REPRODUCTION PAGE 8 THE RIGHT TO DISAGRE

READ:

When John Adams was president, France and England were at war. The United States
wanted to remain neutral and carry on trade with all foreign countries. Neither France nor
England accepted this, and both attacked U. S. merchant ships.
Within the United States people took sides. Some wanted to help the British. Some wanted
to help the French. President Adams and most of the Congress favored the British. Vice-
President Thomas Jefferson and his followers favored the French.
Articles appeared in newspapers criticizing Adams and the government. Many articles
favored Jefferson and the French. Adams was furious. In 1798 Congress passed laws which
limited what people could say and write about the government. It became a crime to pub-
lish false, dishonorable, or critical comments about the President or Congress. If anyone
committed this crime they could be fined $2,000 and put in jail for two years. Nothing was
said about the vice-president, so the law did not apply to criticism of Jefferson.
A congressman from Vermont said President Adams had a continual grasp for power and
that he was selfish and a show-off. He was fined $1,000 and imprisoned for four months.
A newspaper reporter in Philadelphia criticized Adams and was fined $400 and imprisoned
for six months. Two other men said they wanted Jefferson to be president and were fined
and put in prison. When President Adams visited in New Jersey, cannon filled with wads of
cotton instead of cannonballs were shot off in his honor and as a protest. Someone in the
audience said he hoped one of the cotton wads would hit the president in the seat of his
pants. He was fined $100.

ANSWER.

2. Knowing that the Constitution protects freedom of speech and press, what argu
ments could Adams and his supporters make to defend their position? hey