Why Did The Federalists Believe That The Sedition Act Was...

1. Why did the Federalists believe that the Sedition Act was necessary? What exactly was the threat, according to Abigail Adams? What threat is implied by the wording of the act? †¢ Around the time of 1798, many writers and politicians who weren’t supportive of a break with France were writing and publishing papers that directly criticized President John Adams’s foreign policy regarding France. Specifically, â€Å"Bache† and his â€Å"paper† are mentioned several times in Abigail Adams’s letters. Abigail explains that Bache’s paper is â€Å"wicked† and in the paper, Bache â€Å"calls the President old, querulous, Bald, blind, crippled, Toothless Adams.† Many of the Federalists feared that the hateful language directed towards the President could result in†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ It is evident that Matthew Lyon’s criticism of President Adams and his various policies in his letter to the editor of Spooner’s Vermont Journal was very thoughtful and passionate. However, Lyon was also very careful in that he did not urge for a â€Å"civil war† – as Abigail Adams c ontended was a threat of such criticism – or encourage any violent rebellion against the President or the United States government. For instance, Lyon calmly explains that he would happily support an executive who is focused on the well-being of the people, but he cannot be the â€Å"humble advocate† of an executive who focuses more on power than the â€Å"public welfare.† Lyon gives many reasons why he cannot support such an executive; however, all of his reasons provided were legitimate, well-spoken, and entirely non-violent in that they did not imply or encourage any type of rebellion. For this reason, I believe Lyon’s criticism of President Adams does not rise to the threat level of a â€Å"civil war† or any other violent or dangerous threat that the Federalists so greatly feared would occur if individuals were able to continue speaking out against Adams and the government. I believe Lyon’s verdict ended up being guilty because the fear of sedition at the time was so great amongst Federalists that they found him guilty because he could inspire others and potentially incite a rebellion. Such a rebellion could cause a â€Å"civil war† that Federalists believed would be a threat to both theShow MoreRelatedCompare And Contrast Jeffersonian Federalists And Hamiltonian Government1575 Words   |  7 Pagesdeeply contrasting views of government and economy. After America achieved independence from Great Britain in 1783, the fledgling nation needed its people to guide it towards a firm and steady future. The two political parties — the Hamiltonian Federalists and the Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans — under their respective leaders Hamilton and Jefferson, each had a differing vision for the nation’s future, planting the seeds of new political parties for generations to come. 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