Aucbonyx.222
net.news
utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!ARPAVAX:Onyx:jmrubin
Thu Jan 14 18:53:59 1982
treason in the U.S.
       The U.S. has a very restricted definition of treason, which is right
in the Constitution--the only crime defined there.  Treason is either making
war against the U.S. or giving aid and comfort to its enemies--an explicit
act with 2 witnesses.
       Sedition has a somewhat wider definition, however, it got a bad name
early in U.S. history.  At the beginning of the 19th century, during the
administration of the first John Adams, there were a bunch of "sedition"
laws which were generally perceived as tyrannical.  (at least by the people
who write history)  In any case, it certainly did the party in power no good--
as I recall, John Adams was the only Federalist president.  (not counting
George Washington who, despite Federalist leanings, was considered somewhat
beyond party)
       Of course, people have been executed and jailed in wartime for all
sorts of reasons.  We all remember Nixon's enemies list, and let's not forget
all those IRS agents tramping down to Louisiana at the behest of FDR, trying
to nail Huey Long.  Then, of course, there are always trumped up charges,
e.g. Sacco and Vanzetti.  (We can't really be certain if they were guilty
of the crimes with which they were charged--largely because such evidence as
was given at their trial concerned the fact that they were persons of Italian
descent who opposed the existence of government, not said crimes.)
       As I recall Canada has an emergency law which allows people to be
held without charge--wasn't it imposed when they had that kidnapping in
Quebec and all those bombs in mail boxes?

                                               Joel Rubin

-----------------------------------------------------------------
gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen <[email protected]>
of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/


This Usenet Oldnews Archive
article may be copied and distributed freely, provided:

1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles.

2. The following notice remains appended to each copy:

The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996
Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.