810 Slide – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

778 X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

THE TRIAL!

In the United States Circuit Court, Philadelphia, Pennsyl-
venta, 1800.

Hoy, Samven CHaAsE,?
Hoy. Ricnasp Prress,? \ sadgos
April it.

An indictment had been found against Thomas Cooper
under the Sedition Act which made it a erime to be punished
by fine and imprisonment for any one to print or publish
any false, scandalous and malicious writings against the
Government, Congress or the President, with intent to de-
fame them, to bring them into contempt or to excite the
hatred of the people against them, for the following seditious
libel against John Adams, President of the United States.

The libelous matter set out in the indictment was os
follows:

“Nor do I see any impropriety in making this request of Mr.
Adams. At that time he had just entered into office; he was hardly
in the infancy of political mistakes; even thoee who doubted his
eapacity thought well of his intentious. Nor were we yet saddled
with the expense of 4 permanent navy, or threatened, ander his
auspices, with the existence of a standing army. Our credit was
not yet reduced so low as to horrew money at eight per cent in time
of peace, while the unnecessary violonee of official expressions might
justly have provoked a war. Mr. Adams had not yet projected his
embassies to Prussia, Russia and the Sublime Porte, nor had he yet

5 piblicgraphy. *“An account of the Trial of Thomas Cooper of
Northumberland, on # charge of libel against the President of the
‘United States, Taken in shorthand by Thomas Cooper.”

*Wharton’s State Trials, see 4 Am Bt. Tr., 616,

2 Case, Sawusz. (1741-1811.) Born Somerset Co., Md.; stud-
ied law at Annapolis and admitted to bar, 1761; member of Colonial
Legislature and prominent in Stamp Act agitation; a signer of the
Declaration of Independence; United States Commissioner (with
Franklin and Carroll) to Canada; removed to Baltimore, 1786;
Chief Justice Baltimore Criminal Court, 1788; member Maryland
eonvention to ratify the Federal Constitution; Chief Justice Gen-
eral Court, Maryland, 1791; Associate Justice Supreme Court of
the United States, 1796-1811.

"See 4 Am, St. Tr, 616,