, considered less
probable than ever. After the death of Washington, which occurred on
the 4th December, 1799, during the Presidency of Mr. Adams, political
excitement ran high in the United States. At the expiration of Mr.
Adams' term of office, there were, as candidates for the Chief
Magistracy of the Union, and for the Vice-Presidency:--Mr. Jefferson
and Mr. Burr, on the one side, and Mr. Adams and Mr. C. D. Pinckney, on
the other. Mr. Adams, elected by the Federalist or Tory party, had
given much offence to the Democratic party, by his law against
sedition, designed to punish the abuse of speech and of the press. By
this law a heavy fine was to be imposed, together with an imprisonment
for a term of years, upon such as should combine or conspire together,
to "oppose _any_ measure of the government." No one, on any pretence,
under pain of similar punishment, was to write or print, utter or
publish, any malicious writing against the government of the United
States, or against either House of the Congress, or against the
President. In a word, the liberty of discussion was annihilated. A more
extraordinary law could not possibly have been put upon the Statute
Books of a country, where every official, being elective by the people,
his conduct, while in office was, in a common sense point of view, open
to popular animadversion. As far as producing the effect contemplated
was concerned, the law was altogether inefficacious. The people met and
talked together against their President, the Senate, and the House of
Representatives. Nay, Mr. Adams lost what he designed to secure, his
re-election, by it. The Democrats were furiously opposed to him. While
Messrs. Jefferson and Burr got each seventy-three votes, the opposition
candidates for President and Vice-President, Messrs. Adams and Pinckney
only got, for the former, sixty-five votes, and for the latter,
sixty-four. Messrs. Burr and Jefferson having each an equal number of
votes, it became the duty of the House of Representatives, voting by
States, to decide between these pretenders to the chief power in the
State. The constitution provided that the person having the greatest
number of votes should be President, and that the person having the
next highest number of votes should be Vice-President. For several days
the ballot was taken. The Federalists or Tories supported Mr. Burr, and
the Democrats Mr. Jefferson. At last the choice fell upon the latter,
and Mr. Burr was electe