to gratify their curiosity, and a few, like Mr. When intelligence of these high-handed Ross, the United States Senator, hastened proceedings reached Philadelphia, the “Demto the field to restrain the people and pre- ocratic societies "the prototypes of the vent mischief. The prompt response of the Knights of the Golden Circle of our daymasses delighted the leaders. They re- were jubilant because of the late brilliant garded it as a token of confidence in them victories of the French arms. They had reand the earnestness of the people in the covered from their depression caused by cause. Colonel Cook, one of the judges of former reverses suffered by the French army, Fayette County, was called to preside over and the disgrace of Genet, and were now the great meeting of armed citizens, and assailing the administration with unsparing Albert Gallatin, who had lately been refused malignity. The Philadelphia society did, a seat in the Senate of the United States be- indeed, pass a resolution which, after execause of ineligibility, as shown by his natu- crating the excise law in terms sufficient to ralization papers, was appointed secretary. give sustenance to the rebellion, disapproved Bradford, "before whom everybody cringed," of the violent acts of resistance. But Presassumed the position of Major-General, and ident Washington had no faith in the sinreviewed the troops. His design seems to cerity of their leaders. He regarded them have been to march upon Pittsburg, seize as artful and designing men, while the great upon Fort Pitt and its arms and ammuni- body of the membership whom they contion, and declare the counties west of the trolled he believed meant well, and knew Alleghanies an independent State. He was little of their real plans for sowing "among one of the earliest avowed secessionists who the people the seeds of jealousy and distrust appears in our history. But timid or more of the Government by destroying all confiloyal militia officers refused to co-operate dence in the administration of it." "I conwith him to that infamous extent. Bracken-sider this insurrection," he wrote to Govridge counselled against the measure, and ernor Lee of Virginia, in August, "as the the scheme was abandoned. first formidable fruit of the Democratic Emboldened by the formidable demonstra-societies, brought forth, I believe, too tion on Braddock's Field, the insurgent lead- prematurely for their own views, which ers expelled all the excise officers who re- may contribute to the annihilation of mained. Some were brutally treated and them." their houses burned, even in districts where the opposition had hitherto been less violent. The insurgent spirit spread into the neighboring counties of Virginia, and the rebellion began to assume huge proportions. The President called a cabinet council. All regarded the moment as a critical one for the republic. If the insurrection in Pennsylvania should not be immediately checked, like or similar causes might proA meeting had been held at Mingo Creek duce like effects in other parts of the republate in July, near where the chief insurgents lic. The example of the whiskey-makers resided, when it was agreed to hold a con- might become infectious, and the very founvention at Parkinson's Ferry, on the Monon-dations of the State be shaken. It was agreed gahela, three weeks later. As the day for that forbearance must end, and the effective that convention approached matters assumed power of the executive arm must be put forth more threatening aspects. As in most re- to suppress the rising rebellion. Accordbellions, the measure of actual armed re-ingly, on the 7th of August, Washington sistance to the execution of the national issued a proclamation warning the insurlaws was advocated by only a few violent gents to disperse, and declaring that if tranand reckless men. Of these Bradford was quillity should not be restored in the disthe chief. With a desperate few, armed by turbed counties before the 1st of September, terrorism composed of threats and violence, or in about twenty days, an armed force he overawed the people, established an ab- would be employed to compel submission to solute despotism, and converted a whole the laws. At the same time the President community into a band of rebels, who, under made a requisition on the governors of New wise and righteous counsellors, might have Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virbeen loyal petitioners to a listening govern-ginia for militia sufficient to compose an ment for a redress of grievances. army of thirteen thousand men. It was estimated that the insurgent counties could | structed by combinations too powerful to be raise sixteen thousand fighting men. 66 suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, he issued the proclamation and made the requisition already mentioned, and fixed the time for movement of the troops on the 1st of September. General Mifflin, a leading Democrat, who had taken an active part in the convivial meetings of his party when they welcomed Genet to Philadelphia, was then Governor of Pennsylvania. When the proposition of a The President resolved, however, to offer majority of the Cabinet to call out the mili- the insurgents the olive-branch before sendtia was suggested to him, he, expressed a ing the sword. He appointed three comdoubt of the expediency of the measure, as missioners to proceed to the insurgent disit might exasperate the rebels and increase trict, and arrange, if possible, any time bethe difficulty. IIe doubted his own author- fore the 14th of September, an effectual ity to make such a call, and questioned submission to the laws. Governor Mifflin whether the militia of his sovereign State appointed two commissioners to represent would pay a passive obedience to the the State, and at the same time issued two mandates of the Government"--whether proclamations, one for convening the Legisthere would not be a divided Pennsylvania. lature, and the other calling upon the rebels He wished to act independently of the to submit to the laws, assuring them that he General Government, believing that his should respond to the President's requisiState was able of itself to suppress insur- tion for troops. rection within its borders, and to punish the offenders under the due course of State law. He was therefore disposed to content himself with an expression of official indignation, and the issuing of orders for the State officers in the West to use all their authority to suppress the tumults. Randolph, the Democratic Attorney-General, coincided with Mifflin in his views. He expressed great fears that if the National Government should attempt coercion there would be civil war. Brackenridge had written a letter to a friend in Philadelphia, which had been sent to the Cabinet, doubtless for the purpose of intimidating it, in which he maintained that the Western counties were able to defend themselves, and suggested that the midland counties would not be disposed to allow the march of national troops to the West over their sacrel soil! He also intimated that if coercion should be attempted, the insurgents might make application to Great Britain for aid, and even march on Philadelphia, the national capital. Washington was not to be trifled with. He perceived the danger and the necessity for prompt action, and resolved to discard every semblance of a temporizing policy with the rebels. When Mifflin refused to call out the militia of his State, he took the responsibility on himself; and after making the necessary arrangements, by obtaining a certificate from a judge of the Supreme Court that in certain counties the execution of the laws of the United States was ob These commissioners went over the mountains together, and found the Convention already mentioned in session at Parkinson's Ferry. There were more than two hundred delegates present. The meeting was held in a grove upon the crown of a hill overlooking the Monongahela. Near by stood a tall pole bearing the words, in large letters, "LIBERTY AND NO EXCISE! NO ASYLUM FOR COWARDS AND TRAITORS!" Colonel Cook was Chairman, and Albert Gallatin was Secretary. It was evident that those who evoked the storm were alarmed at its unexpected fury. Gallatin and Brackenridge had already perceived the folly and danger of their course, and the dilemma into which the people were plunged, and they were endeavoring by conciliatory measures to extricate them. Marshall had offered a resolution for the appointment of a committee of public safety, empowered "to call forth the resources of the western country to repel any hostile attempts against the citizens." Gallatin had boldly moved to refer the motion to a select committee, but quailing before the eye of Bradford, no one present dared second it. Marshall, already wavering, had finally offered to withdraw it, provided a committee of sixty be appointed with power to call another meeting. This was done, and a committee of fifteen were appointed to confer with the National and State commissioners. In all their proceedings no one dared to go so far as to agree to submit to the excise. There had been great and unexpected alacrity in the response to the President's call. A most gratifying manifestation of loyalty was exhibited on every hand. The citizens readily contributed means for the support of the wives and children of the volunteers during their absence; and the quota of each State, composed chiefly of vol and effectually when the troops approached. Bradford and his associates, over-estimating the strength and disloyalty of the Democratic party, had laughed at the President's proclamation calling for troops. He did not believe that the people of the loyal portion of the country could be induced to appear in arms against their brethren who were, in The commissioners and the committee of fifteen met a few days afterward at Pittsburg. Marshall, Brackenridge, Cook, Gallatin, and Bradford, were of that committee. All but the latter were favorable to an accommodation. The commissioners demanded from the committee of sixty an explicit declaration of their determination to submit to the laws of the United States, and their rec-unteers, was promptly furnished. ommendation to the citizens at large to do It was soon evident that this military exlikewise; and also to abstain from all oppo-pedition was highly necessary. The insursition, direct or indirect, and especially from gent spirit was rapidly spreading, and had violence or threats against the excise officers appeared at Carlisle and other places east of or the loyal distillers. The commissioners the mountains. It was checked suddenly promised, on the part of the Government, in the event of a compliance with these requirements and perfect submission to the laws, a final pardon and oblivion of all offences. The committee of fifteen agreed that these terms were reasonable, and proceeded to call a meeting of the committee of sixty. Bradford and his bad associates were dis-imitation of their Revolutionary fathers, only satisfied. Tom the Tinker declared in the Pittsburg Gazette, that the conferees had been bribed by the Government, and an armed party assembled, when the sixty convened, to overawe them. Such would have been the effect but for the courage and address of Gallatin, seconded by Brackenridge. They urged submission; but Bradford, in a violent harangue, called upon the people to continue their resistance, and to form an independent State. Bad counsels finally prevailed, and the commissioners re- But Bradford and his more violent associturned to the seat of Government without ates were compelled to come down from their accomplishing the object of their mission. stilts. They were amazed when they heard On the day after the return of the com- that Democratic leaders, like Mifflin, were missioners (September 25) the President is- in arms against them; and when they learned sued another proclamation, giving notice of that the troops were actually approaching the advance of the troops. Governor Henry the Eastern slope of the Alleghanies they Lee, of Virginia ("Legion Harry" of the fled from the country. Calmer thought and Revolution), was appointed Commander-in-wiser counsels prevailed. A new convention chief of the expedition. The Virginia troops were led by the veteran General Morgan, and those of Maryland by General Smith, then Member of Congress, from Baltimore. These, forming the left wing, assembled at Cumberland, thence to march across the mountains by Braddock's Road. Governors Mifflin and Howell led in person the respective troops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. These formed the right wing. They rendezvoused at Bedford, to cross the mountains by what was known as the north route. seeking to establish their independence of the tyrannical National Government at Philadelphia, and asked for nothing more than to be let alone. They had resolved not to submit to a tariff on their staple production, nor allow the National Government to coerce them into submission to its laws; and it was an infringement of their sovereign rights as freeman, and a great public crime to inaugurate a civil war by sending troops to subjugate them. was held at Parkinson's Ferry, when resolutions to submit were adopted. Findley, who had found it much easier to arouse the bad passions of men than to control them, and had mustered courage sufficient to place himself decidedly on the side of law and order, was despatched, with another, to meet the advancing troops with proffers of loyalty, and, if possible, to stay their progress. The President and Secretary of the Treasury had accompanied the right wing of the army, and were at Carlisle when Findley and his associate arrived there. Washington | from the country of the late rebels. Twentytreated the penitent insurgents kindly, but five hundred of them encamped in the disthey did not bring sufficient evidences of trict, under General Morgan, until spring, the loyalty of their constituents to cause when every vestige of disloyalty had disaphim to countermand the order for the forward peared. march of the troops. The alarmed ambassadors immediately turned back, crossed the mountains in great haste, and called another meeting at Parkinson Ferry. With fuller assurances of the absolute submission of the insurgents, Findley, recrossed the Alleghanies to stay the march of the national troops. The President had returned to Philadelphia, leaving Hamilton to act as his deputy. The Minister was not satisfied. He would not trust the professions of loyalty made by men so lately in rebellion. The troops moved steadily onward. They crossed the Alleghanies in a heavy rain-storm, encountering mud knee-deep in many places. The two wings of the army met at Uniontown, and proceeded together to the disaffected district. Lee made his head-quarters at Parkinson Ferry, and there issued a proclamation of offering conditional pardon and peace. The inhabitants were all required to take the oath of allegiance to the United States. Thus terminated a rebellion engendered by politicians, which at one time threatened the stability, if not the very existence of the Republic. It was put down without the shedding of a drop of blood. This result was owing chiefly to the wisdom, prudence, vigilance, energy, and personal popularity of the President. He did not wait until the rebellion had assumed proportions too great to be managed with ease. He comprehended the magnitude of the threatened evil and his duty respecting it, and was fearless and energetic in the performance of that duty. The event, so ominous of dire calamity at one time, was overruled for the production of great good. The Government was amazingly strengthened by it. The national authority was fully vindicated; and the general rally to its support when the Chief sounded the bugle-call, even of those who had hitherto leaned toward or acted with the opposition, was a significant omen of future stability and power. Every honest man A few days after this proclamation was expressed his reprobation of the violent reissued General Lee made a seizure of all sistance to law, and the Democratic Societies persons supposed to have been criminally the chief fomenters of the insurrection, concerned in the late violent proceedings. showed a desire to be less conspicuous. The most guilty had fled from the country. Hamilton, who had always distrusted the Many were dismissed for want of evidence against them, and a considerable number were bound over for trial at Philadelphia. Only two were found guilty of capital offences, and sentenced to be hung-one for arson, the other for robbing the mail. There were palliating circumstances in their cases and the President finally pardoned them. Most of the troops were soon withdrawn strength of the Government in such an emergency, was now perfectly convinced of its inherent power, and both he and Washington regarded the affair as a fortunate circumstance for the nation. And thus it will ever be with this Republic; for its foundations are laid upon the the solid foundations of Truth and Justice. POETRY.-Extracts from Rev. T. H. Stockton's Poems, 482. J. G. Whittier, 516. The Nation's Prayer, 516. Sailor Boy, 516. the Cross, 528. Absence, 528. To Englishmen; by SHORT ARTICLES.-Poison for the whole Animal Kingdom, 515. Mother of Louis Napoleon, 515. 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