Everyday Ethics: A patriot’s advice to future citizens
Sometimes the past explodes into the present. Such was the case when I reread a book my brother and I wrote two years ago about our ancestor, Matthew Lyon, a revolutionary war hero.
Lyon, a Vermont congressman and an early Republican leader was tossed into jail for criticizing then-President John Adams under the 1798 Alien and Sedition Act. He accused Adams of “an unbounded thirst for ridiculous pomp “An Irish immigrant, Lyon was fearful of Adams assuming too much power, turning the presidency into what the revolution had fought again — a king.
As we neared completion of the manuscript, we wondered what Lyon might say to us today, over two hundred years in the future.
Here are a few excerpts from the last chapter of our book: “Resisting Tyranny, The Story of Matthew Lyon, Early American Patriot.” Fellow Citizens:
I realize I am but an immigrant from Ireland brought here on a ship as an indentured servant, not knowing anyone and having been sold to a wealthy businessman to work off my indebtedness.
I was saddened and shocked to find that in 1798 the Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Act, part was which was directed toward limiting immigration into your country. That act added to the residency requirement so that the requirement for citizenship was increased from five to fourteen years and to make matters more ominous it established a federal registrar of all aliens, thus centralizing power at the federal level. The Alien Friends Act then gave the president to depart aliens he suspected of being dangerous, but only in times of war. This act was not invoked.
As a newspaper publisher myself I was afraid the President might limit the first amendment and seek to squelch free speech. So, I spoke loudly and clearly against Adams and went to jail for that reason. He wanted to stifle free speech, especially any words directed against him. You were created to think and act for yourselves, not be puppets for some supposedly small, elite group who prided themselves in putting you down and themselves up.
I took the oath of office to defend the constitution, I didn’t think I would have to do so against the president’s desire to bypass it by leading the way in passing laws to control our criticisms of him. He might appear strong, but he was thin-skinned and egotistical, thinking he was more important than the people and constitution he had pledged to support. That’s when they become tyrants trying to get by force what they couldn’t get by persuasion.
What would I advise you fellow citizens of the future?
First and foremost, protect and defend your first amendment. It is the very source of your freedom, and anyone who seeks to diminish the protections there is not a patriot . ... Second, beware when too much power is invested in too few people. Too much power in too few hands can lead to tyranny and often to its abuse.
Third, beware of foreign alliances. How well I remember the words warning us against foreign alliances by our departing President George Washington. He didn’t say we shouldn’t have them; he just cautioned against finding our country taken over by another, as he might well have thought after fighting the British. Of course, in that same address, he warned against the divisions caused by political parties.
Fourth, protect and defend your republic, whether from without or within. I believe that the worst threats come from within, from those who would subvert the values we uphold such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
... Take being a citizen seriously. Organize for good causes. Work for leaders who support all the people not just a few of them. Vote as if your life depended on it, because it does. Speak out against oppression of all kinds. Keep leaders under watch; the best form of leadership in a democracy is that of citizen patriots, not permanent office holders. Seek truth. Challenge lies.
... This my sincere prayer for you.
M. LYON