The Press

[Boobs]

The Pennsylvania Gazette
On Westsylvania

I understand that many of the residents of our great Commonwealth have been recently unduly disappointed by the actions taken by legislation, on the issue of the movement of the Capitol of our Commonwealth to the town of Chambersburg, and have taken themselves insulted by such movement.

However, I do write to ensure that the fears or unhappinesses of our residents are rather unfounded, for I believe we all place the integrity of the unity of our Commonwealth above our pride, and that such a move is a fair compromise, especially to avoid the near-guarantee of armed conflict in our Western frontier, which would have otherwise resulted in the Great loss of Life and in the arrest of commerce and peace in the fighting of a conflict that is wholly unavoidable.

However, there are also clear benefits to the movement of our capitol westward. The growth of a new city, especially one further away from our developed area, will surely bring about an expansion of commerce, making all residents of our Commonwealth more prosperous.

Second, it does lend more importance to the city of Philadelphia as our Nation's capitol, allowing itself to be dedicated solely to the administration of that Government, whereas Chambersburg will be focused more on the administration of the issues of our Commonwealth.

Third, the movement of our Capital will precipitate the continued westward expansion of the people of our Commonwealth. As more people will feel inclined to scout and settle the lands west of what is currently inhabited, our state's population will grow, and so will commerce, once again allowing the general wealth of our Commonwealth to increase.

Fourth, such growth in population will also result in the growth of our Commonwealth's political power, allowing our state to send more Deputies to Congress Hall. Such increase in representation will mean that the people of Pennsylvania will have more control in the fate of our Country, and make most certain that it will not work actively against the best interests of our Commonwealth.

Fifth, as part of the assuage of the fears of our western residents, we not ensure the absence of armed conflict, but that the rich natural resources of the western Frontier remain in the hands of the people of Pennsylvania and no other master; once again, the contribution to commerce by these resources cannot be understated.

Sixth, as part of the assuage of the fears of our western residents, we ensure that the western Frontier's population remains within the bounds of Pennsylvania, ensuring that we retain our political power on the national stage, and not wasted away to the interests of other state.

Seventh, that our Commonwealth will continue to grow in a fashion that stresses a unity of our Commonwealth, rather than using the great mountains of Appalachia as a wedge to cleave our Commonwealth in two. We are all Pennsylvanians, not Eastsylvanians or Westsylvanians, and we should not allow conquerable natural barriers to overcome our strength in unity.

And to the western residents of Pennsylvania, I hope that you see that our government, despite being located far from you, does concern itself with your issues and is wholeheartedly willing to hear your concerns and take the necessary steps to rectify them; that in the future there should be no question whether the Pennsylvania Legislature does regard you as equal members of our Commonwealth, and that talk of secession is ultimately unnecessary.

The bounds of Commonwealth that hold us together are ultimately a blessing upon all residents of Pennsylvania; that a small hit to our pride is well worth the preservation of these bounds, and that unlawful secession would only result in devastating consequences that would be a curse on this generation and future ones as well.

– Mr. Franklin

[wxtransit]

Statement on Mr. Madison's Cabinet
James Madison, First Secretary

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[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

From  THURSDAY,   OCTOBER  8,—to  MONDAY,  OCTOBER  12,   1789.

The choice of Mr. Samuel Adams for Second Secretary and Secretary of Foreign Affairs, is assuredly a happy one for the friends of his Country's peace, and every citizen must remark on the propriety of the appointment of so distinguished a Patriot to a position of high responsibility in the new government. Mr. Adams is known throughout Europe as one of the steadfast friends of Liberty, at once feared by our enemies and admired by our friends, and his usefulness to his Country and the government is therefore inestimable.

[Galaxie]

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[_]

The Patriot Star

Vol. VII

November 1789

Of New Members of our Union

I wish to address today the possibility of new states entering our Union, and my position on them.  I believe that new states being formed will strengthen this Union on the whole, uniting peoples from across this land in Liberty and Freedom, as well as giving people the representation they desire and deserve.  Now, I wish to discuss Franklin, as the position of the Patriots is relevant for Franklin's possible existence.  I, and the Patriots, believe that since the population of Franklin has stabilized and has organized itself into a form capable of self-government, that Franklin should be allowed to come into existence as a state, and I humbly request to the Patriots in North Carolina's State Legislature to allow Franklin the opportunity to petition the Federal Government for statehood.

Of the possible state of Kentucky, I find myself quite confused as to how they were not admitted before the constitution was ratified, as they have proven themselves capable of self-government and are relatively independent from Virginia already.  I speak for myself and the Patriots in support of Kentucky becoming a new state, and urge the people of Kentucky to push for their admission as soon as possible.

On the Vermont Republic, I personally see no reason as to why their admission should be opposed, as they've certainly proven their ability to have a stable government.  As soon as their negotiations with New York finish, I will support their petition for statehood.

Finally, on the issue of Westsylvania, I wish to respectfully differ from my colleague James Gunn.  I believe that the people of Westsylvania sincerely wish to become a state and as such deserve the choice to become one. In addition, I urge those who are Virginians who wish to become Westsylvanians to make your voices heard and push for statehood. 

Before I conclude, I have another thought on the issue of Westsylvania.  It is a proposition that the Governments of Pennsylvania and Virginia allow the people of Westsylvania to have a referendum on whether or not they shall be granted statehood, as their voice should be the final one in their decision, not the voices of those in Chambersburg or Richmond.

I wish our nation and these proposed new states the best of luck in our future, and may god bless the South and the United States of America.


Leader of the Patriots
James Jackson

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

From  THURSDAY,   OCTOBER  15,—to  MONDAY,  OCTOBER  19,   1789.

ON THE EVENTS IN FRANCE.
—

The latest news from Europe speaks of the march of the women of Paris on Versailles, and the King and his family conveyed to the Tuileries under the protection of Gen.l Lafayette and the Constituent Assembly. That the old regime must now give way to a Constitutional government is certain. The King's authority is broken in the wake of his abduction, and that of the Assembly increases by the day; everywhere there is talk of Liberty, Fraternity, and the rights of Man, of the tearing down of old Forms and the building up of new, and the principles of the American Revolution are looked to as a model by which France may look to secure her future safety and happiness.
     The commission of an ambassador to France is now of the utmost importance to the government. Our friendship with that Country requires we lend to her our advice and counsel, and if necessary our support, at this hour of her conception. Truly no American desires the advent of War, or indeed that we in our infancy should become embroiled in the midst of a European conflict. Still the friendship of France in our late War of Independence may not be forgotten, and the Cause of France, in this hour may be pronounced the Cause of America.

[Donerail]

THE

Num.II

September 1789

W E S T E R N  H E R A L D
Offices: Lexington ★ Pittsburgh ★ Marietta ★ Nueva Orleans

FREE WESTSYLVANIA is the cry that echoes throughout the land. While the TYRANNICAL Government of the State of Pennsylvania threatens those who advocate for Westsylvanian Statehood, with the crime of TREASON and the punishment of DEATH, this fine publication stands UNAFRAID to say: WESTSYLVANIA NOW.

Indeed, in the most recent publication of the “Pennsylvania Gazette,” a publication known as the mouthpiece of this faction, the Radical Faction threatens WAR as the consequence for advocacy for Westsylvania taking her rightful place among our United States. He writes, to wit, that in the present state of affairs, there exists a “near-guarantee of armed conflict in our Western frontier, which would have otherwise resulted in the Great loss of Life,” alleviated only by the noble actions of the Radical faction, in their proposal to shift the state’s capital to Chambersburg.

These compromises, and the language surrounding them, suggests the truth: God-fearing Westsylvanian men and women must no longer find themselves under the rule of the Radical Tyrant-King who styles himself “Governor,” who threatens death and war for the mere act of speech. Indeed, it is the fundamental right of the people to speak FREELY, without FEAR, and to profess those truths which resident in their CONSCIENCE. This freedom of Speech, and of the Press, is the inviolable core of the great Revolution. A government which turns against these ends, by calling speech TREASON, and suggesting that a BELIEF should result in DEATH BY THE HANGMAN'S NOOSE, can be called nothing but an ENEMY OF LIBERTY.

And is that speech itself so radical? All the people demand, is the FUNDAMENTAL guarantee of the Republican System of Government, for which so many men gave their lives in the Revolution: a government that responds to, represents, is, indeed, instituted for the common good of the people. If there were any suspicions that the present government in PHILADELPHIA, isolated as it is from the people of Pittsburgh, Bedford, Newtown, Uniontown, Washington, et cetera., paid little regard to the well-being of the people of the region, their threats of DEATH AND WAR leave no room for doubt.

Our ire is not directed at the “Radical Faction,” but solely at those individuals who persist, in refusing to recognize the POPULAR WILL of the people of Westsylvania, who criminalize and persecute those who dare even utter her name. Indeed, we have irrefutable evidence, that certain members of the Radical Faction have proven sympathetic to the concerns of those citizens they represent: the choice of one Pennsylvanian deputy to dramatically CROSS THE FLOOR and sit amongst those elected deputies of the Western Faction. His words? A demand that the people of Westsylvania be HEARD AT LAST.


In happier news, the statehood petitions of Kentucky and Franklin appear likely to pass. The governments of North Carolina and Virginia, currently controlled in large numbers by the Democratic-Republicans and the Patriot Factions, both stout friends of liberty, have suggested their recognition of the organization and determination of the inhabitants of both localities, and signaled their support for STATEHOOD. We at the Western Herald expect such petitions to come within months, not years, and join our friends in Kentucky and Franklin in eagerly anticipating their co-equal membership, in our Brotherhood of States.


The glorious accomplishments of the Western Faction in government are numerous, none more evident than the new DECLARATION OF RIGHTS. Widely expected to be passed by the National Assembly in a few short weeks, the primary credit for the legislation goes to the brilliant mind of the young First Secretary James MADISON, who has acquainted himself well in his first months in office. However, Gen. James WILKINSON, leader of the Western faction, was deeply involved in the drafting of the rights, with particular items drafted by his hand, that will prove most beneficial to the inhabitants of the Western states.

One such provision, most important to citizens of Western states, is a guarantee that “No tax or duty shall infringe upon the right of the people to trade freely between the states.” At present, as many in the West are aware, shipments from foreign nations arrive at the ports of Philadelphia, Charleston and Baltimore, and from there make their way inward. At every stage, each state applies its own TARIFF on these goods, such that a shipment arriving in Baltimore at a certain price, will see that price increase dramatically upon leaving the state, before it finally arrives several weeks later across the Allegheny Mountains. By the means of this INSIDIOUS TAX, the coastal states effectively COERCE Westerners, into paying a subsidy to their coffers, draining the economies of the West to enrich the East. This Declaration sends a simple message to these states: NO MORE.

Another essential provision, is the requirement that the running waters of the United States, “shall be held in public trust;” and the right of all persons to access such, “shall not be infringed.” This provision guarantees that no rapacious corporations, nor any particularly miserly individuals, shall be able to establish their position across a river essential to transporting Western produce to market, and assess any tax or duty. This FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION shall remove yet another obstacle, to the continued prosperity of the West.

The newly created Federal Courts, shall be entrusted with the enforcement of this legislation; and here too, Gen. Wilkinson shaped the legislation before the Assembly, in a manner most desirous to the continued liberty of the public. The Tory Faction proposed, to set up a series of Judge-Kings, with the ability to dictate what the law is, over the wishes of the popular representatives. Gen. Wilkinson wisely suggested that the National Assembly possess the final authority to override the decisions of the High Constitutional Court, such that the ability to define the Constitution rests firmly with THE PEOPLE, through their elected representatives. In all things, therefore, this Declaration of Rights endeavors to protect the Rights of the People, and ensures that the People themselves, remain the ultimate sovereigns over their liberty.


New legislation before the Assembly promises a Further Expansion West, with the additional benefit of freeing the nation from the shackles of debt. At present moment, debts from the Revolution weigh heavily upon the national government, with the need for government to pay those wages of the Soldiers, who were willing to give their lives for the Revolution, a particularly pressing matter.

At the same time, many who would otherwise settle in the Northwest Territory, and improve the land, and transform that country into a further expanse of Civilization, are excluded from settlement by the current policies, of our federal government. Lands are only available in plots of 320 acres or larger, an expensive proposition — not only must the land be purchased in cash, but such acreage is beyond the capacity of all but the largest families to use and improve, necessitating the hiring of further servants. All but the very wealthy, are in this way excluded from Western settlement.

Gen. James WILKINSON has introduced legislation to the Assembly, that would make land available in smaller denominations, with a system of credit, to encourage the settlement of our Western lands. This Land Act will encourage settlement, and in the process raise substantial sums for the government of the United States, allowing the government to settle its debt with our soldiers. As a commanding officer in the Revolution, Gen. Wilkinson knows personally the bravery of such men as served in the Continental Army, and has made it his chief priority to ensure that they are justly compensated for their service.


In the country of FRANCE, our longstanding friend in our War of Independence, a new regime appears positioned to take power. In our past edition, we wrote “the HERALD fervently prays that the people of France, true allies and long friends of the people of these United States, will allow this spark of DEMOCRACY to grow into the flame of LIBERTY.” Here, we see the FLAME OF LIBERTY ALIGHT, with the people rising in protest of the economic conditions of the country, and the distant and cruel reign of KING LOUIS XVI. The NATIONAL CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY now governs the nation, a government, like ours, elected BY THE PEOPLE. While we have no desire to become embroiled in the affairs of Europe, and wish not for bloodshed, we congratulate the French public on their embrace of the Republican System, which has proven so beneficial for America.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

From  THURSDAY,   OCTOBER  15,—to  MONDAY,  OCTOBER  19,   1789.

TO THE PUBLIC.
—

Two questions predominate the government since the seating of the National Assembly at Philadelphia: these are, the adoption of a Declaration of Rights, the same being necessary to secure the future happiness of the People, and such measures as may be seen to alleviate the federal debt. On either question, the Whig interest advocate for a decidedly disinterested and republican program, in all cases tending toward the policy which may provide the surest means of promoting the Liberty and future Prosperity of the people and the rights of the several States.
     At the time of the late election, the Whig and Republican interests were united in their opinion of the necessity that a general charter of Rights be appended to the federal Constitution. In the time since the formation of the Government under Mr. Madison's consulship, the National Assembly has taken up consideration of such a draft, said to be the work of Messrs. Adams, Madison, and Wilkinson—who three emerge as the leading ministers of the Government—to guarantee the certain essential Liberties of the people, against the interference of the federal Power or of the States. Freedom of Speech, Religion, of the Press; the rights of the accused to a free and fair trial, against cruel or unusual punishment, and to the writ of Habeas Corpus; and other needful protections against the development of a Despotism over these States, are all included and sworn to by the friends of the Government. A feeble effort is made by the perfidious British Tory faction to corrupt the intent of the measure and to interfere in the domestic institutions of the States, but is met with the universal opposition of the Assembly, and Mr. Jay is said to have lost all influence in consequence.
     Like progress is made by the Government toward the reduction of the federal Debt, by the sale of lands in the Western territories at a rate of $1 and 25¢ per acre. Mr. Adams is heard to extol the virtues of this measure both for the good it would do for the national Credit, and also for its effect to increase the prosperity of the people, in offering the sale of good land at reasonable price. We profess ourselves wholly satisfied with this legislation, which is expected to pass the Assembly by a sizable majority.
     In both these matters, the Rights of the States and the Liberty of the People are acknowledged to be the first considerations of the Government, and all efforts are taken to see that the federal Power does not infringe upon the former nor impose upon the latter. This to the great unhappiness of Mr. Hamilton and his faction, who express themselves of the opinion that the people may not be trusted to fairly judge the questions before the Country, but must instead leave the business of government to their betters (among which number they estimate themselves). With the collapse of Mr. Jay's reputation, those former Tories, led by the inveterate Monarchist Gouverneur Morris, now acknowledge Mr. Hamilton as their chief. This marriage of the admirers of British Power, to the acolytes of British Money, we profess the most fitting union since Macbeth was to his Lady wed.

REMARKS OF MR. ADAMS TO THE ASSEMBLY.
—

Mr. Samuel Adams, on the subject of the Land Bill brought by the Honorable Deputy, Mr. Wilkinson of Kentucky, said in the National Assembly—

This Country founded her claim to Independence on the proposition that all Men are created equal. This noble Principle, to which no honest man objects, is the corner-stone on which our federal Union and the Constitutions of the several States are built. The survival of a free State depends on the existence of a free and independent Citizenry; and there is no measure which this Assembly may adopt, which would do more to lift up the People and provide for them the means of securing their freedom and Happiness, than the resolution now before us.

In England, where Land is the birthright of a gluttonous Nobility, and Property the holding of a few ancient families, the common people live in a state of perpetual misery and disenfranchisement unknown on this continent. This abject poverty of Means necessarily translates to a pernicious political poverty, for no man who is dependent upon another to put bread on his table and wine in his cup may exercise his rights as an independent and disinterested member of the Polity while this state of Dependency persists. It is the experience of all Nations in the long course of history, that when the people are landed and independent, there is Peace, Liberty and Prosperity; but where they are set off their lands, and reduced to poverty and disenfranchisement, Peace collapses into War, Liberty into Tyranny, and Prosperity into Scarcity. History has shown that an impoverished People are more violent, more susceptible to demagogues and agitators, and more inclined to turn to Tyrants for their protection; whereas a prosperous people are immune to these temptations, and able to suppress Tyranny and ambitious despots where they arise. It was not the generalships of Caesar or Sulla which first shook the Roman Republic, but the general scarcity of land which was their ultimate undoing. Independency of means, therefore, translates to Liberty and Prosperity among the whole people; where landless dependency inevitably begets Want, Demagoguery, and Dictatorship.

I see in the West a new Country free of the pernicious influence of rank, class, and privilege, where men are judged on their own merits, and Virtue is the currency of social life. I see in the West a Country where any man may by the sweat of his brow and the labor of his own hands earn his Freedom with honest work. On the banks of the Ohio we will build the ridge beam of our Republic; and then let any man try to shake the frame of the Union, when it rests on the stout hearts of a free and independent People.

[_]

James Jackson on the Hamiltonians regarding the Slave Trade.
Pamphlet by the Patriots

The remarks printed below were given by the leader of the Patriot Faction James Jackson in the National Assembly, while debating the Compromise Bill on the Slave Trade.

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(This pamphlet shall be distributed throughout the states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the proposed states of Kentucky, Franklin, and Westsylvania.)

[wxtransit]

Statement on High Constitutional Court Appointments
James Madison, First Secretary

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[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

From  THURSDAY,   JANUARY  7,—to  MONDAY,  JANUARY  11,   1790.

There is lately raised in the federal Legislature, a proposal by which all further Amendments to the Constitution of the Union should be sent to the people for their assent, in order that they be Ratified. It is proposed by Mr. Adams, that any substantial change to the Form of Government for these States ought to be made with the consent of the people; and as he puts it, "no Government which trusts not its people, deserves to be trusted by its people." We confess ourselves in perfect agreement with this principle; for it is ever the condition of a free State, that Sovereignty resides with the people, and while they may for their own convenience invest a part of that Sovereignty in their elected representatives, on matters of such import as the Amendment of our federal Constitution, the consent of the people, undiluted by an intermediary process of election or proxy, must be obtained.
    It should surprise none that certain among the British faction in the National Assembly, notably Mr. Jay and Mr. Morris, remain unalterably opposed to the proposal. They express the sentiment that the common people are too rude, too ignorant, too feeble-minded to be trusted with matters of state. It is for a select class of Aristocrats (among whose number they vainly count themselves) to carry out the process of the debate and Amendment of the system of Government for these States, in order to preserve what they call its "democratic character." We can only imagine what changes the vile Tory interest would make to the Government of the Union, that they are afraid to submit to the discerning eyes of the people. It should be no surprise that Mr. Morris, who until lately counted himself among the most fervent friends of Monarchy in America and still clings to that principle, and Mr. Jay, with his vicious disdain for the rights of the States, should rise in opposition to so proper and republican a measure. We may trust that the Whig and Republican interests in the Congress are strong enough to adopt the proviso in spite of the petulant whine of these most traitorous members.

—

The National Assembly is lately taken up consideration of a general Tariff Bill, proposed by Mr. Adams, which would lay a moderate duty upon manufactures imported from abroad, and upon foreign ships arriving in our ports for their conveyance. We are assured by the Government that these duties are levied for the purpose of revenue only, and not protection; further assurance is given, that the bill in all respects will honor our existing agreements with France and the other powers of Europe. Great pains are taken to ensure the duty is neither so low as to raise no Revenues at all, nor so high as to disadvantage our merchants or ships. Mr. Adams, in his remarks to the Deputies, considers that some measure is necessary for the reduction of the federal Debt, inherited from the Confederation, and judges these by far the least onerous to the people and the most conducive to their future Prosperity.

[Galaxie]

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[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

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[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

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[terp40hitch]

James Gunn's Speech in Response to the Arrest of the Deputy from Kentucky

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[Boobs]

The Boston Gazette

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[Donerail]

THE

SPECIAL

February 1790

W E S T E R N  H E R A L D
Offices: Lexington ★ Pittsburgh ★ Marietta ★ Nueva Orleans

A DUEL is to be fought between the esteemed SAMUEL ADAMS of Massachusetts, presently the leader of the Whig faction in the National Assembly, and GOUVERNEUR MORRIS, presently affiliated with the Hamilton faction, but elected as a deputy for (the so-called Commonwealth of) Pennsylvania as a Tory. Mr. MORRIS issued the challenge, evidently the result of several recent provocations by the Whig faction, particularly a recent pamphlet entitled "REVISED AMERICAN DICTIONARY," printed inside in its entirety. Mr. ADAMS accepted the challenge, and specified the duel be fought with pistols outside the city of Philadelphia, at dawn on the sixth of February. Seconds have not yet been publicly named.

At thirty-eight years of age, the hot-headed young Morris is thirty years Adams' junior. Neither man has the military experience necessary for this paper to deem them a crack shot, much less any known record as a duelist. Despite this lack of information, the following proposition bets are said to prevail in particular taverns across the West:

• For Mr. ADAMS to fire and strike Mr. MORRIS: 8-1
• For Mr. ADAMS to fire and miss: 6-1
• For Mr. ADAMS to deliberately discharge his pistol in the air: 4-1
• For Mr. MORRIS to fire and strike Mr. ADAMS: 7-1
• For Mr. MORRIS to fire and miss: 5-1
• For Mr. MORRIS to deliberately fire his pistol in the air: 9-1
• For the duel to progress to a second round: 40-1
• For the duel to progress to a third round: 55-1
• For both men to strike the other: 35-1
• For neither man to strike the other: 8-1
• For no duel to occur: 45-1
• For at least one man to perish: 5-1

The Herald does not condone the institution of gambling, and finds it to be a wicked, vile, and thoroughly un-Christian institution. All information published is solely for the purpose of public information, and should not be used for the purpose of placing bets.

[Galaxie]

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[_]

James Jackson on Westsylvania and their fight for Freedom.
Pamphlet by the Patriots

The Speech printed below was given on the Floor of the National Assembly by Deputy James Jackson regarding the arrests of the Staff of The Western Herald, James Wilkinson, and the tyranny of the Government of Pennsylvania.

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(This pamphlet shall be distributed throughout the proposed state of Westsylvania.)

[Galaxie]

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[wxtransit]

Statement to the Nation on Various Matters
James Madison, First Secretary

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The above statement was transmitted to all national newspapers.

[Galaxie]

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[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

From  THURSDAY,   FEBRUARY  18,—to  MONDAY,  FEBRUARY  22,   1790.

REMARKS OF MR. ADAMS ON THE CRISIS IN WESTSYLVANIA.
—

Mr. Samuel Adams, to the news of violence in the county of Westsylvania between the Pennsylvania Militia and the settlers of that territory, replied in the National Assembly—

Mr. Speaker,

Objects of the utmost Gravity, questions which in their immensity contain the fate of our Republic, are now before us. Let there be no ambiguity between us, gentlemen, now. May the voice of the Lord our God ring clear in the heart of every American, and the instrument of his divine Will this chamber be, in this, the crisis of our Union.

I will be very plain with you, gentlemen. I cannot condone, cannot excuse, the measures which the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has seen fit to levy against the alleged Treason of their brethren to the West. The arrest of General Wilkinson; the suspension in some quarters of freedom of the Press; the attempts in their multitude to prevent the exercise by the people of their sacred and inalienable right to speak freely, and without fear of coercion; are levied in direct contradiction to the provisions of the Constitution of that Commonwealth, and are anathema to the principle of republican Liberty. In this crisis, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have acted with all the arrogance and tactless insolence George III once reserved for the inhabitants of these States. That the contest has now come to violence, that American blood has been shed by American hands, is a prospect which was ever within the power of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to prevent. Instead, provocation, intolerance, and coercion have been the policy of the governing party. For this unhappy course of events, they have no-one to blame but themselves.

But even so—even as the actions of the governors and their officers are destined to beget the manly resistance that now rises up in the West—this is no excuse for violence, and Lawlessness. Let there be no mistake, Mr. Speaker: Rebellion against a State is a crime against the people, and Treason to this Union. No Republic may long survive when Laws cease to be the currency by which the people bond their Liberty, and the contest of faction gives way to the contest of arms. Tyranny of the mob is as terrible and as great a threat to the liberty of the people as the Tyranny of the Monarch, and I fear the day when powder and musket shot should become the ballots by which Governments are made and unmade on this Continent.

In an absolute State, where the freedom of Speech and the franchise are denied to the people by the Laws of the dominion, then Rebellion is the right and duty of every good and able Citizen; but in a Republic, where the Laws of the Country are established by the sovereignty of the people, Rebellion is unjust and Treasonous, and may not be tolerated—even when the grievances which may give rise to Rebellion are just and permissible. Such a principle, enshrined in precedent, would be the death knell of the Union—a prospect too horrible for any who call himself the friend of American Independence to for a moment entertain. That Westsylvania has been wronged by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there is no contest; that some among her citizens have sought restitution for these wrongs by the point of the bayonet, is no more allowable, than the crimes they seek to prevent.

This, gentlemen, is our task. The Rebellion must be put down with the gentle firmness of a mother, and immediately thereafter measures be taken by this Government to restore the rights of the people of Westsylvania.

[Donerail]

A Statement to the Nation:

I have read in several (doubtlessly scurrilous) publications that First Secretary Madison has demanded particular legal protections for myself and other members of his government. While clearly the fabrication of the Radical faction, they appear to have been printed widely, necessitating a response. I will be clear: I do not consider myself, nor any member of government, nor any man, to be above the law. I believe the authorities of the present government in Philadelphia to have acted in flagrant violation of the Constitution of that Commonwealth, and several other laws besides. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to confront these unjust and tyrannical authorities in a court of law, where their hypocrisies and trespasses may be exposed before the world. I thank First Secretary Madison, Mr. Jackson, and countless others across the nation for their support, and look forward to resuming my duties in the National Assembly in short order.

x Gen. James Wilkinson
Presently of Walnut Street Jail, Philadelphia

[Unknown]

[quote]

T h e   F e d e r a l i s t  

Volume I | 1790

Country over Wealth  

During times like these we must put our nation first before anything else. This includes our own personal gains. During the Great War of Independence, I lent the Continental Army 100,000,000 pounds to pay the troops who gave up so much for our nation. I gave a whole navy of ships which I never asked for reimbursement, losing 1,000 ships and gaining only some beaver pelts. I supplied the Continental Army with bullets, funded our government during the war, and never asked for reimbursement. I gave everything I had to break away from a tyrant, and I’ll be damned to let another one overtake our nation. That is why I do not understand the opposition against The National Military Act. The delegates against it are simply asking for another nation to attack us. We can afford the tax; but, we cannot afford to lose our great country due to lack of military. That is why I encourage my fellow delegates against the act to reconsider it. I have introduced an amendment which calls for 30% of the national debt owed to me to be forgiven for passing this act. It has been clear to me since the birth of this nation that we must be willing to support it, and our freedom, at all cost.

-Robert Morris