»imed, besides the influeltc* of penihies an delin
quents, at making it the teiiertfl iutereft of the diftil
leri, to comply w;ththelaws, by interrupting the raar-
Vet for a very confiderabte forplus, and by, at the
.fame t me, confining the beriiSt'cif *the large defmand
•for public Venice those Vhc did their duty to the
public, Imd furnifhing, through: he of pay
ments inxafh, that medium fcr paying the duties, the
want ps which was alleged to be a great difficulty iti
the *»»y of compliance.
Hut twociirtemtiancesconfpired'to counteract the fuc-
Cess of the pj*n—one. the neccflity, towards incurring
the penalties of non-< ompliance, of there being an of
fice of irifpedtian in each county, which was prevented
in some of the counties, by the means of intimidation
praftifed'for that purpose—another, the non-extentiou
of the law to the territory north-weft of the Ohio, into
which a large proportion of the surplus before men
tioned was font.
A cure for these defefls could only come from the
tegißature.—Accordingly in the feifion which began
in November measures were taken for procur
ing a further revision of the laws. A bill containing
amendments of those -and other defects was brought
in ; —but it Co happened that this objeCt, by reatbil of
more urgent bulinefs, was'deferred till towards the
close of the feflion, and finally went off, through
the usual hurry of that period.
Ths cftntinuance of the embarrassment incident to
Miis state Of things, naturally tended to diminish much
ihe efficacy of the plan which had been deviled. Yet
it was resolved, as far as legal pravitions would bear
»ut the otficers, to pursue it witH perseverance: there
was ground to entertain hopes of its good cited, and
it was certainly the null likely course which could
have been adopted towards attaining the object of the
laws, by means fitort of force; —evincing, unequivo
. cally, the finoere difpoution to avoid this painful re
lon, and thcTteady moderation, which ha/e charac
terised the measures of the government.
In pursuance of this plan, prosecutions were occa-
Jionally iuftituted in the mildeft-forms, feisures were
made as opportunities occurred—and purehafes on
public account were carried on.
It may be incidentally remarked, that these pur
bhafes were extended to other places ; where, though
trie fame disorders did not exist, it appeared* ad
vil'eable to facilitate the payment of the duties by this
Species of accommodation.
Nor was this plan, notwithstanding the deficiency
Of legal provision, which impeded its full exetution,
without conefponding effects.
Symptdms from time to time appeared which au
thorised expectation, that with the aid, at another
ftffion, of the deiired Arpplementary provisions, it
was capable of accomplishing its end, if no extraordi
nary events occurred.
The opponents of the laws, not insensible of the
tendency of that plan, not of the defects in the laws
Which interfered with it, did not fail from time to
time to pursue analogous modes of counteraction.
The effort to fruftrate the eftablilhment of of
fices of infpecV.on, in particular, was pethiied in
and even inercsted ; means of intimidating officers
ind others continued to be exartetj.
In April 179J, a party of arttoeti Irien, in disguise,
made an attack in the night upon the house of a col
letter of re\cone, who relided in Fayette county;
but he happening to be from home, they contented
themselves with breaking open his house, threaten
ing, terrifying, and abuling his family.
Wan ants were ifiued for apprehending some of the
rioters upon tins occaiion, by Isaac Mason and times
Findiev. adiitint judges of Kavette county, which wttre
delivered to the iheriff of that county, who it feefas
reiufed to execute them ; —for which he has iince been
indicted.
This is 41 once an example of a disposition tqfup
port the laws of the Union, and of an opposite one,
in the local ofiicers of Pennsylvania, within the non
vomplyinf fctre.*—"But it i» a truth, too important
not to be noticed, and too injurious not to be lamented
that the prevailing lpirit of those officers has been ei
ther hoflile or lukewartn to the exebution of those
laws—and that the weight of an unfriendly official
iriduenee has been one of the moil lerious obftaples,
Vtithwhiqh they have had toiiruggle.
In June following, the infpeftor of the revenue
was burnt is effigy bi AJlegtitny county, at 1 place
And on a day cf some public election, With mUch dif
piay, in the pretence of and v,ithouLinterruption from
xnagittiates, and other public odiceis.
On the night Of t:ie a2d of November, another
party of men, forae of them a med, Jnd all in disguise,
went to the house of the fame cdlletlor-ofi Fayette,
wh.ch had been visited in Ajjtil, broke and entered iu
ahd demanded a'furrender of the officer s commit Con
and official books. Upon hjs refitting to deliver them
up; they prelented piitojs at him, and fwbre, that if
he' did' not comply, they would inlteutly put him to
dfeath, At length, a fu.rendar of the cornmiffion and
books Was enforced. But not content with this, the
i.oters, before they departed, required of the officer,
that h£ thould, within two weeks, publish his religna
tjon origin of another visit, and, the deifruction of his
house.
Notwithstanding these excesses, the laws appeared
during the latter periods of th.s year, (1793), to be
rather gaining ground. Several principal distillers,
who had formerly held out, complied, and others
d fcovered a difpoution to comply, whiih was only re
trained by the fear of violence.
But these favourable circumstances served to
beget alarm among those who were determined,
at all events, to prevent the quiet eftablilhment
of the laws. It loon appeared, that they medi
tated, by frefh and greater exceiles, to aim a ftiil
more effectual blow at them; —to subdue the
growing spirit of compliance, and to destroy en
tirely the organs of the laws, within that part of
the country, by compelling all the officers to re
nounce their offices.
The last proceeding, in the cafe of the collec
tor of Fayette, was in this spirit. In January of
the prel'ent year, further violences appear to have
been perpetrated. William Richmond, who had
given information against some of the rioters, in
the affair of. Wilson, had his barn burnt with
all the grain and hay, which it contained; and
the fame thing happened to Robert Shawhan, a
difkiller, who had been among the firft to comply
with the law, and who had always spoken favour*
ably of it. But, in neither of these inflances,
(which happened in the county of Alleghany)
though the preemptions were violent, was any
positive proof obtained.
The infpe&or of'the revenue, in a letter of the
17th of February, writes, that he had received
information, that persons living near the dividing
line of Allaghany and Washington, had thrown
out threats of tarring aud feathering one William
Cochran, a complying diftiller,and of burning his
difliltery; and that it had also been given out,
that in three weeks, there would not be a house
Handing in Alleghany county, of any person, who
had complied with the laws. In Consequence of
Which, he had been induced to pay a visit to fe
deral leading individuals in that quarter, as well
to ascertain the truth of the information as to en
deavour to avert the attempt to executc such
threats.
It appeared afterwards, that on his return home,
he had been pursued by a coUeAion of disorderly
persons, threatening, as they went along, ven
geance againlt him. Ofi their way, these men
called at the house of James Kiddoe, who had re
cently complied with the taws, broke into his
ftill4i6ufe, fired ftv«ral l>iH» under iis (18, and
frittered lire over and about the hoife.
Letters from the infpeclor iq Marci, anW»ne«
an encreafed aitivity in promoting oapoliipn to
the laws—frequent meetings trt cement snd ex
tend the combinations against it; and among
other means for this purpoiiva plan «f coieitiflg
? force to seize him, compel him to reign bis com
millioD, and detain him prifoner—.piobably a« a
hostage.
In May and June new violences were commit
ted. James Kiddoe, the person above mentioned,
and William Cochran, another complying diftil
lcr, met with repeated injury to their property.
Kiddoe had parts of hi 6 grift-mill, at different
times, carried away ; and Cochran fuifered more
material injuries. His still was destroyed, his
saw-mill wi* rendered useless by the taking away
of the saw, and his grift-niill so injured, as to re
quire to be repaired at confideraWe expsnfe.
At the lad vilit, * note in writing was left, re
quiring him to publish what he had fuffered, in
the Pittlburgh Gazette, on pain of another visit;
in which he is threatened, iq figurative, but in
telligible terms, with the definition of his pro
perty by fire : Thus adding to the profligacy of
doing wanton injuries to a fellow-citizen, the tv'
ranny of compelling him to be the publisher of
his wrongs.
June being the mbntli for receiving annual en
tries of stills, endeavours were used to open offices
in Weftmoreland and Washington, where it had
been hitherto found impracticable. With much
pains a;»d difficulty, glares were procured fortlie
purpose. That in Weftmoreland was repeatedly
attacked in the night by armed men, who fre
quently fired upon it ; but according to a report
which has been made to this department, it was
defended with fomuch courage and pcrfeverance,
by John Wells, an auxiliary officer, and Philip
Ragan, the owner of the ijoufe, as to have been
maintained during the remainder of the month.
That, in Washington, after repeated attempts,
was fupprefled. The fjrtl attempt was confiifed
to pulling down the lign of the office, and threats
of future deftrqition. The second effected the
objedt in the following mode. About twelve per
sons, armed and painte3 black, in the night of the
6th of June, broke into the house of John Lynn
whefe the office was kept; and after having trea-
Chcroufly feditfced him to coqie dovn flairs, and
put himfelf in their power by a promise of fafety
to himfelf and his houfe,they seized and tied him,
threatened to hang him, took him to a retired
spot in the neighbouring wood ; and there, after
cutting off his hair, tarring and feathering hnn,
swore him never again to alloW the use of his
house for an office, never to difclbfe their names,
and never again to have any fort of agency in
aid of the excise: Having done which,they boftnd
hiin naked to a tree, and left him in that Situa
tion till morning ; when he focceeded wi extri
cating himfelf. Not content with this, the rr.al*-
contents, l'oroe days after, made him another vi
lit ; pulled down part of his house, and put him
in a fituiition to be obligeel to become an exile
from his own home, and to find an afylura elfr
where.
During this time, several of the di(filters, who
had made entries and benefitted by flieul, refufed
the payment of the duties ; Aituated, no.doubt, by
Various motives.
Indications of a plan'to proceed against thein
fpector of the revenue, in the maimer which has
been before mentioned, continued. In a letter
from hnn of the loth of July, he ohferveel, that
the threatened vifithad not yet been made, though
he had still reason to expedtit.
In the l'effion of Conjjrefs which began in De
cember 1793, a bill for making the- amendments
in the laws, which had been for some time de
sired, was brought in, ard on the jth of June last
became a law.
It is ni>t to be doubted, tliat the different stages
6f this bufmefs was regularly notified to the mal
tontents, and that a conviction of the tendency of
the amendments Cbntemplated to efteihiate the
execution of the law"-, had itiatuied the rel'olution
ttf bring matters to a violent crisis.
The encreafing energy of the opposition, ren
dered it indifpenlablc to meet the evil with pro
portionable de-cifion. The idea of giving time for
the la\V to extend itfclf, in scenes where the dif
fatisfailion with it was the effeit, not of an impro
per spirit, but of causes which were of a nature
toyieid to reafon,reflci)ion,and experience (which
had Canftantly weighed in the estimate of the
measures proper to be pursued) had had its effect,
in auextenfive degree. The experiment, too,had
been long enough tried; to ascertain, that where
refinance continued, the root of the evil lay deep,
ihd required measures of greater efficacy than
hid been pursued. TR'e laws had undergone re
peated fevifions of the lcgiflative reprefentatjves
of the union; and had virtually received their re
peated fanition, without eVen afi attempt, as far
as is now recollected, or can be traced, to effeil
their repeal;—affprding an evidence of the gene
ral feofc'of the community ip their favour. Com
plaints began to be loud, from complying quar
ters, against the impropriety and injustice of fuf
fering the laws to remain unexecuted in others.
Under the united influence of these considera
tions, there was no choice but to try the efficiency,
of tiie laws, in profecutirig, with vigour, delin
quents and offenders.
Procel's issued against a number us non-comply
ing distillers in the counties of'Fayette and Allegha
ny; and indictments having been foundatacircuit
court, holden at Philadelphia in July last, against:
Robert Sinil'e and John M'Culloch, two of the
rioters in the attack, which, in November prece
ding, Had been made upon the house of a collec
tor of the revenue in Fayette county, processes is
sued against them also, to bring them to trial j and
if guilty, to puniflijnent.
The marfliail of the diftrid went in person to
serve these processes. He executed his trust with
out interruption, though under many discourag
ing circumltances, in Fayette county ; but while
he was 111 the execution of it iq Alleghany county,
being then accompanied by the infpeilor of the
revenue (to,wit) on the 15th of July last, he was
beset on the road by a party of from thirty to for
ty armed men, who, after much previous irregu
larity of conduit, finally fired upon him ; but as
it happened, without injury either to him or to
thtf infpeilor.
This attempt on the marfliail was but the pre
lude of greater excesses,
About break-os-day, the 16th of July, in con
formity with a plan, which seems to have been
for some-time entertained, and which probably
was only accelerated by the coming of thfc mar
fliall into the survey, an attack, by about one
hundred persons, armed with guns and other wea
pons, was made upon the house of the infpeilor
m the vicinity of Pittsburgh. The infpeilor, tho*
alone, vigorously defended himfelf against the as
sailants, and obliged them to retreat, without ac
complifliing their purpose.
Apprehending that the bufmefs would- not ter
minate here, he made application bv letter to the
judges, generals of militia, and flieriff of the coun
ty for protcftion. A reply to his application,
-from John Wilkins, jun. and John Gib!on, magi
ftrate3 and militia officers, informed him, that the
laws could not be executed, so as to afford him
the protection to which he was entitled, owing _
to the too-general combinatiem of the people in
that part ef Pennsylvania,to oppose the revenue
law ; adding, that they would take every flop in
their power to bring the rioters to juflace, and
would be glad to receive information of the indi
viduals concerned in the attack upon his honfe,
.that proleeutiOns might be commenced against
them; and exprelling their forrow,that thould the
posse comitate of the county be ordered out ,
in'fupport of the civil authority, very few could
be gotten that wtrenot of the paj-ty of the rioters.
The day following, the insurgents re-aliembled,
with a conliderabli augmentation of numbers,
amounting, as has been computed, to at least live
huni'.-ed ; and on the 17th of July, renewed their
attack upon the house of the infpeiftor; who, ia
the interval, had taken the precaution of calling to
his aid a small detachment from the garrison of
Fort-Pitt, which, at the time of the attack, con
fided of eleven men, who -had been joined by
Major Abraham Kirkpatrick, a friend and con
nexion ef the intpector.
There being fcarecly a profpeCl of effectual
defence against so large a body is then appeared,
and as the infpecftor had every thing to appre
hend for his person, if taken, it was judged ad
visable, that he should withdraw from the house
to a place of concealment; Major Kirkpatrick
geaeroufly agreeing to remain with the eleven
men, in the intention, if practicable, to make a
capitulation in favour of the property, if not to
defend it as long as possible.
A parley took place urtder cover of a flag,
was sent by the insurgents Jo the house to
demand, that the infpeftor mould come forth, re
nounce his office, and ftipulatt never again to ac
cept an office under the fame laws. To this it was
replied, that the infpeitor had left the ho Life,
upon their firft approach, and that the place to
which he had retired was unknown. Tftey then
declared that they mull have whatever rfciatedl to
his office. They were answered, that they ttiight
fend persons, not exceeding fix, to search the hottfe,
and take away whatever papers they could find
appertaining to the office. But not fatisfied with
this, they insisted unconditionally, that the armed
men, who iverein the house for its defence, fliould
march out and ground their arnts, wtaicj) Major'
Kirkpatrick peremptorily refufed; considering it
and representing it to them as a proof of a design
to destroy the property. This refufal put an end
to the parley. *
A brisk firing then ensued between the insur
gents and those in the house, which it it said laft
£d for near an hour, till the aflailants havingfetfire
to the neighbouring and adjacent buildings, eight
in number, the intenfenefs of the heat, and the
dangers of an immediate communication of the
fire to the house, obliged Majbr Kirkpatrick and
his small party to come out and surrender them
felvcs. In the ceairfe of the firing, one of the insur
gents was killed and several wounded, and three
of the persons in the house were also wounded.
The person killed is urtdefftood to hare been the
leader of the party, of the name of James M'Tar
lar.r, then a major in the militia, formerly a lieute
nant in the Pennsylvania line. The dwelling
hsufe, after the surrender, shared the fate 6/ the
other buildings; the whole of which were con
sumed to the ground. Thelal's of property to the
inipector, upon this occ&liou, is estimated, and, as
it is l>L*lieVed, with great moderation, at not less
_ than three tfioufand pounds.
The marfhali, Colonel Prcfley Neville, and se
veral others, were taken by the insurgents going
to the iufpccforV house. All, except the niarfliall
and Colonel Neville, fopn made their escape ;but
these were carried off some difianoe from the
place where the atlray had happened, and detain
ed till one or two o'clook the next ihOming. In
the course of their detention, the mar fliail in par
ticular l'uffered very feyere and humiliating treat
ment ; and was frequently in imminent danger
of his life. Several of the j-arty repeatedly pre
sented their pieces at liim, with every appearance
of a design to atfaffmat#, from which they were,
with dirhculty, restrained hy the efforts of a few
more humane aud more prndrrlt.
Nor could he obtain fatety or liberty, but upoo
the condition of a promise guaranteed by Colonel
Neville, that he would serve no other process on
! the weft fide of the AHeghany mountain. The
alternative being, immediate death, extorted from
• the marfliail a compliauce with this condition;
notwithstanding the just fenfo of official dignity,
aud the firmnefs of character, which were wit
nessed by his conduit throughout the trying
scenes he had experienced-.
The insurgents, on the 18th, sent a deputation
of two of their number (one a iuftlce of' the
peace) to Pittsburgh, to require of the marfhali
a surrender of the processes in his poffeffiouj in
' timatmgi that his compliance would fatisfy the
- people and u'Lr to bh Jfiiftiy; and also to demand of
general Neville, it! peremptory terms, the resigna
tion of his office, threatening, iu calc of refufal,
to attack the place and take him by. force: de
mands which both these officers did not\befitate
tb rcjeit, as alike incompatible with their ho
nour, and their dtify.
As it was well ascertained, that no protection
was to be exptited from the magistrates or inha
bitants of Pittsburgh, it became necefl'ary to the
fafety, both of the infpeitor and the marfliail, to
, quit that plac£; arid,as it was kntlwn that all the
usual routes to Philadelphia were beset by the in
surgents, they concluded to descend the Ohio,and
proceed, by a circuitous route, to the feat of go
c vernment; which they begin to put in execution
on the night of the iyt-h of Jitly.
Infomation l»as also been received Of a meeting
of a couhderable number of perfbDs at a place?
called Mingo-Creek Meeting-House, in the coun
ty of Waflrington, to consult about the further
measures which it might be adviiablt to purine :
that at this meeting a motion was made to approve
and agreeto l'upportthe proceedings whiehhadta
ken place, until the excifc law ttaS repealed, and
* an ait of obliv.on passed. But tha!,iiiftead of this,
it had been agreed, that the four weftem coun
ties of Pennsylvania, and the neighbouring coun
ties of Virginia, fliould be invited to meet in
a convention of delegates, on the 14th of the
present month, at Parkinfon's, on Mingo-Creek,
in the county of Wafhingtott, to take into conli
derat ion the situation of the western country, and
, Concert such measures as fliould appear fttited to
the ocafion.
It appears, moreover, that on the 15th as July
last, the mail of the united states, on the road
from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, was flopped by
two armed men, who cut it open, and took out
all the except those contained in one pack
et ? these armed men, from all the circumstances
which occurred, were inanifetlly ailing on. the
part of the infurgeuts.
The declared object of the foregoing proceed
ings, is to obftruit the execution and compel a
repeal of the laws laying duties «u spirits distil-
Ird within the united flat's, and unon r, i
is just caufc to believe, that this i- con
an wdifpofition, too generaUn that rd ' ;
,fliare in the common burthens of ih ' ■
jv;and with a wifti, among fomc pc nV
fluence, to embarraf, the government ft' '
ed, by mell-informed person., to V
notoriety, that the revenue la„ t .
a ' W T either resist '
defectively complied with in the W u
With the mcft perfect refpedt,
1 have the hononr to be, Sir
Your most obedient,'a n j
Humble servant,
Alexander Ham
The President of the United States.
Captain LOWRLL, HaWn^grral'
of her cargo on board, will f a T\
few days. Freight will be taken i
phefl For immediately, for which as
as for paflagr, applyto i
Andrews & Mereditl
At WiLlng's Wharf.
August 6.
"vENI/i,
Captain M' Cornell.
Now lying at Mr. ROSS's Wharf, an cxc.l.
lent vt-ffel, about 220 ions by regiftn ; c 1-
rouncar 2500 bis. Flour, is remarkabl,' U
found) and may be sent to sea, at a very
expenc, having lately had upwards 0 |
hundred pounds flcrling, laid out on lit
If not-sold in fortnight, (he will ih
exposed at public auction. Anv reafo
credit may be given—Inventory may bt
ou board, by applying to Capt. M'CCN
NELL, or to
Peter Blight,
WHO HAS FOR SALh,
fORT WINE,
In Pipes and half Pipes and Quarter Calks,
Madeira in do. do.
Havanna While Stigar in Boxes. d2wi
For Sale or Charter,
Gen.WASHINGTON
Sj/heften master.
NOW lying at Say's wharf,tile 3<l above
Market street, burthen about 2500 bar
rels, is » good (Irong veiTel, and will be rea
tiy cofreceive a c*'go in a lew days.
For terras fipply to the Captain on board
or
RUMFORD & ABIjAH DA*ES,
Water Jlreet, No. 7, south.
7th mo 5 d
For Sale or Charter,
llPlfy Washington,
<lifrharging;at MalTey'f
xrharf, She is a prime sailer,
li't'il t u.iti, and burthen about three thotr k
faud barrels. For icrins apply to
JOSEPH ANTHONY CSf SOtf.
Aug. 19 diot
A French Family,
WOUL'D wilh to be enl'rnfted with the
1 ear# of a FARM, about the city ofPlv'a
dclphia or Trenton, under fra-fr conipenfi
tions a 1; inav bi-atyeed upon by applying at
Mr. OSMOKT's, No. 117, north' Second
street.
Aug. 4 J_,
Next Monday
Will be landed from on board Sh p Wash*
in 'ton, Captain John CoMlris from BORT
-1 DEA UX, lying at Mafiby'S Wharf near till
Crooked Bilks,
! A CARGO* or
White Wines
In Barrel; ; and
;CLA R E f
in Hhds. and Cases—For Sa'ehy
FRANCIS COPPJNGER,
No. 165, South, Second-Street.
August 15, 1794» &
Choice St* Croix S •■.
JUST IMPORTED
And ftr Sale,
k By JAMES YARD.
Aj(b a quantity of RUSSIA -
,r t _ June 24th. ..
NO. 68. "
DiJlriß of Pennfylv '
TO WIT.
BE it remembered tbat on th< «-
third day of July in the nineteen
> the independence of the United
America, JOSEPH BOGGS, ot •-
diftritt hath depolited in this offic
teofabookihe whereof
asawhorin the wo/ds following,
1 " I"be Philadelphia I >
ry, for the year I if5 —by J?fep ■ r
In cpoformityTto theaft of the >■ { -
of the United States intituled ' '
I the encouragement of learning
i ttie copies of ma})? chifrfs atod ' ~,,
i authors and proprietors of ftic' M r
ilit the tiHies therein nieHtitm«
Sam GaldvWf
Cterk of tl>iftri&of' „
July ¥> ——
NOTICE. ,
The Gazette of H- , l(
States if now puby**" a , t />
CHF.SNUT. STF-FET to ™ , si
OFFICE of the Editor urn ■ . .
■where Printing AVorit m J
performedi