{"data":{"description":"Read The Sedition Act of 1798: An Act in addition to the act, entitled An act for the punishment of certain crimes against the United States. .. enacted,","title":"The Sedition Act of 1798","post_type":"page","content":"\u003cp class=\"firsth1\"\u003e\u003ca title=\"The Alien Enemies Act\" href=\"/earlyamerica/milestone-events/alien-enemies-act/\"\u003eRead The Alien Enemies Act – Full Text\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ch2 class=\"firsth1\"\u003eThe Alien and Sedition Acts of July 14, 1798\u003c/h2\u003e\r\n\u003ch3\u003eAn Act in addition to the act, entitled\r\n\"An act for the punishment of certain crimes against the United States.\"\u003c/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cstrong\u003eSEC. I\u003c/strong\u003e\r\nBe it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That if any persons shall unlawfully combine or conspire together, with intent to oppose any measure or measures of the government of the United States, which are or shall be directed by proper authority, or to impede the operation of any law of the United States, or to intimidate or prevent any person holding a place or office in or under the government of the United States, from undertaking, performing or executing his trust or duty; and if any person or persons, with intent as aforesaid, shall counsel, advise or attempt to procure any insurrection, riot. unlawful assembly, or combination, whether such conspiracy, threatening, counsel, advice, or attempt shall have the proposed effect or not, he or they shall be deemed guilty of a high misdemeanor, and on conviction, before any court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, and by imprisonment during a term not less than six months nor exceeding five years; and further, at the discretion of the court may be holden to find sureties for his good behaviour in such sum, and for such time, as the said court may direct.\r\n\r\n\u003cstrong\u003eSEC. 2.\u003c/strong\u003e\r\nAnd be it further enacted, That if any person shall write, print, utter or publish, or shall cause or procure to be written, printed, uttered or publishing, or shall knowingly and willingly assist or aid in writing, printing, uttering or publishing any false, scandalous and malicious writing or writings against the government of the United States, or either house of the Congress of the United States, or the President of the United States, with intent to defame the said government, or either house of the said Congress, or the said President, or to bring them, or either of them, into contempt or disrepute; or to excite against them, or either or any of them, the hatred of the good people of the United States, or to excite any unlawful combinations therein, for opposing or resisting any law of the United States, or any act of the President of the United States, done in pursuance of any such law, or of the powers in him vested by the constitution of the United States, or to resist, oppose, or defeat any such law or act, or to aid, encourage or abet any hostile designs of any foreign nation against the United States, their people or government, then such person, being thereof convicted before any court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, and by imprisonment not exceeding two years.\r\n\r\n\u003cstrong\u003eSEC. 3.\u003c/strong\u003e\r\nAnd be it further enacted, and declared, That if any person shall be prosecuted under this act, for the writing or publishing any libel aforesaid, it shall be lawful for the defendant, upon the trial of the cause, to give in evidence in his defense, the truth of the matter contained in the publication charged as a libel. And the jury who shall try the cause, shall have a right to determine the law and the fact, under the direction of the court, as in other cases.\r\n\r\n\u003cstrong\u003eSEC. 4.\u003c/strong\u003e\r\nAnd be it further enacted, That this act shall continue and be in force until the third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and one, and no longer: Provided. That the expiration of the act shall not prevent or defeat a prosecution and punishment of any offense against the law, during the time it shall be in force.\r\n\r\nJONATHAN DAYTON, Speaker of the House of Representatives.\r\n\r\nTHEODORE SEDGWICK, President of the Senate, pro tempore.\r\n\r\nAPPROVED, July 14, 1798:\r\n\r\nJOHN ADAMS, President of the United States.\r\n\r\nSource: The Laws of the United States of America, printed by Richard Folwell, Philadelphia, 1796-1798.\r\n\u003cp class=\"firsth1\"\u003e\u003ca title=\"The Alien Enemies Act\" href=\"/earlyamerica/milestone-events/alien-enemies-act/\"\u003eRead The Alien Enemies Act – Full Text\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ad8431;\"\u003eSedition Act of 1798 Images\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\r\n\u003ctable width=\"604\"\u003e\r\n\u003ctbody\u003e\r\n\u003ctr\u003e\r\n\u003ctd\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/origseditn1\" data-slb-group=\"4126\" data-slb-active=\"1\" data-slb-internal=\"0\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-4998 size-thumbnail\" src=\"/images/earlyamerica/Origseditn1.jpg\" alt=\"The Sedition Act of 1798\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cp\u003e The Sedition Act of 1798\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\r\n\u003ctd\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/origseditn2\" data-slb-group=\"4126\" data-slb-active=\"1\" data-slb-internal=\"0\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-4999 size-thumbnail\" src=\"/images/earlyamerica/Origseditn2.jpg\" alt=\"The Sedition Act of 1798\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cp\u003e The Sedition Act of 1798\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\r\n\u003ctd\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003ca href=\"/earlyamerica/origseditn3\" data-slb-group=\"4126\" data-slb-active=\"1\" data-slb-internal=\"0\"\u003e\u003cimg class=\"wp-image-5000 size-thumbnail\" src=\"/images/earlyamerica/Origseditn3.jpg\" alt=\"The Sedition Act of 1798\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cp\u003e The Sedition Act of 1798\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\r\n\u003c/tr\u003e\r\n\u003c/tbody\u003e\r\n\u003c/table\u003e","menu":[{"path":"lives-early-america","title":"Famous Lives","submenu":[{"path":"lives-early-america/autobiography-benjamin-franklin","title":"Autobiography of Ben Franklin"},{"path":"lives-early-america/ramsays-life-washington","title":"Ramsay's The Life of Washington"},{"path":"lives-early-america/adventures-col-daniel-boone","title":"The Adventures of Col. Daniel Boone"},{"path":"lives-early-america/true-story-paul-revere","title":"The True Story of Paul Revere"},{"path":"world-early-america/famous-obits","title":"Famous Obits"},{"path":"portrait","title":"Portraits"},{"path":"rare-images/last-men-revolution","title":"The Last Men of the Revolution"}]},{"path":"freedom-documents","title":"Freedom Documents","submenu":[{"path":"freedom-documents/bill-rights","title":"Bill of Rights"},{"path":"freedom-documents/declaration-independence","title":"Declaration of Independence"},{"path":"freedom-documents/u-s-constitution","title":"The U.S. Constitution"}]},{"path":"world-early-america","title":"World of Early America","submenu":[{"path":"bookmarks","title":"Early American Bookmarks"},{"path":"world-early-america/famous-obits","title":"Famous Obits"},{"path":"firsts","title":"Firsts!"},{"path":"rare-images/maps","title":"Maps"},{"path":"rare-images","title":"Rare Images"},{"path":"music1","title":"Music"},{"path":"writings","title":"The Writings of Early America"}]},{"path":"boston-massacre","title":"Boston Massacre"},{"path":"milestone-events","title":"Milestones"},{"path":"early-america-review","title":"The Review"},{"path":"home/teachers-students","title":"Teachers"},{"path":"sitemap","title":"Sitemap"}]},"success":true}