So as I had mentioned on the last blog American immigration laws did not (and will not) get any better. On January 29th, 1795, the 1790 Naturalization Act was revised. This revision included the residency requirement was extended to 5 years. One of the reasons for this change was in response to the French Revolutionary War. By increasing the residency time to 5 years, anti- Americans and violent French revolutionaries could not come to America and become naturalized/citizens.
Not so long after the 1795 revision- during John Adams Presidency, the Naturalization Act was changed yet again. During Adams Presidency, the Acts that were revised caused allot controversy. The Naturalization Act of 1798, extended residency time again; from 5 years to 14 years. The Sedition Act was passed and was a threat on the constitutional right of Freedom of Speech. The Alien Act gave the President the right to incarcerate and deport foreigners that were considered to be dangerous. As a result of this law, any public assembly or publication that was released and was demonstrated any threat, criticism, or deemed to be critical of the government was at risk of being prosecuted and ultimately deported. These laws were passed by Adams Federalist Party to limit the Republican Party’s free speech and ability to vote (if they were not a citizen of the United States). The Alien and Sedition Act was definitely infringing on the Rights and Privileges the people of America had. Their are many examples of disciplinary actions that followed after this law and one example was the Government’s response to William Duane’s many articles. William Duane was the editor of one paper in the nation's capital, the Philadelphia Aurora, he became editor of the Aurora after the death of Benjamin Franklin Bache in 1798. One of the articles that was written was:
“Advertisement Extraordinary!!!” (Philadelphia) Aurora 14 July 1798
"Orator Mumtakes thisvery orderlymethod of announcing to his fellow citizens that a THINKING CLUB will be established in a few days at the sign of theMuzzleinGag Street. The first subject for cogitation will be: “Ought a Free People to obey laws which violate the constitution they have sworn to support?” N.B. No member will be permitted to think longer than fifteen minutes."
(http://explorepahistory.com/odocument.php?docId=347)
The next day, William Duane was attacked in his office by a group of Federal troops from the city's volunteer Calvary because they were not happy about the article he had written about them the day before. Duane was then taken to jail. “For his acerbic writings and influence in the Democratic-Republican party, the Federalists made Duane a chief target of persecution... In an effort to suppress the Aurora, Federalists challenged Duane’s citizenship and attempted to have him deported” (Belt).
We all know that laws are not made to be fair, they are made to benefit someone. In this case, Duane was persecuted for having an opinion. With efforts to maintain power and for fear that the public will rebel against government, laws kept and keep changing to mold into whatever society needs to be kept in restraint. This makes us think that before we vote for something right? what may seem like a simple legislation may have a master plan behind it and may not be for whatever reason we think we are voting...
Banning Lance, Liberty and Order: The First American Party Struggle, ed. and with a Preface by Lance Banning (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2004). Chapter: “Advertisement Extraordinary!!!” (Philadelphia) Aurora 14 July 1798
Accessed from http://oll.libertyfund.org/title/875/63978 on 2009-10-23
Belt, Gordon T. "Sedition Act of 1798: A brief history of arrests, indictments, mistreatment & abuse." First Amendment Center library manager. Accessed from http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/PDF/Sedition_Act_cases.pdf on 2009-10-20
Gragg, Larry American History: Passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts October 1998 issue of American History Magazine http://www.historynet.com/american-history-passage-of-the-alien-and-sedition-acts.htm/5
"William John Duane." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Oct. 2009
SenateNational Archives and Records Administration, Records of the U.S. Senatehttp://www.archives.gov/exhibits/treasures_of_congress/Images/page_5/19b.html
