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Amer. State Papers, Miscellaneous
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Historical SummaryThe papers relating to the mission to France, communicated to Congress April 3, 1798, were printed by order of the Senate April 9. The publication of the dispatches "solidified opposition to France, and gave both houses to Federalist control. Leading republican journalists were chiefly foreigners, and one of the first objects of the Federalists was to muzzle these aliens" (Johnston). The result of these efforts was the passage of the four acts following, known collectively as the alien and sedition acts. REFERENCES. — For the texts of the acts, and their legislative history, see under each act, following. For the proceedings in Congress, see House and Senate Journals, 5th Cong. 2d Sess.; for the debates, see the Annals, 5th Cong., or Benton’s , II. The adverse report of a committee of the House, Feb. 21, 1799, on petitions for the repeal of the laws, is in , I., 181–184. A "bill respecting alien enemies" was introduced in the House May 18, 1798, considered in Committee of the Whole House on the 22d, and the next day, by a vote of 46 to 44, recommitted. The committee reported an amended bill June 8; on the same day the "act concerning aliens" was received from the Senate, and both bills were made the order of the day for June 11. The alien enemies bill was not reached until the 25th; the next day it passed the House. On the 27th the Senate referred the bill to the committee having also in charge the sedition bill; this committee reported an amended bill July 2, which passed the Senate on the 3d. On the same day the House agreed to the Senate amendments, and on the 6th the act was approved. REFERENCES. — Text in U. S. Stat. at Large, I., 577, 578. Compare Revised Statutes (ed. 1878), secs. 4067–4070. The text of the bill introduced May 18 is in the Annals, 5th Cong., under date of May 22.
No. 60.
Alien Enemies Act
July 6, 1798
An Act respecting Alien Enemies.
SECTION 1. Be it enacted . . . , That whenever there shall be a declared war between the United States and any foreign nation or government, or any invasion or predatory incursion shall be perpetrated, attempted, or threatened against the territory of the United States, by any foreign nation or government, and the President of the United States shall make public proclamation of the event, all natives, citizens, denizens, or subjects of the hostile nation or government, being males of the age of fourteen years and upwards, who shall be within the United States, and not actually naturalized, shall be liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured and removed, as alien enemies. And the President of the United States shall be, and he is hereby authorized, in any event, as aforesaid, by his proclamation thereof, or other public act, to direct the conduct to be observed, on the part of the United States, towards the aliens who shall become liable, as aforesaid; the manner and degree of the restraint to which they shall be subject, and in what cases, and upon what security their residence shall be permitted, and to provide for the removal of those, who, not being permitted to reside within the United States, shall refuse or neglect to depart therefrom; and to establish any other regulations which shall be found necessary in the premises and for the public safety: Provided, that aliens resident within the United States, who shall become liable as enemies, in the manner aforesaid, and who shall not be chargeable with actual hostility, or other crime against the public safety, shall be allowed, for the recovery, disposal, and removal of their goods and effects, and for their departure, the full time which is, or shall be stipulated by any treaty, where any shall have been between the United States, and the hostile nation or government, of which they shall be natives, citizens, denizens or subjects: and when no such treaty shall have existed, the President of the United States may ascertain and declare such reasonable time as may be consistent with the public safety, and according to the dictates of humanity and national hospitality.
[Sections 2 and 3 relate to the duties of courts and marshals in connection with this act.]
Contents:
Chicago: Benton, ed., "Alien Enemies Act," Amer. State Papers, Miscellaneous in Documentary Source Book of American History, 1606-1913, ed. William MacDonald (1863-1938) (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1916), 264–265. Original Sources, accessed February 11, 2025, http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=GD6TXCIEJ5ZXVRN.
MLA: . "Alien Enemies Act." Amer. State Papers, Miscellaneous, edited by Benton, Vol. I, in Documentary Source Book of American History, 1606-1913, edited by William MacDonald (1863-1938), New York, The Macmillan Company, 1916, pp. 264–265. Original Sources. 11 Feb. 2025. http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=GD6TXCIEJ5ZXVRN.
Harvard: (ed.), 'Alien Enemies Act' in Amer. State Papers, Miscellaneous. cited in 1916, Documentary Source Book of American History, 1606-1913, ed. , The Macmillan Company, New York, pp.264–265. Original Sources, retrieved 11 February 2025, from http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=GD6TXCIEJ5ZXVRN.
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