it, as pro posed. I am &c. y«uf Aioft obedient ftrvant. B DANDRIDGE. The Secretary of tfie Treasury. Tttdfu'ry Tjcpar i'ntn!. AuguH ztb, 1794. SIR, rr-'Hb difagrecable crisis at which ma'ters have 1 .lately arrived in Softie of the western counties of Pennsylvania, with regard to the laws laying du ties on Spirits dllVilted wfthin tile United States, and on (Villi; Seems to render proper a review 6?the cir eurtiftancej which hSve attended those lawn in that ftene, from their commencement to the present time, and of the condudt which haahitherro been observed on the part of the government, its motives and ef fect— in order to a bett'7 judgment of the measures' rieeffary to lie pursued in the exiflng eniergeticy. The opposition to those laws lii the four mod western coulitlesofP<flinfylva.nia, (A.Utghany/J'afh ington, Fayette, and Weftmoreland) commenced as «?rly as they were known to have been palled. It has continued, with different degrees of Violence; ib tlie different counties, and at different periods.— J'jt Wafhingron h.rs Uniformly diftingnifnffd its re finance, by a mote exaafiive ipiri't, than hti. appear ed in the other counties, and seems to h' vc been chic Av iiilliumental in kindling and keeping aliVe the flame. The opposition firfl manifeffed itfelfin the milder ffiape or tne circulation of opinions unfavorable to the law, and calculated; by the influence ol public difeftcem; to difcsiutige the accepting or hgtkLtng of ®fEces under It, or the complying with It by thoie" wHo might He so disposed 1 to which was added, the Jliew of a difcontirmancc ofth. bufir.efs ol difliiliiig. These expedients ware Ihortly after Succeeded by private affociatioiis to forbear compliances with the law. ifut it wa- not long before these more nega tive modes of opposition were perceived to be likely to prove ineffectual. And in proportion as this was the cafe, and as the means of introducing the laws fats'operation were put into execution, tlie dtlpofl tion to resistance became more turbtilciit and nlore hi'lmed toadept aftid'prttftieevhleht expedients. The officers now began to experience marksof contempt & ir.lult. Threats again ft them became frequent and laud; and after Some time, these threats were ri pened into a<Sh of ill-treatment and «uttage. These aits of violence were preceded by certain iheetirigs of malcontent persons, who entered into' tefilmisns* calculated at once to sonfirm, infiathe Whd lyftematize the Spirit'of opposition The fir a of these meetings was hidden at a place called Red Stone Old Fort, on the 17th of July, <79', where it was concerted that county commit t«et. Should he- convened in the four counties, at the rel'petfive feats Of justice therein. On the 13d of *uguft following, one f these committees assem bled in the countyof Washington. This meeting pnffrd fonie intemperate resolutions, which were afierward* printed in the Pitifbnrg Ga iretre, corrtilnirtg a ftrtuig censure on the law, de tlaring that aity perlon -ivto hdtt acctpted o> mitt! dc tepi a>i office under Ctmgrrfs in ordtr to carry it into es seS, Jheuldbe as inimical to tie intetefti • ftht ifluntry ; and recommending to the litizens of IVaJhing ton county to treat every per/on -wijo bad accepted or might hereafter accept any fucß office tuilß contempt, and also utely to refufe all kind of communication or intercourf viitt tie officeri, and to -withholdfrom them all aid!, fop. pertj or ctmfoi t'. Not content with this vindi&ive profcriptibn of those who might esteem it their chitv, in tile capa city of officers, to aid in the execution of the con stitutional laws of the land, the' meeting pi nceeded to accumulate topics of crimination of the govern ment, though foreign to each other; authoriflng, hy this leal for cenftire, a fufpieiott that w re actuated, not merely hy the diilike of a particular law, but by a disposition to render the government ltfcif unpopular and odious. meeting, m further pi ofecutioti of their plan, deprtfed three of their members to meet de legates from the counties of Weftmoreland, Fayette and Allegheny on the lft Tuesday ofSept: folic wing, for the purpofc of exprefling the fenfn of the people of those counties in an address to the legislature of the United States, upon the fuhjeit of the Exciie Law and'cfjftfr grievances. Another marting accordingly took place oH the' 7th of September, 1791, at Pittlbur.h, in the county of Alleghany, at which there appeared per sons in character of delegates from the four Wes tern conntie». ' his meeting entered into resolutions more c«m pi<hcnfive iii theirobjecfts and not lefsinflammatory in their tendency , than those which had before pair ed the meeting in Waihington. Their resolutions contained severe censures not only on the law hich as the immediate Subject of objedtion, but upon • at t*iey termed the exorbitant Salaries of oficers: •he unreafonahle interest of the public deist; the warn of dilcnmination between original holders and >aa..crrces, and the inllitvtion of a national b*nk. Thursday, August 21, 1794- The fame unTrierid'y temper the e»vern nient of the United States, which Seemed to have led out of their way the Cieeting it WafSiington ap pears to have produced a similar wandering in that at Pitrfbureh. A representation to Congrei*» *etft'Aftra-fice to the Lejjfifliitiire of I'- oi)lvania against the law niore particularly complained of were prepared by this trteetirrg— together with their other proceedings in the PirtlbilrjH) Gazette, and after wards presented so the t'efpeflive bodies to whom they wereaddrefTc'l, These meetings cortpoied of very i' Fiuential jp ' dividuals, and oondutfted without moderatibn or prudence, Ire jultly chargeable with the exceflei Which h'aVe heen from time to time committed; : Serving M give c'onfiftericy to an opposition w .ich has at length matured to a point, that threatens t. Ie foundations of tlie government and of the Union — unless ffeedily and effectually Subdued. On the 6th of the fame month of September, the ftppofitinn bVelce otiT ih all ail of violence upon the person and pn.perty of Robert Jefhnlon, ccllcdtor of the revenue for the counties of Alleghany and Washington. A party of men Krthed ind difguil'ed, Way-laid him it a place on Pidgeon Creek in Walhir.gton county, feiied, tarred an.' feathered hiWv, ctit off his hair, and deprived him of his horse, obliging hirrt to tra vel on foot a confideralde distance in that Mortify ing and pair.tul lltuation. The cafe was brought before the diftriii coiirt of i lvanla, oat of which proceftes issued againd John Robettfort, Johtt Hamiltotf, and Thomas M'Comb three of the perfsns concerned in the outrage. . , The Serving of these processes v/as conßded by the then marshal Clement Biddle', to his deputy JofephFoX, who in the month of Oaioht;r went in to Alleghany county for the purftofe of fsrVing them. The appearances and circcmftartceS Which Mr. Fox observed himielf, lti the courle of his journey, and learnt afterwards upon his arfivai at Pittsburgh, had the effeift of dcterrii'.j; him from the Service of the ptoceffes, and unfortunately fed to ?dopt the in judicious and frbiclefs expedient 0? fencing them to the parties by a private messenger under crtver. The deputy's report to the marshal, Slat'es a number of particulars evincing a considerable fer mentation in the part of the country to wliicb fe was tent, and inducing a belie! oi. his part, that he ■ ould nor with Safety hai/'e Executed the proct Ses. The matfbal transmitting this report to the diilri6t attorney, maltesthe following observation, it. " I am sorry to add, tbflt be (the dtpiity) found tnc people in gi neral in the wellefn p, ht of the ft at and particularly b. yond the Alleghany mountaine Kch a ferment on .VcOuht nf the act of Coiigrcii fyi-lading a duty on distilled spirits, and so mum oppnir'' 'n the ecec'j-t-nT of tfrc Taf-i aH, and fro ' a variety of ..thrents to nimfelt pcrfonlilly, althtugh he took tile iitihoft precaution to conceal his prrand; that he wis convinced oS the hllpntlibiUty of Serving the proeefa, but.that any attempt to cf ftft'it would H*vte dccafioned the hioJV Violent bppo fltion fi'om the. greater part of the inhabitants, and he declares that if 4tr 1(«<J, attempted it, he believe! he (hould not have teturnsd alive. " I lpared no expense ncir pains to have the proceis of the court executed, and have not the least doubt that my deputy would have acccrtaplifbad it, if it ctiuld have btfeli done." The reality of the dinger to the deputy wis countenanced by the opirion of gin.. Neville, the infpq6tor of the revenue ; a naan who before had given, and fint eh.as given nuiherous proofs of a stea dy arid firm temper; and Wfe'it follbwed is a' further ; Confirmation of it. Tile per fun who had beeti sent with the processes, ; was seized, whipped, tarred, arid feathered; and after, having his money and horse taken from him, was blindfolded and tied in the woods, in which condition he remained sot five hoars'. Very f.rloiis reflections naturally occurredUptin this occasion. It seemed highly phibafele, from the issue of the experiment which had, been made, that the ordinary course of eivil prtcefi would be inef fedtual for enforcing the execu'lon of the law, in the scene in qneftion —and that a perseverance in this course might lead ta a ftriotis concuflion. The law iiftlf was flill in the infancy of its operation, and fat frottt eflabliflletl in other ilnpoi lanr portions of the Union. Prejudices against it had been in . duftnoufly disseminated, mifrepreferitations diffu fed, misconceptions foftered. The legislature of thi'United State's had art yet organized th'e means by Which the executive could cCirfir in aid of the jtidleiary, when found incompetent to the executi on of the laws. 11 neither of these impediments to a decisive exertion had existed, it was desirable, sf pecially in a republican government, to avoid what is in such cases the ultimate retort, till all the milder means had been tried Without fbecefs. Under the united influence of these confidetati bns, it appeared advifeable to forbear urging coercive measures, till the laws had gone into more extensive operation * till further time for refledtion and et . perience of its operation had served to correct falfg invprefllons, aVia iva Spire greater mb'dferatioh; and' till the legislature had had an opportunity, by a re- Viiion of th lavv, to remove as far as piaflible objeW tions, and to reinforce the provifiohsforfecuritig iu . execution. Other incidents occurred from time to time, which are further proofs of the very improper tem per that prevailed among the inhabitants of the re fractory counties. Mr. Johnson was not the only officer , who about the fame period , experienced outrage'. Mr Wells, collector of the reven e fur Weffn . eland aiitf'Fiy ette, was alio ill treated at Greenfburg and Union town; no were the outrage-perbetiated confined to the officer-; they extended to private citiieiti, who -nly'dared to (hew their re'fpedi for the law's of their country Some trme in Odtfiber, 1791, an unhaippy man, of the name of Wiifon, a flranger in the county, and man if flly disordered iti his liitelleds. imagining himfelf to be a colleiftor of the revenii". or invetted with some trust in relation to it, »a« 16 unlucky as to make enquiries concerning the distillers who had cnrc-ed' their Oiij*-; giving out th.'t he wa? to tra- | Vel through tht United States, to afcertiun and re- J port to Co» gteffr the nurhbeh ol ft ills, &c. This 1 than was purfutd by a party In disguise, taken out J ol fced, rarricd 5 mii> - back, to a in-ith's ihap, ii ripped of 'hi* cipthes* wnicj) were afterwards burnt', and after having he en himlelF nhumanly bfyrnt in federal place's, with a lieu red ilron, tar ed and feat fie red, and about 'day-lij> ht drfmiffed, naked, vrouncltd, and othcrwiic in a Very fuffeiing condition. TrCfe particulars are communicated in a letter from the infpe&or of the reyenu*, of tht 17th of November, who declares he had tjitn himfefr seen the unfortunate maniac, the abuft of whom , as he expreflei it, exceeded and was fufficient to makehtlYian nature,thuddcr. The a*Fair is the more extraordinary as persons of Weight and confederation in that country are under ft oojd to have been aCUrs in it, atid as the fykhptrrm of in sanity were during tht whole tifije ofi 'flt&mg the pumfhmuit apparent—tht ing the heroic fortitude of a man, wh • conceived himfelf to be a martyr, to the diicharge of si/me im portant duty Not long after ,a person of the naijie cf Rofeberry underwent the humiliating puniftiinent of tarring and feathering with fdrvu aggravations, for having in eonve;fatic|(> hazarded the Very natural and just, but unpalatable remark that the inhabitants of that country could hot. rtafoniibly expert frofn a government, whose laws they so strenuously oppo sed. The audr.rity of the perpetrators <;f these eicefles vra.' f? great, that an armed banditti ventured to Teize and cariy. fiftwo peiTohs, wh > werewitneffes against the fit-.ters in thf cafe of Wilfon,in order to prevent /heir giving teftiitaony of the riot to a Court then fittiug, or about t<J fit, Dtfigns of pyrfofial violence against the jnfpe&or of the revenue nimfe'lf, to force him td a resignation, were repeatedly attempted to be put in execution by armed parties, but by different circumstances were fruflrated. In the feflton of which comrtienced in OdUber 1791, the law, laying a duty on diftillcd spirits and ItiUs, came under the revision of Con gress a* had been anticipated. .By an a& Rafted May Btfi, 1791* during that material alte rations were made in it—among these- the duty was reduced to a rate so. moderate, as to have silenced complaint on that head—and a new bnd very favo rable alternative was given to the dilliller, that of paying a mcnthly, lhfte&d yearly rate, according to the capacity of his jjkjH, wi'tH liberty to take a licence for the precise term, which he ihould intend to w«rk it, and to renew tnat licence fbr a farther term or terms. ' This amending actj in its progress through the legifiatursengaged the pa: ticular attentionol hieni feKcfs Who themieHrts y+crc and of others who represented parts «f the country fh which the biifiiiefs of distilling was extenfcvkly ckrned on. Qbje&iofts werfc well confide red andgrfcat pains taken to oliviate all sikh &s had the femblahce of reafenabl'encfs. lt The eife& has in a great measure correfpondVd with the views of the legislature. Opposition hai fubfidcd in several difitridb where it bef re prevai led,and it was natural to entertain and not easy to a bfcndon a hope :hat the fame thing would by degrees havd tf ken place in the four western counties of thi? state. But notwithstanding some flattering appearances & particular junctures, akd infinite jpainc by vari ous expedients to produce the desirable iflue, the nope entertained has n ver been realized, and is now at an end as far as the ordinary means of executing laws ate concerned. she firft law had left the number ahd positions of the officers of Infpe&ion, which were to be tfta bliflied in each diftriit for receiving entries of stills, to the discretion of the supervisor. The second, to ftCure a due accommodation to distillers, provides peremptorily, that there fhidl be one in each county. The idea was immediately embraced, that it was a' very important point in thefrhemc of opposition tp the law to prevent the establishment of offices iri the refpe6iive counties. for this pUrpofc, the ihtimidation of well-difpofcd 1 ihhabitants was added to th« plan of molesting and «bftrtr6ling the officers by forceor otherWise, as migjHt be necessary. So efTc&uajly was the firft point carried (the certain deftrudion of property, and the peril of life being involved) that it became aimoft impra'iSicablfc to obtain suitable places fat of fices of the counties; and when ottainfed, it was found a matter of neceflity, iri almofl every idftance, to abandon them. After much effort the Infpe«Sor of the Revenue r Kiccceded in procuring the house of William Faulk ner j a GapVaTn in the army, for an office of infpfec ticjh in the county of Wafliington. This tookplace ih Ailgufl, 179 a. The #!fice #as attended bv the Ihfpe<ftf«r of the Revenue in person, till prevented by the following incidents. Captain Faulkner being in purfr.it of some dfcfet ters from the troops, was encountered by a number of 1 * people; irt the fame neighborhood where Mr. had been ill-treated the preceding year, who repreached him with letting his house for an office ; of infpe&ion, drew a knife upon him, threatened t,o scalp him, tar and feather him, and reduce his house , 4nd property to ashes,' if he did »>ot solemnly promire to prevent the further iife of his house for an office. v Captain Faulkner wai. induced to i'riakc the e*ad;ed; and; in conlequence of the circumstance, Wrote a letter to the l».fpc<stor, dated the i6th of 4ugU&, countermanding the permiflion fer using his house ; the day following gavp a public no tice in The Pittfbu'g Gazette, that the office of in fpc&ion fhfiuld be n. longfer kept tfcere. t the fame tiAie ahotHer eiigine of opjiofitiori was ih operation. Agr<.eble t© a previous notifi cation, there met at Pittfbtlrg, on the 21ft of Au gust a number of perf.-ns. ftiling 44 A Meeting of fundi y inhabitants of the Western Coun ties of Fennfylvaiii-i.** This meeting entered ; to rcfolutions not less ex ceptionable than those of its piede, effors. The pre amble ft'ggvfti that a tax 011 spiritods liquors is (injiifr .ii 1 ft If and oppressive upon the poor, that / nuinal taxes uj.*,: must in the end tie- [Whole No. G1 o ftroy the liberties of every country in which they are introduced—that the law in qyeftion, from certain local circumflances which are fpecified, y ould bring immediate distress and ruin upen the Wefiem coun try and concludes with the ferment, .that they r'ftiihfc it their duty to persist in femonftrances to Con gress, and in every otherV*gal meaiure, that may cb ftrud the operation of the uw. The refutations then proceed, firft, to appoint committee :to prepare and c'aufe to. be pieftnted to Oongrei?, ap address stating, obje&ions to the law, and paying for its repeal -Secondly, to appoint cqnir mittees of correlpomjence for "Waitiington, and \ 1 leg charged to cgrrefpopd, together. and with such committee as should be appointed for the fame purpol'e in the county of Wefimoreland, or with any ccmitiittees of a itiiilar natuie, that might be appointed .nother parts of the United States; aijd.al fo if found neceflary tocall together either general meet iufcs of the peop!s, in their Tefpedive counties, 01 con nces of the feyeral committee* and lastly to declare that they wjll in fuune conlider those who hold oh:ce* •or the coliediofi of the duty, as unworthy (ff their friendihip, that they will ha e no inter course nvr deal trigs with them, will from them every af ijtjlunce -Withhold all the 'comforts of life •which depend Mfron those duties, that as men ana JeUoiv citizens fry owe to each other, and*u> tl upon alloc tafions treat them tvith contempt; eutmjtlj *e d o it: mto lsi a it to TJfE PEOPLE AT XAIUiE, TO IOLLOW THE SAM* i-t.NE OF CONDUCT TOWARDS THEM. The idea of purfuinjj- legal measures to obftruß the operation ot a laiv, necus little comment. n)e»luie'> *n»\ be pttrfued to procure the repeal of a law, but 10 c bjtru& its operation presents a couuadifir tion in terms, j.he Or wh.-t is the faxnt thing, the execution of a law cannot be bbjiru&td after it has been conftitutionall/ enacted, without illegality and crime. ihe expre.iifrn quoted is one ot thole phials, which can only be uft'u to Cov.ceai a dil'or deily anu culpable intention ioVms that may elckpe the hotd ot the law. Neither was t 51 intuit to perceive, that the ana thema pronounced a'gaintt the oalfcers of the revenue, piaceu theni 4 n a state of \ ntuSf. outlawry, £nd ope fi rated as a * gna.l to all those who v\ ere bold enough \& encounter the guilt and the eiriger to violate botji their lives anu theii properties 1 he foiegoing proceedings, as ipon as known, were reported b, ihfe Secretary &' tiie Yreaiury to the Pre li'dent. Ihe rrehdent on the i r th of September* ifiv.i a proclamation- • ai. eftly ac'momiV in§ and exhorung ail per lons Vv horn it might concern to refrain and uetiit tiom all umawfm combination** and proceeding. wfaattbe- eri having for object or ten ding to obstruCt the operation of the laws afbrefaid. inaiinuch as all lawful ways fend means would fee put in execution, for bringing to thereof and securing e«ce^tfifeleto: and more over, clwi ging and requiring all courts, iiiaSiiiates and otticeis whom it might concern, to the du ties, ol their leveral oii/ces, to exert the powers in them relpediveiy veiled by law for the purposes afor^faid; thereby alio enjoining and inquiring all pcflons whomsoever, as they tinue.td the welfiie of thur country, the just and due authority 0 f go me 4 .t and the preierviition of tße.public peace, to bp aiding and aiiniing therein according to iaw.'—And likewiie directed, tliit. proitcutious might be infU* tuted against the ofleirders, in the cftes j n laws Would support, and rfequiht<s evi(i entc C oul«4 oJtamed. Pursuant to theie inlhrudlions, tMb atiomey-genera), in cp-operation with the Attorney of the difirid, at tended iciicuit court which was hildenaf Yoil-l own in October, 1792— for the purpdfe of bunging fori ward ptofecutioas in the propei calls'. Collateral measures were taken to procure for this purpole ihe necpfl&ry evidence. 1 he fupervilor of the revfthue wfcs sent into the op poling survey—to albenain Ihe real irate of that sur vey—to obtain evjcence of the were con cerned in the riot, in liaulkner's tafe, and of those who com puled the meeting at pitriburgh— to uphold *; the.conadence and.encourage the of the othcers acting under ihe l^w—and to induce, ifpof i.bie, Ihe inhabitants of that part ofthe lurvey, which appeared ifeaft (Jiftijchned, to come voluntarily into the law, by arguments addrefTed t© their l'enfe of duty, and exhibiting the eventual dangersaiad mif cliieisoX resistance. : The million of the fupervilor haff ho other fruit than that of obtaining evidehde of _ the'p efions' who ccm-: posed thfe meeting at Pittibiirgh, and of two wher were und£rflo<sd to be cobcfern'ed in th 6 riot—and a confirmation of the enmity which certanl adive and designing leaders had induftrionlly infuied into a large ot th"fe inl.abitants, not against the particu lar laws in qtuMtioh only, btit of a* more ancient date, igainft thfe g*6vemtiisn't of the United States itfelf. The th&n Attorney-General beifcg of opinion, that it was at best a doubtful pbiHt, whether the iugs of the meeking at Pittlburgh contained inuidable matter, 110 prblecution attempted sfgainft thole who cotfipofed J.t, though if gtound fbr proceed ; ing againit thehi had appeared to be nr'm, it is pte fymed, that the truest policy would ha ; , e' didated course. . t4 were preferred to the circuit cour(, ar fotind against the two fife'rfons uiiderftood to have beeri : concerriec\ in the not, the ulual meafurfes wertf for carrying' them irito efieCt. But it appearing afterwards, fiOrri various reprefeh tktions, supported by fatisfaitory teftihiony, that had been some itiiiiaxe as to the peitons &< cufed-— justice and policy demanued that the jjrolecutiohi hidultTbt- which wzTs Accordingly done^ This iitue of thebulinefs'univoidabiy defeatea th<r attempt to eltabiiih Examples or tile pViniihtnent of persons who eng.age%l hi 4 yioieni rehltance to th* laws—and left the oncers to agft nil th<s stream of relifiince, withbut the advantage of such ex amples. The following plan, afterwards futce'Tivtly put id execution, was about this time d||eTtei, for carrying if pv;[lib.c the laws into efreci, without the neceliity at recurring to force. 1. 1 opiofeCute delinquents inthecaies in which it could be clearly done for non-cduipii'ar.ce with the laws. 2« To inteicept the markets for the iurplhjf produce of the diitillerie's of the coun ties, by feizaig" the fpints'iti their way to thole mar kets, in piaces where ft could be efireCted withoutpp poiition. 3- t ßy purchaies, through agents, for the ufeof the ariny (instead of deriving the supply through contradors as formerly) contining them to spirits, ia re foe d to which ihere had'fceen a compliance with the laws. 1 he motives to this plan speak for It For the Remainder ftt the laji page.
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