An Analysis of the Debate Over the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 in the United States

The debate over the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 unraveled bitter disagreements on a number of separate issues. While these acts seemed to be very undemocratic in the sense that it pretty much discriminated against a citizen not born in America, but it is vital to realize the struggles and hardships young America was undergoing as a fledgling nation. When debating over the Alien and Sedation Acts, one must be able to comprehend the foreign affairs in which America was involved.

The United States was caught up in the French Revolution and also the XYZ Affair, both quite dangerous to the existence of the country. These acts were very controversial and developed for a reason. One can look at the Alien and Sedation Acts from numerous perspectives.

In Notes on Virginia, Thomas Jefferson can be quoted as saying “we are to expect the greatest number of emigrants. They will bring with them the principals of the governments they leavewith their languagethey will share with us the ! legislationand bias directions.

At the time, the US was receiving a mad dash of immigrants and many, like Jefferson, were worried. They were worried that some immigrants would bring some radical political views to America and upset balance of society. They did not want America turning into a theocracy or a monarchy. With an infiltration of non- democratic ideology, one can see why the Alien and Sedation Laws were such a big deal at the time. The leaders of our country felt the need to crush any political beliefs that were non- democratic for the good of the Union.

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Otherwise, the country was in danger of going into a frenzy. This urgency to quell political differences can be seen again in Hamiltons draft of Washingtons Farewell Address, there is another (cause) which it is necessary to be on our guard; I mean the petulance of party differences of opinion. From this viewpoint one could view the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 as a device that would protect the nation from un raveling at the seams by means of a major political dissention.

Another perspective from which to view these acts is of an opposition. Many people spoke up about these acts due to constitutional conflicts. The Alien and Sedation Acts prohibited the publication of scandalous and malicious writings against the government or its officials. This means that the govemment would have full power to censor the press in any way it felt necessary. That is why so many people opposed the acts with a stiff, and furious hatred. Albert Gallatin states in his speech to the House of Representatives, “If you put the press under any restraint in respect to the measures of members of government; if you thus deprive the people of the means of obtaining information of their conduct, you in fact render their right of electing nugatory; and this bill must be considered only as a weapon used by a party now in power in order to perpetuate their authority and preserve their present places.” Gallatin, among other things, meant that if the government can sensor the press, what will stop the news about corrupt politicians from getting loose, thus enabling a better chance for reelection.

When so much power is vested in the government what is to stop it from being an operation that is run by the elite for the good of themselves, rather than being run by the people for the good of the people? As the saying goes, drastic times require drastic measures; this applies very well to what happened in 1798. The Alien and Sedation Acts were implemented because of panic due to the XYZ Affair and the French Revolution. Americans were afraid of foreigners coming in and changing the democratic way of life. This was an agreeable fact; that most Americans wanted to stop the influx of radical foreign political ideology from entering the US, but the way this project was undertaken was what created heated dissention. While there were people like Thomas Jefferson, who wanted to stop jeopardizing American Democracy anyway possible, there were also people such as Albert Gallatin, who full heartedly opposed these acts, which saved democracy in the aspect of limiting harmful ideas, also destroyed democracy by allowing the government to put a blindfold over the peoples eyes as to completely censor the press. A censored press is very dangerous. That is why the Alien and Sedation Acts of 1798 would be so heatedly debated for years to come, thus becoming a major event in the shaping of Twenty-First Century America.

Sean Marek APAH Periods 7/8 The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 brought up intense struggles for many people as they bitterly opposed or supported this legislation. These acts appear very strict and self-damaging to the US as a country but it’s important to envision this in the time it was happening. With present catastrophes in domestic and international affairs which included the infamous XYZ Affair, and the! French Revolution the US was in a world of problems. These acts are highly debatable and controversial. There are several different ways you can look at these acts. If you look at what Thomas Jefferson said in, Notes on Virginia, you can see the difficulties presented by immigration. Jefferson states that “It would be a miracle were they to stop precisely at the point of temperate liberty.” With the heavy immigrations the US was receiving at the time many different beliefs were being brought to our country. These beliefs included despotism and monarchy.

With these increased non-democratic beliefs coming into our country it presented many new problems for the US to swallow, or rather choke on. You see such views again pointed out my Alexander Hamilton in his letter to Colonel Edward Carrington of Virginia when he responds to hearing about the monarchial party in Virginia. In it’s effort to destroy the State and republican system he states that “there is not a man among them [Jefferson and Madison] who would not regard as both criminal and visionary any attempt to subvert the republican system of the country.” From this perspective you could look at these acts as a tool to help the US build itself against these opposing forces of destruction and despotism. It is also clear that some people felt that these acts could be a good and bad thing at the same time if put together hastily or improperly. In Alexander Hamilton’s letter to Oliver Wolcott he makes this obvious. He states, “There are provision in this bill which according to a cursory view appear to me highly exceptionable, and such as, more than anything else, may endanger civil war. I hope sincerely the thing may not me hurried though. Let us not establish a tyranny…

If we make no false step, we shall be essentially united, but if we push things to an extreme, we shall then give the faction body and solidity. So as you can see from this view if these acts and provisions are properly construed it could be a success, but if rushed or put together tyrannically it could result in violence and bloodshed. Opposition of these acts has spoken up for many constitutional reasons. Since in according to these acts the government can basically censor the media and restrain the press it obstructs the information the public gets. In his speech in the House of Representatives Albert Gallatin says, “If you put the press under any restraint in respect to the measures of members of the government; if you thus deprive the people of the means of obtaining information of their conduct, you in fact render their right of electing nugatory; and this bill must be considered only as a weapon used by a party now in power in order to perpetuate their authority and preserve their present places.”

With the power bestowed to the government by these acts the party in power can control the media at their will. Another voice of opposition was Edward Livingston in his speech in the House of Representatives on the proposed Alien Act. He stated, “The president, then having made the law, the president having construed and applied it, the same president is by the bill authorized to execute his sentences, in case of disobedience, by imprisonment during his pleasure. This, then, comes completely within the definition of despotism, a union of legislative, executive, and judicial powers. From this we can derive that with these vested powers the government will be given extreme power and those in power will benefit heavily. These controversies erupted for two distinct reasons I believe. For those supporting these acts their opinions were strongly influenced by the need for stability in accordance to the drastic domestic and international crises going on at the time.

With the XYZ Affair and French Revolution sparking events off all around them these people needed a security blanket. This would come to them in the form of the Alien and Sedition Acts. Something to protect them from the corrupting and treasonous ideas of others. For those opposing these acts was obviously mainly for constitutional reasons. Oppressing the rights of individuals, and the press. If allowed to censor the press to ‘conspiracy’ against them any party in control of government could become almost invincible. This could be very dangerous to a young United States. Also with the powers granted to the president to deport all ‘dangerous aliens’, and during the times of war. These very controversial points of view would be debated for decades and their views are still being reviewed. It was a very important event in our history and helped build much of our government in its making today.