Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-06-08

~"Ss~ -. S""ey VI HOoeVus tuS
punishment whereof, in this and all
other cases of treason, is death.
This punishment is provided for in
section l Of the judiciary Act, and
the mode Of death is regulated by sec
ton 33 Of the same Act, in these words !:
The manner Of inficting the punish
ment Of death shall be BY hanging the
persons convicted by the neck until
dead. ' '' '..'''s' '4'i9'1'' ''e' e
Again, treason consists in giving aid
and comfort to the enemy, and, on con-
viction of the offender, he is in a like
manner subject to the punishment of
death. Giving aid and comfort to the
enemy, consists in furnishing military
supplies orprovisions Of any kind, such
as arms, ammunition, food or clothing,
or in harboring, concealing, or commu-
nicating information to the enemy, or
i'll any way helping on hostilities against
the country and its government. This
includes all acts of seizing or holding
forts, arsenals and dockyards Of the
United States, and like acts Of hostile
aggression, all acts OF building, man.
ming. victualing, or fitting out vessels
to aid in hostilities against the govern
mcnt; sending provisions, arms or sup
plies, or in raising or obtaining credit
for the enemy; in short, any and every
traitorous purpose manifested by overt
acts, is treason, either as amounting to
"lcvying war" or giving aid and
comfort" to the enemy.
u.-MIsPRIsIoN OF TREASON.
This conaists simply in concealing
the knowledge Of any act OF treason
committed by others. Any person
having knowledge Of such acts, if he
does not make it known to the Presi-
dent of the United States, or to one
of the Judges of the United States, or
to the Governor of the State, or to
some Judge or Justice of the Peace, is
guilty of misprision of treason, the
punishment for which is not exceed
ing seven years imprisonment, and o
fine of not exceeding $1,000 for the
offence. This punishment is prescribed
by section 2 of the Judiciary act. ..
TIE CASE OF AARON BURR.
This is the law of to-day touching
treason, and in connection with this it
may not be inappropriate to give a
brief outline the case of Aaron Burr.
about which there is a great deal of
nisapprehension, growing, probably,
out Of an imperfect knowledge of the
facts. 1t is hardly necessary to alludc
to the case of Benedict Arnold, as that
is pretty we'll understood. But it is
far otherwise with regard to Burr. He
was never convicted of treason or mis-
demeanor, though tried on both.
Col. Aaron Burr was arrested on the
Tombigbce river, in then the Territory
of Mississippi, on the 10Th Of F February,
1907, and brought to Richmond, Va,
under military escort on the Goth Of
the same month, and delivered over to
the civil authority, by virtue Of war
rant issued by the Chief Justice of the
United States, (Marshall,) grounded on
the charges Of high misdcmeanor, IN
setting OH foot and preparing, within
the territories Of the United States, a
military expedition, to be carried on
from thence against the dominions Of
the King Of Spain, with whom the
United States were then. at peace; and
also of treason against the United
States. ssi i0a be'eaa go
He was brought before Chief JUS
tice Marshall for examination. and was
at first admitted to bail, but was subse-
quently indicted for treason by. the
Grand Jury, and was then committed
to Jail. The venue or place Of the
alleged offense was Blcnnerhassett's
leland, far down the Ohio river. and
now a portion, | believe, Of Wood
county, in the State Of Ohio, but then
belonging to that vast and magnificent
northwest territory which was embraced
within the District Of Virginia; and
hence the fact that he was tried at Rich
mond. He was acquitted Of treason by
the jury, it appearing to them that the
object Of his military preparations was
not to overthrow the Government Of
the United States, but to invade Mexi-
co, which was then y dependency Of
the Grown of Spain. He was then i'm
mcdiately placed on trial FOR a nisde-
meanor, an indictment for which had
been found against him, but the jury
being unable to agree on q verdict, he
was finally discharged. But the trial
Of Burr, and the proceedings agsinst
his coadjutors, Blennerhassett, Floyd,
DAYTON, Tyler, Rollma,,, Swartwout,
and the two Smiths, has been the occa-
sion Of drawing forth from Chief JUS
tice Marshall and other eminent judges.