kept a live. At length it burft into action; and the recital of the particulars, becomes a painful but requifite addition to this part of our work.

At first the public diffatisfaction was vented in general complaints. Certain perfons entered into private affociations to forbear compliance with the law. The excife officers received fone marks of contempt and rudeness. On the twenty-feventh of July 1791, a meeting of the inhabitants was held at a place called Redftone, Old Fort. It was there concerted that a county committee fhould be convened in each of the four counties before named. On the 23d of Auguft 1791, the committee for the county of Washington alfembled. They paffed fome angry refolutions, which were published in the Pittsburgh Gazette, They cenfured the law in the ftrongest terms. They declared, that any perfon accepting an office under congrefs for the execution of it should be confidered as unfriendly to the intereft of the country. They recommended the citizens of Washington county to refuse all correfpondence or intercourfe with excife officers. They likewife publifhed fome fevere reflections on the federal government, with regard to various other political points. A fecond meeting took place on the feventh of September, 1791, at Pittsburgh, in Allegany county. The members confifted of delegates from the four wellern counties. They entered into numerous refolutions, not only refpecting the excife law, but likewife as to what they termed the exorbitant falaries of office, the inftitution of a national bank, the unreasonable interest of the public debt, and the want of difcrimination between the original holders and transferrers. A reprefentation to congrefs was drawn up, with a remonftance to the legislature of Pennsylvania, Thefe papers, and an account of the rest of their proceedings, were inferted in the Pittsburgh Gazette, and afterwards prefented to the reípective bodies to whom they were addreffed. On the 6th of September, 1791, Robert Johnfton, collector of the revenue for the counties of Allegany and Washington, was feized at a place on Pigeon-Creek, in Washington county, by a party of men armed and in difguife. They tarred and feathered him, cut

off his hair, feized his horfe, and left him in that fituation to travel on foot for a confiderable difance. The cafe was brought before the diftrict court of Pennfylvania. The deputy-marfhal! of the flate was directed to ferve the offenders with proceffes. On his arrival at Pittfburg, for that purpose, he found it dangerous to proceed. He therefore fent the papers to the parties concerned, by a private messenger, under cover. This man was feized, whipped, tarred and feathered. He was robbed of his horfe and money. He was blindfolded and tied in the woods; in which condition he remained, without relief, for five hours, A collector of the revenues for Westmoreland and Fayette counties, was likewife, about the fame time, grofsly abused. In October, 1791, a poor man who was difordered in his mind, and a firanger in that part of the country, imagined himself to be a collector of the revenue, or fome way concerned in the bufinefs. He accordingly commenced enquiries refpecting the diftillers, who had entered their fills, and gave out that he was to travel through the United States, and make a report upon the fubject. A party in difguile dragged him from his bed to a finith's forge at the distance of five miles. They next fripped off and burnt his clothes. The lunatic himself was tarred, feathered, feared and wounded in feveral places, with a hot iron; and about day-light, in the following morning he was difiniffed naked. Two witneffes who were to have given evidence on this cafe in a court of juflice, were made prifoners and carried off. One Rofeberry having remarked in converfation, that a

No. 24.

people who did not obey the laws of government, could not reafonably expect its protection, he was tarred and feathered. In the fellion of congrefs which commenced in October 1791, the law that had been the caufe of fo much mischief, was revifed, and the duty was reduced to a very moderate rate. Other alterations were made in favour of the manufacture of diflilled fpirits. Oppofition, in confeqnence, fubfided in every part of the continent, except the four weftern counties of Pennfylvania.

An important point in the scheme of refiftance, was to prevent the establifhment of offices for collecting the revenue. In this refpect the inhabitants of the western counties were fuccefsful. They intimidated every person who was difpofed to let a houfe for that purpofe, by menacing him with the lofs of his property and his life. After much effort, the infpector of the revenae obtained leave to open an office of infpection for the county of Washington, in the house of captain William Faulkner. This took place in Auguft, 1792; but captain Faulkner was not long after encountered by a number of people; who drew a knife, and threatened to tar, feather and fcalp him, and to reduce his house and property to afhes unless he promised to prevent the further ufe of his houfe for an office. He was obliged to come under this engagement, and the infpector gave up his proceedings.

On the 21st of Auguft, 1792, there was another meeting of fundry inhabitants of the western counties, held at Pittsburg. They entered into a number of violent refolutions. The prefident, on the 15th September following, published a proclamation, exhorting the parties concerned, to defift from their diforderly proceedings. Profecutions were commenced against the abovementioned rioters; and the attorney-general attended a circuit court held at Yorktown, in October; but a mistake having happened with refpect to the perfons indicted, who were difcovered not to have been guilty, the profecutions were laid afide.

In the mean time various expedients were adopted to leffen the unpopu larity of the law in the western counties. One of these was to purchase the fpirits for the use of the continental army, from manufacturers who paid the duty. Some profecutions were commenced againft offenders, and, where it could be done with fafety, fome feizures were made. In April, 1793, a party of men armed, and, as ufual, difguifed, broke, during the night, into the houfe of a collector of revenue, in Fayette county. He was not at home, but they threatened and abufed his family. Warrants for apprehending fome of the rioters were iffued, and delivered to the theriff of the county, who was afterwards indicted for refufing to execute them. In June, 1793, the infpector of the revenue was burnt in effigy in Alleghany county, at a public meeting. On the night of the 22d of November following, a party of men broke into the houfe of the collector of Fayette, for whom they had fearched in April. After fome refiflance, the officer was compelled to furrender his commiffion and his books. Yet, in fpite of thefe outrages the law appeared, about the end of 1793, to be gaining ground. Some of the principal diftillers, who had formerly refused to pay the tax, began to comply with the law; and others difcovered a difpofition to have done fo if they dared. This growing temper feems to have exafperated the bitterness of oppofition. One of the distillers who complied, had his baro burot; and another, James Kiddoe, was vifited by a party, who broke into his fill-house, and had very near fet it on fire. In May and June, new violences were committed. Kiddoe had part of his grift-mill carried away. The fill of William CochTan, another complying diffiller, was deftroyed, his grift-mill extremely in

Vol. IV.

Y

Joffes.

jured, and the faw taken from his faw-mill. A note in writing was left for him, requiring hiin to publifh in the Pittsburg Gazette, an account of his In June, an attempt was made to open offices in Weftmoreland and Washington, for the annual entrics of fills. In the former county, it was kept open, with fome difficulty, to the end of the month. But in Washington county it was fooner fuppreffed. On the night of the 6th of June. twelve perfons, armed and painted black, broke into the house of John Lynn, where the office was kept. They cut off his hair, and tarred and feathered him. They made him fwear never to difclofe their names, and never again to fuffer au excife-office in his houfe; and left him naked and tied to a tree. Some days after, he received a fecond vifit; part of his houfe was pulled down ; and he was forced to fly the country.

In the last fellion of congrels, a bill was brought in for amending the excife law; and it paffed on the 5th of June, 1794. Procefs iffued against a number of diflillers in Fayette and Alleghany. In July, indictments were found in a circuit court held at Philadelphia, against two of the rioters, concerned, in November, 1793, in the attack upon the house of a collector in Fayette county. The martial of the district went in perfon to ferve these proceffes. On the 15th of July, he was befet, on the road, in Alleghany county, by between thirty and forty armed men. They fired upon him, but without effect. On the 16th of July, about one hundred perfons, armed, made an attack on the house of the infpector of the revenue, near Pittsburg, After fome time, they went off. The infpector applied, by letter, to the judges, generals of militia, and fheriff of the county, for protection. He was, however, joined by eleven men from the garrifon of Fort Pitt, and one of his friends, major Abraham Kirkpatrick. He withdrew to a place of concealment, and the others undertook the defence of the houfe. A firing enfued. There was killed James Macfarlane, a major in the militia, and who is faid to have been a ringleader of the rioters. Several others were wounded, as were three of the party who defended the house. At laft, the affailants fet fire to the adjacent buildings, eight in number. Major Kirkpatrick and his party were then forced to furrender; and the house was burnt to the ground. The marfhal, with col. Prefly Neville, and several others, were taken going to the houfe. All the prifoners made their efcape, excepting the two firft, who were detained till about one o'clock next morning, at an imminent hazard of their lives.

Next day a deputation was fent by the rioters, to Pittsburg, to require that the marshal and the infpector fhould refign their offices. Infiead of this, they fled; and as it was known, that the ufual routes to Philadelphia were befet, they began a voyage down the Ohio, on the night of the 19th of July. On the 25th of the fame month, the mail between Pittsburg and Philadel phia was intercepted by two men, who broke it open, and took away most of the letters, to difcover the fentiments of the writers. Several perfont, in confequence of difcoveries made in this way, were forced to quit the country. A meeting was afterwards held, of delegates, from the four weftern counties of Pennsylvania, and from Ohio county, in Virginia. They entered into refolutions, in which they reprobated the taking of citizens for trial out of their viciuage-recommended the appointment of a committee to draft a remonftrance to congrefs, praying a repeal of the excife law, and that a lefs odious tax might be fubftituted in its flead, which the people of thofe counties would chearfully pay-and finally ergaged to exert themselves in fup

port of the municipal laws of the feveral flates, and efpecially in preventing any violence or outrage against the property or perfon of any individual.

By the Executive of the United States, and the governor of the state of Penfylvania, every thing in their power appears to have been done to bring over these deluded people to a sense of the impropriety of their conduct, before they proceeded to the laft extremity-For this purpose, commiflioners on the part of the United States, and of the fate of Penfylvania, were difpatched to meet with the chief infurgents in thefe counties, and to endeavour to preavail on them to fubmit to the payment of those taxes, which were paid in other parts of the United States, with little or no reluctance. But this temperate and conciliatory meafures, did not produce the defired effects and the Commillioners returned to Philadelphia.

Nothing was now left for government, but to have recourse to the most vigorous and compulfive measures. The Prefident of the United States, accordingly, iffued a requifition for drafts from the militia of Pennfylvania, New-Jerfey, and Virginia, to hold themfelves in readiness against the it of September, as a laft refource to enforce, if neceffary, the execution of the laws.

The militia marched from the feveral flates of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New-Jerfey, and Virginia, much about the fame time, and Carlifle was appointed as the place of general rendezvous. The Prefident fo far accompanied the Pennfylvania militia, in perfon, but as the feflion of Congress was now about to commence, it was neceffary for him to repair to the feat of government. He accordingly left the army, which then confifted of fifteen thousand militia, who when called on, readily ftept forth in fupport of the violated laws of their country. The army afterwards proceeded to the feat of infurrection, when, after having taken feveral prifoners, order was inftantly restored, and the army returned to their refpective homes. Thefe prifoners were foon after tried, and two were ordered for execution. The gallows was erected, and the criminals were ready to proceed to the fatal tree: but at this moment the Prefident's fecretary came to the prifon with a reprieve, and thus an infurrection which feemed to threaten the moit ferious confequences to the union. was by the firmness and moderation of Our government effectually fuppreffed without bloodfhed.

From the quelling of this infurrection till the fring of the year 1795, when Mr. Jay arrived from London, after having concluded, with the court of Great Britain, a treaty of amity, commerce and navigation, thing very material happened in the concerns of the United States. The Congrefs had, clofed their feffion fome time before. The Prefident, therefore, iffued a proclamation for convening the fenate in the mouth of May, to confider the propriety of ratifying this treaty; the debates upon this occafion were tedious and no doubt warn; but as the fenate, when fitting in their executive capacity, debate with fhut doors, the public had not an opportunity of hearing them. About fix weeks after they had aflembled, it was finally agreed to recommend its ratification to the prefident, twenty members voting for this measure and, ten opposed to it, fo that it was barely carried according to the conftitution, which fays that the Prefident "thall bave power by and with the advice and confent of the fenate to make treaties, provided two thirds of the fenators prefent concur.

During the whole of General Washington's adminidration, he was, perhaps, never placed in a fituation, where it was more difficult to act with propriety, or according to the fentiments of the majority of the people, on

where indeed it was more difficult to afcertain, with precifion, what the fentiments of a majority of the people were with reípect to the subject. Petitions, addreffes and remonftrances poured in from every city, county, town and village throughout the whole union, of which the number was nearly equal of thofe who advised its adoption and who diffuaded from it. It was, however, generally remarked, that the mercantile part of the community, who were certainly more immediately intereffed in the decifion, were in favour of the treaty. The prefident at laft after having duly confidered the arguments on both fides, finally ratified the inftrument in the month of September. We fhall now lay the whole treaty before our readers.

Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, between His Britannic Majelly, and the United States of America, as ratified by the Prefident, with the advice and confent of the Senate.

HIS Britannic Majefty and the United States of America, being defirous by a treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation, to terminate their differences in fuch a masner, as without reference to the merits of their refpective complaints and pretenfions, may be the beft calculated to produce mutual affection and good underftanding: And alfo to regulate the Commerce and Navigation between their respective countries, territories and people, in fuch a manner as to render the fame reciprocally beneficial and fatisfactory; they have, refpectively named their Plenipotentiaries, and given them full powers to treat of, and conclude, the faid treaty, that is to fay: His Britanic Majefty has named for his Plenipotentiary, the Right Hon. William Wyndham Baron Grenville of Wotton, one of his Majefty's Privy Council, and his Majefty's principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs ;and the Prefident of the United States, by and with the advice of the Senate thereof, hath appointed for their Plenipotentiary, the Hon. John Jay. Chief Juflice of the United States, and their Envoy extraordinary to his Majefty, who have agreed on, and concluded the following articles:

ARTICLE I.

There fhall be a firm, inviolable and univerfal peace, and a true and fincere friendship between his Britannic Majefly, his heirs and fucceffors, and the United States of America: and between their respective countries, territories, cities, towns, and people of every degree, without exceptions of perfons or places.

ARTICLE II.

His Majefly will withdraw all his troops and garrifons from all pofls and places within the boundary lines affigned by the treaty of peace to the United States. This evacuation fhall take place on or before the ift day of June one thoufand feven hundred and ninety-fix, and all the proper measures fhall in the interval be taken by concert between the government of the United States, and his Majefty's Governor-General in America, for settling the previous arrangements which may be neceffary respecting the delivery of the faid pofts. The United States in the mean time at their difcretion, extending their fettlements to any part within the faid boundary line, except within the precincts or jurifdictions of any of the faid pofts. All fettlers and traders, within the precincts or jurifdiction of the faid pofts, fhall continue to enjoy, unmolefted, all their property of every kind, and fhall be protected therein. They fhall be at full liberty to remain there, or to remove with all or any part of their effects; and it fhall also be free to