[979] Adams to Lee, March 29, 1799; ib., 629.
[980] Cabinet to President, Sept. 7, 1799; Works: Adams, ix, 21-23; and same to same, May 20, 1799; ib., 59-60.
[981] Adams to Lee, May 21, 1800; ib., 60. For account of Fries's Rebellion see McMaster, ii, 435-39. Also Hildreth, v, 313.
[982] Pickering to Cabot, June 15, 1800; Lodge: Cabot, 275.
[983] "Public Conduct, etc., John Adams"; Hamilton: Works: Lodge, vii, 351-55; and see Gibbs, ii, 360-62.
[984] See Hamilton's arraignment of the Fries pardon in "Public Conduct, etc., John Adams"; Works: Lodge, vii, 351-55.
[985] McRee, ii, 551.
[986] "The Aurora, in analyzing the reasons upon which Fries, Hainy, and Getman have been pardoned brings the President forward as, by this act, condemning: 1. The tax law which gave rise to the insurrection; 2. The conduct of the officers appointed to collect the tax; 3. The marshal; 4. The witnesses on the part of the United States; 5. The juries who tried the prisoners; 6. The court, both in their personal conduct and in their judicial decisions. In short, every individual who has had any part in passing the law—in endeavoring to execute it, or in bringing to just punishment those who have treasonably violated it." (Gazette of the United States, reviewing bitterly the comment of the Republican organ on Adams's pardon of Fries.)
[987] Many Federalists regretted that Fries was not executed by court-martial. "I suppose military execution was impracticable, but if some executions are not had, of the most notorious offenders—I shall regret the events of lenity in '94 & '99—as giving a fatal stroke to Government.... Undue mercy to villains, is cruelty to all the good & virtuous. Our people in this State are perfectly astonished, that cost must continually be incurred for insurrections in Pennsylvania for which they say they are taxed & yet no punishment is inflicted on the offenders. I am fatigued & mortified that our Govt. which is weak at best, would withhold any of its strength when all its energies should be doubled." (Uriah Tracy to McHenry, on Fries, May 6, 1799; Steiner, 436.) And "I am in fear that something will occur to release that fellow from merited Death." (Same to same, May 20, 1790; ib.)
[988] "Public Conduct, etc., John Adams"; Hamilton: Works: Lodge, vii, 351-55.