William Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams, 26 February 1799
William Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams
Philadelphia Feb 26th 1799
My dear Aunt
I received your letter of the 14th of Feb. yesterday— I enclosed to you this morning Browns paper containing the report of the committee, to whom was referred the petitions &c requesting the repeal of the Alien & Sedition bills &c. It was drawn up by Mr. Goodrich of Cont. and is a most masterly production.1 I think you must be pleased with it. The report was made the order of the day for yesterday. The Federalists knowing that the subjects had long since been exhausted—considering the short time which they had to sit and convinced of the importance of decideing on some other business before they rose, agreed among themselves, that not one of them should rise to speak—to this they strictly adhered. Gallatin spoke nearly two hours on the repeal of the Alien bill & N—s on the sedition bill, as long—the question was then taken & negatived by a majority of four only—52 against the repeal & 48 in favor of it.2 For the honor of my country I could wish the majority had been greater.
Please to remember me affectionately to Mr. Adams— I have received his letter & will answer it soon, but at present have a most violent head ache & must go to bed.3
With Love to all I am my dear Aunt / yours affectionately.
Wednesday Morn.
You will see by a Charleston paper with what cordiality Mr. Pinckney is there received—4 I never knew colder weather than we have had here for this week past. The president never has had least the idea of going to the Federal city.
RC (Adams Papers); notation: “W S Shaw to / Mrs Adams. / Feb 26th 1799.”
1. AA’s letter to Shaw of 14 Feb. (DLC: Shaw Family Papers) expressed hope that the Virginia and Kentucky “Treason” would not lead to civil war. She also sought information on the dismissal of Capt. Isaac Phillips from the U.S. Navy and discussed TBA’s visit to Quincy. Shaw likely enclosed with JA’s letter to AA of 25 Feb., above, the Philadelphia Gazette, 25 Feb., containing the congressional committee response to petitions seeking repeal of the Alien and Sedition Acts. The response, attributed by Shaw to Chauncey Goodrich, argued that “the asylum given by a nation to Foreigners is mere matter of favor, resumable at the public will” and the Constitution allowed the “regulation” but not the “abridging” of the liberty of the press.
2. In their 25 Feb. speeches favoring repeal of the Alien and Sedition Acts, Albert Gallatin argued that the laws substituted the discretion of elected officials for the Constitution, creating a “star-chamber” in which deportations and determinations of libel were ordered based on “suspicions, alarms, popular clamor, private ambition, and by the views of fluctuating factions,” while John Nicholas claimed: “No power is given by the Constitution to control the press … I think it inconsistent with the nature of our Government, that its administration should have power to restrain animadversions on public measures; and for protection from private injury from defamation, the States are fully competent. It is to them that our officers must look for protection of persons, estates, and every other personal right; and, therefore, I see no reason why it is not proper to rely upon it, for defence against private libels.” These arguments failed to sway the House, however, and the committee recommendation was upheld by votes of 52 to 48 (, 5th Cong., 3d sess., p. 2993–3017).
3. Not found.
4. The Charleston, S.C., City Gazette, 5 Feb., reported that on 4 Feb. salutes from vessels in the harbor and the city’s forts greeted Charles Cotesworth Pinckney on his return from Europe. A military detachment and local dignitaries assembled “to welcome back to his native country, their highly respected fellow citizen” and escort him to dinner at the governor’s house.