Matthew Lyon Post Office Building
MATTHEW LYON POST OFFICE BUILDING
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Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5245, a bill I introduced to rename the Fair Haven, Vermont, post office in honor of Matthew Lyon, an American patriot and staunch defender of First Amendment rights.
I would like to thank Chairman Davis and Ranking Member Waxman for their help in moving this bill through the Government Reform Committee. I would also like to thank Jeffrey Schulz, the Fair Haven Town Manager, and the Fair Haven Select Board for supporting this legislation.
Matthew Lyon was born in Dublin, Ireland, on July 14, 1749, and immigrated to colonial America in 1765 as an indentured servant. In 1774 he purchased land in the area of the Hampshire Grants now known as Wallingford, Vermont, and soon after joined Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys militia where he led his own unit in defending their land from competing claimants as well from British attacks from the north. In Vermont, he was involved in encouraging the formation of citizen committees across the state to discuss national and state issues, meet with their elected officials, and ensure that their government was being operated in the best interest of all citizens.
In 1783, Matthew Lyon founded the town of Fair Haven. He served in the Vermont State Legislature for 14 years before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to serve as Vermont's Congressional representative from 1797-1801. Interestingly, he also represented the State of Kentucky in the U.S. House from 1803-1811.
Matthew Lyon, however, is perhaps best known for being the first person to stand trial and be convicted under the 1798 Sedition Act--sweeping legislation passed during a period when America was engaged in hostilities with France. As we're all aware, the purpose of the legislation was to curtail dissent from citizens and members of the press who opposed President John Adams' foreign policy toward France. The legislation was unquestionably a direct attack on rights explicitly protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
For violating provisions of the Sedition Act, Matthew Lyon was convicted and sentenced to four months in jail, required to pay the cost of his prosecution and a fine of $1,000. His only crime was writing a letter to the editor critical of President John Adams' foreign policy toward France and submitting another person's similar writings to a local newspaper that published them. Although he was jailed, he continued to exercise his Constitutional rights by expressing his views and actively opposing the Sedition Act's anti-free speech provisions. He was even re-elected to Congress from prison in December of 1798.
Eventually, the Sedition Act was allowed to sunset according to its terms and President Thomas Jefferson pardoned those still serving in prison under the Act and remitted their fines. Decades later, Congress passed a law that reimbursed Matthew Lyon's heirs and representatives for the fines he was forced to pay under the Sedition Act.
This remarkable story is not only one that makes the citizens of my state proud but also represents an event of national historical significance. Too often today, we forget the struggles that many who came before us undertook to preserve freedom of speech, the press, and the right to assemble. This post office will serve as a reminder to Vermonters, the nation, and all those who visit Fair Haven, of the heroic efforts made in the past to protect the rights of all to speak freely, no matter what political viewpoint or ideas they may have.
At a time when we find ourselves struggling to balance the security of our nation with the liberties we cherish, I can think of no better time to honor one of our nation's champions of the First Amendment's right of free speech. Naming the Fair Haven Post Office in honor of Matthew Lyon would be a fitting tribute to him and his fight for liberty, and would serve as a reminder of Fair Haven's connection to this great American patriot.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill; to honor Matthew Lyon, a patriotic American who through his actions more than 200 years ago, reminds us of the importance of freedom of speech in our country.
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