vision2020
Re: Guns, again
TC
Whiskey Rebellion, series of disturbances in 1794 aimed against the
enforcement of a U.S. federal law of 1791 imposing an excise tax on whiskey.
The burden of the tax, which had been sponsored by the Federalist leader and
secretary of the treasury Alexander Hamilton, fell largely on western
Pennsylvania, then one of the chief whiskey-producing regions of the
country. The grain farmers, most of whom were also distillers, depended on
whiskey for almost all their income, and they considered the law an attack
on their liberty and economic well-being. Organized resistance to the tax,
even including the tarring and feathering of federal revenue officials,
rapidly assumed grave proportions. Warrants for the arrest of a large number
of noncomplying distillers were issued by the federal authorities in the
spring of 1794; in the riots that followed a federal officer was killed, and
a mob burned the home of the regional inspector of the excise. In a
proclamation issued in August 1794, President George Washington ordered the
insurgents to disperse and requested the governors of Pennsylvania,
Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia to mobilize contingents of militia. The
president also dispatched three commissioners to Parkinson's Ferry,
Pennsylvania, to negotiate with delegates representing the western section
of the state, but the negotiations proved fruitless. On October 14, 1794,
Washington ordered the militia to proceed to the western counties. They met
little resistance. The troops seized a number of people, most of whom were
soon released for want of evidence. Two offenders were convicted of treason,
but they were pardoned by Washington.
The so-called Whiskey Rebellion is important in U.S. history mainly because
it provided the first real test of the federal government's prerogatives and
law enforcement power, including the president's right to command the use of
state militias.
"Whiskey Rebellion," Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2000. © 1993-1999
Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
----- Original Message -----
From: T&E <cumming@idaho.tds.net>
To: <Vision2020@moscow.com>
Sent: Friday, September 24, 1999 5:39 AM
Subject: Re: Guns, again
>
>
> >> Stan
> >>
> >> I will await you references. But I must say I would not consider the
NRA
> >> or the SAF very good sources.
> >
> >ah! I see. no refernce I site will be good enough for you will it? if
> >they disagree with you thier obvisouly biased and lieing.
>
> Actually, I would be interested in seeing the souces of
> this information as well. It is true that some people or
> organizations will manipulate or ignore facts for their own
> personal benefit (as in the tobacco industries or the Neo- Nazis)
> but if, say, the NRA supports "their" evidence with a scientific
> study from an accredited college, then is it really biased?
> If someone thinks so, perhaps they can seek out the next
> reference by looking for the results of said study.
>
> >> Also, reference the Wiskey Rebellion, you mention that any decent post
> >> revolutionary history book would have it. What is a decent book to you?
>
> >> Please give me YOUR reference.
> >
> >nice try. but a not very subtle attempt. I will site a title, and you
> >will dismiss it, sorry, I played that game before, not playing it
> >again. I have better things to do with my time. (and trying to say
> >"see! he can't site a thing" isin't going to work., been there, done
> >that, got the T-shirt AND the water bottle)
> >
>
> History was never my strong point, and this "Whiskey Rebellion"
> topic introduced recently is new to me. Is this about Prohibition,
> or am I missing the point completely?
> T. C.
>
>
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