and conducted without moderation and prudence,
were justly chargeable with the excesses which have from time to time
been committed, serving to give consistency to an opposition, which had
at length matured to a point that threatened the foundations of the
government and the Union, unless speedily and effectually subdued."

The working of the federal government was then merely experimental, and
those who had charge of the complicated and precious machine, and
regarded it as the very ark of freedom, used its powers with wise
caution. Therefore, while occasional outrages in connection with the
excise laws were perpetrated, it was thought best to let coercive
measures against the law-breakers remain untried, until at the next
session of Congress some modifications of the law might be made to allay
excitement.

In May, 1792, an act of Congress became a law which materially modified
the provisions of the excise act. The duty on whiskey and stills was so
reduced as to silence all complaints on that head. All serious
objections to the old law were considered, and the act was so amended as
to promise peace; but there were men of influence who would not accept
these concessions, and they kept up the opposition excitement. The
well-disposed citizens were intimidated by the violent ones of the
opposition. In August, 1792, a meeting of the malcontents was held at
Pittsburgh, at which resolutions were passed no less objectionable than
those adopted the year before. After denouncing the tax on spirituous
liquors, they concluded by declaring that they considered it their duty
to "persist in remonstrances to Congress and every other legal measure
that might obstruct the operations of the law." Almost daily outrages
were committed, and three or four counties of western Pennsylvania
assumed many of the features of openly rebellious communities. It was
then that Washington, under the advice of Hamilton and others, issued
his proclamation of September the sixteenth, 1792, warning all persons
to desist from such unlawful combinations, _et cetera_.[67] Some legal
steps were taken against the malcontents, but these and the proclamation
were of little effect toward subduing the rebellious and quieting the
excitement. The officers of the law were still defied, denounced,
insulted, and abused.

At the next session of Congress (1792-'93) inefficient efforts were made
to amend the excise laws. The forbearance of the federal government was
cons