Court Opinion

ID: 9300658
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-12-02 17:07:06.126156+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:13:40.361880
License: Public Domain

WASHINGTON, Circuit Justice
(charging jury). That the prisoner went from the British seventy-four to the shore, with an intention to procure provisions for the use of the enemy, is incontestibly proved, and, indeed, is not denied by his counsel. If this constituted the crime of treason, me motives which induced him to attempt the commission of it. and by which there are the strongest reasons to believe he was most sincerely actuated, would certainly palliate the enormity of it. But the law does not constitute such an act treason, even although these motives had not existed; and, although intentions and feelings as disloyal as ever stained the character of the most atrocious traitor, were proved against the prisoner. Can it be seriously urged, that if a man, contemplating an adherence to the enemy, by supplying them with provisions, should walk towards the market-house to purchase, or into his own fields to slaughter whatever he might find there, but should, in fact, do neither one or the other of the intended acts, he has committed an overt act of adhering to the enemy? Certainly not. All rests in intention merely, which our law of treason in no instance professes to punish. Carrying provisions towards the enemy, with intent to supply them, though this intention should be defeated on the way, would be very different from the act of going in search of provisions for such a purpose, and stopping short before any thing was effected, and whilst all rested in intention. In such a case, the motives which induced the prisoner to use his exertions to procure provisions, would take from his conduct every possible imputation of disloyalty and disaffection to his country. The intention to procure the means of effecting the liberation of himself and his fellow-prisoners, had it even been carried into execution, would have been an honest and generous one; even although the law should not have excused the act. If the object of the prisoner was to break his parole, after he had got to land, and to escape; it is one which would not meet our approbation. We can never be the apologist of disingenuous conduct, let who will practise it; and we are firmly of opinion, that nations, as well as individuals, will always find their best interests to be promoted by fidelity to their engagements, and by manifesting a disposition, too proud to descend to artifices to deceive even an enemy. But, although, as moralists, we cannot approve of an intention in the prisoner to violate the promise he had plighted to the enemy, yet, as judges, we must pronounce, that by doing so, he would have offended against no law of his country. But, if the intention of the prisoner was to procure provisions for the enemy, by uniting with him in acts of hostility against the United States dr its citizens, which is chiefly pressed against him by the district attorney; then, indeed, it must be admitted, that his progressing towards the shore, was an overt act of adhering to the enemy, although no act of hostility was in fact committed.
But how stands the evidence as to this fact. The only witness who proves any thing in relation to such an intention, is the black man who was applied to by the prisoner, to conduct him to some place where bullocks might be procured; and he states, that the prisoner told him that the flag was only to be used, in case it should be necessary to shield the party against superior numbers. Now, this is so highly improbable, that it is fair to conclude, that the witness must have misunderstood what the prisoner said to him. The prisoner could not have been ignorant of what every person must know, that no officer, in any army, would dare to violate a flag of truce, by attempting, under any circumstances, to use it as a cover for acts of hostility. No officer would expose himself to the punishment which the laws of war would compel his superiors to inflict upon him, and which it would be their interest not to disregard, if they meant, on any future occasion, to claim the immunities annexed to a flag of truce.
But it is denied, that this vessel, during her passage to the shore, or during her stay near to it, hoisted the flag, or appeared to seek its protection. The evidence of the same black man to this effect, is flatly contradicted by the pilot, who was on board during the whole time; and who declares, that it was flying at the mast-head during her passage to, at and from the shore; and that many American vessels, which passed her, and who might otherwise have been seized as good prize, were suffered to proceed without inquiry or molestation. In short, during the whole time that this party was absent from the ship of war, all was peace with them. But what seems almost to conclude this point, is the official declaration of Commodore Beresford to the governor of Delaware, that this vessel went to the shore under the protection of a flag, with a view to purchase provisions. Now, this evidence is not to be discredited by saying that it proceeded from an enemy; because, all civilized *631nations are bound to give credit to the official declarations of the commander of the enemies’ forces. There is no American, who would not feel a just indignation, if a British officer should venture to question the veracity of an American commanding officer, in relation to a fact which he stated officially as being within his own knowledge. There is no doubt, that accompanying the flag by armed men, was an irregularity; and Commodore Beresford very properly censures the officer who commanded the party, for carrying arms. Nevertheless, no act of hostility was attempted, nor is there the slightest reason to believe, that any was meditated by the- prisoner, or by any of the party.
NOTE. It being the wish of the counsel for the prisoner, to try fairly all the charges which could be brought against him, to prevent his being sent to Delaware to be tried again, for the treasons alleged to have been committed in that state, no observations were made in the charge, upon the form of the eighth and ninth counts in this indictment; but the case was considered in the same manner, as if they had charged the prisoner with an intention to procure provisions by force, leaving the prisoner to move in arrest of judgment, if a verdict had been found against him.
Upon the whole, it is the opinion of the court, gentlemen, that the undertaking of the defendant to procure provisions from the shore, for the use of the enemy, and his proceeding to the shore with this intent, as laid in the eighth and ninth counts in the indictment, did not amount to overt acts of treason.
The jury, without leaving the bar, found a verdict of not guilty.