278. ALIEN AND SEDITION LAWS, Introduction of.—
They have brought into
the lower House a sedition bill, which, among
other enormities, undertakes to make printing
certain matters criminal, though one of the
amendments to the Constitution has so expressly
taken religion, printing presses, &c.
out of their coercion. Indeed this bill, and the
alien bill are both so palpably in the teeth of
the Constitution as to show they mean to
pay no respect to it.—
To James Madison.
Ford ed., vii, 266.
(Pa.,
June. 1798)