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THOMAS COOPER. 777

asked if this editor who was attacking the President was
the same Thomas Cooper who once sought office of the man
he now reviled. Cooper replied that he was the same man
and could see nothing improper in what he had done. Not
he, but John Adams, had changed. In 1797 the President
“‘was hardly in the infancy of political mistakes."’ Then
he had not declared a Republican government might mean
anything; had not sanctioned the Alien and Sedition Laws
and the abolition of trial by jury; had not saddled the coun-
try with the expense of a standing army; had not inflicted
it with a permanent navy; had not brought its credit so low
as to borrow money at eight per cent; had not planned em-
bassies to Russia, Prussia and the Sublime Porte, nor inter-
fered with the course of justice, nor delivered poor Rob-
bins to the mock-trial of a British court martial.

For this publication Cooper was indicted under the Se-
dition Act for libeling the President of the United States.
He pleaded not guilty, pleaded the trath of the facts, and
asked subpoenas to issue for the President and a number of
the members of the Senate and House. Judge Chase for-
bade this and declared the attempt to subpoena the Presi-
dent an improper and indecent act. Congress being in ses-
sion, the members summoned night have stood upon their
privileges and refused to come. But they came voluntarily,
sat through the trial, and were made no use of by Cooper.

‘When the jury had pronounced him guilty and the sen-
tence of the court was about to be imposed, Judge Chase
asked who was to pay the fine. If the Republican party,
then the court would go to the very limit of the law. If
Mr. Cooper, then the court would consider the circum-
stances. Judge Peters frankly declared that the matter of
party had nothing to do with the fine. Mr. Cooper was to
be punished, and not the Republican party. The fine was,
therefore, made four hundred dollars, and the term of im-
prisonment fixed at six months?

1This narrative of the Trial is taken from MeMaster’s descrip-
tion of it in Vol. 2, Hist. People U. S., pp. 465-467.

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