Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

(14 July 1798) This statute made sedition a high misdemeanor and defined the crime not only as efforts to incite rebellion or disobedience to federal laws, but also as a wide range of speech or writing concerned with political debate. Written broadly to forbid attempts to bring the US government into disrepute, its literal wording could be interpreted to prohibit any criticism of officials of the F ederalist party , who then controlled the executive and legislative departments, even criticism made as part of the upcoming presidential election of 1800. Federalist prosecutors filed sedition charges against 17 persons, including editors of four of the five largest newspapers supporting the D emocratic party , and won 10 convictions (among them Democratic congressman Matthew Lyon of Vt., who had to run for reelection from jail, but won). The law expired on 3 March 1801. ... log in or subscribe to read full text