The Pete Quiñones Show Episode 1348: The Road to Civil War Pt. 4 - The 'Principles of '98' - w/ George Bagby
Mar 26, 2026
A lively dive into how the French Revolution reshaped early American politics and fueled partisan conflict. Stories of Citizen Genêt, the Neutrality Proclamation, and the quasi-war with France set the scene. The controversial Alien and Sedition laws, prosecutions, and the Kentucky and Virginia responses are explored. The talk traces how the Principles of 1798 influenced later states' rights and nullification debates.
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Alien Acts Born From Quasi War Security Fears
- The Alien Acts responded to real security fears during the quasi-war with France, targeting foreign agents who lobbied and funded subversion.
- Bagby explains John Adams and Federalists passed alien removal and residency rules after Genêt's meddling and Atlantic attacks.
Sedition Act Directly Targeted Criticism Of Officials
- The Sedition Act criminalized publishing 'false, scandalous, and malicious' statements against government officials, provoking First Amendment concerns.
- Bagby reads the statute and highlights punishments: fines up to $2,000 and imprisonment up to two years for such publications.
Matthew Lyon Won Re election From Jail After Sedition Conviction
- Matthew Lyon, a Republican congressman and newspaper editor, was prosecuted under the Sedition Act yet re-elected from his jail cell.
- Bagby recounts Lyon's volatile behavior in Congress and how his imprisonment backfired politically.
