The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-05-02
THE Law OF TREASON AND PIRACY.
UNITED STATES CIRCUIT CoURT-April
24-Before Judge Belts.
Charge Of Judge Belts TO the Grand Jury

24.-Before Judge Belts.
Charge Of Judge Bets to the Grand Jur
TRAITORS TO be brought TO Justice.
AT the opening of the Court, the Bencl
was occupied by Judge Belts of this Dis
trict. and the Hon. William Sbipman o
the Connecticut District A Grand Jur,
having been impapeled, we're then ad
dressed By Judge Belts as follows:
GENTLEMEN OF THE GRAND JURY =
You are not called together at this time
for the discharge of the ordinary routine
of the duty of Grand Jurors. 1t will
therefore, be unnecessary that the Cour,
should address you on those topics You
are convened in solemn crisis of our ma
tional affairs as an important clement OF
the public force. toreDder aid iu prevent.
ing the Republic receiving BARN from O.
penenenies, or persons praoticiBg in secre;
against the safety and peace of the Gov
erDmeut. Your fellow citizens, called
from all svocations Of life, neighbers, kin
dred, brothers, and sons, at the national
appeal, arc rapidly mastering aud has
teniDg to the battle fields. braeely and
freely to peril their lives in support ofthe
vindication of the Constitution and laws
Of our common country, openly assaied
by hostile armies.
Your ministry, gentlemen, although
necessarily of a calw and peaceful char
acter, is only second in importance to
military power, in checking and counter
acting these heinous crimes set on foot a.
gainst the peace and existence of Gov
ernment, and the property and lives Of
the people. The most atrocious of ma.
tional offences are treason md piracy (the
latter Involving war against all mankind =,
equally with hostility against the country
to which the offenders oTe allegiance),
and coucomitant to treason, the lesser,
but yet beiuous, crime Of misprison of
treason. The latter is only second to
treason in being negative in its character,
in willfully emitting to do wha. the duty
Of a faithful citizen requires he should do
for the safety of his country.
Our Constitution declares treason to
"coosist in levying war against the Uni
ted States, or in adhering to their ene-
mics, giving them aid or comfort" The
law pronounces the penalty of death a.
goinst every one convicted of the oAeDse
in any particular Of its definition or de-
scription. Piracy consists in a forcibie
capture or robbery on the high seas of
any vessel of her Iading. by q vessel or
her company, not authorized By lawful
com mission from our Government, and
organized and acting under the Law Of
nations, and is punishable by death in
any tribunal of all countries, wbere the
ofFense is triable.
Two witoes@es to overt acts Of treason
are necessary to convict of the high crime,
or confession By the accused in open
Court His ADHESION OF acts done by
bin, made in writing or verbally. are le-
gal evidence, and become, 10 judgment of
law, tantamount to the testimony of two
witnesses. Giving aid or comfort to the
enemies of the country consists in furn-
ishing the military supplies, food, cloth
ing, harbor, or ooDeealDent, or conmuni
eating Information to them, helping their
hoStiIities against the country aud its
Government.
| avoid any explanation of the particu-
lar rules and doctrines of law applicable
to these offeDscs, as they arc more perti
nent to be given to petit Jurors when the
case comes before the Court upon all its
merits | poE wish to lay before you, in
comprehensive and distinct form, the
definitions of the offenses to which your
attention may be called.
1t is most probable that complaints will
be laid before you under this branch and
definition of the crime. Witbin it will
be included acts of building, manning or
10 any way fitting cut or victualiDg yes.
sells to aid the bostilities of our enemies;
sending provisions, arms, or other sup
plies to them, raising funds or obtaining
credit for their service; indeed, every
traitoroHs purpose manifested By acts,
committed in this district by persons ow-
ing allegiance to the country, will be acts
Of treason 1t is not necessary that the
accused should have raised or created
war by his ogn acts; be levles war by ac-
ting with those who have set it on foot, or
by seizing or holding ports, or like acts
OF hostile aggression.
The kindred crime or Disprison of trea.
son is this; If any person owing allegi-
anse to the Government has knowledge
OF acts of treason committed By others
within the jurisdiction Of the court, aud
does not make it known to the President
Of the United States. or one of the Judg-
es of the United States, or the Governor
of the State. or judge or magistrate
thereof, he becomes guilty Of Disprison of
treason. and subject to seven years i'm
prisonment and fine of 81 900 for the
offense, and it is the duty of the Grand
Jury to present for trial therefore such
offender, whatever may be his individual
connection or relationship With the often
der.
The belief Of individuals in the right Of
resisting Government, either individually
or By States, on the claim Of secession or
otherwise from the authority of the Gov
ernmeut, affords no Justification or palli.