[net.misc] Treason???

ee163cz (03/17/83)

   I read in the L.A. Times this morning that Reagan's proposed measures
to help fight crime include re-institution of the federal death penalty
for treason and espionage.   WHAT????  When was the last time anyone was
convicted in this country of "levying war against [the United States], or...
adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort"?  The death penalty
isn't too useful when already nobody commits such a crime.  Anyway, treason
and espionage are basically war-time crimes; is Reagan planning a little
war (just a *limited* nuclear war) to take our minds off handgun proliferation
and gang rapes on barroom pool-tables?

   *Has* anyone been convicted of treason or espionage lately?  I wouldn't
think too many people would want to betray this country, anyway, unless
maybe the current administration goes too far in its policy of defending
government against the governed.

                                     -- Eric J. Wilner
                                        (F. J. Gumby)
                                     sdcsvax!sdccsu3!ee163cz

CSvax:mab (03/22/83)

The statistic I usually hear is that there have been only two treason
convictions in American history; I think Aaron Burr was one.  (Anyone
know who the second one was?  It wasn't Benedict Arnold.)  I do know
that someone was convicted of treason during World War II, but the
Supreme Court tossed out the conviction. (I'm not sure why.)

Peace,

Matt Bishop

mab@purdue                              via ARPA, works most of the time
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alb (03/23/83)

There have been many more than two convictions of treason
in the U.S.  The ones I recall are:

1) From the Whiskey Rebellion
   - whiskey distillers torched a general's home in
     protest of taxes
2) Aaron Burr
   - led a war to separate the West from the U.S.
3) T. Wilson Dorr
   - armed effort to install a 2nd government
     he was pardoned in 1845
4) Jown Brown
   - armed insurrection to free slaves
     (remember the hanging in ''The Blue and the Grey''?)
5) Many from WW II
   - various convictions of war crimes against the U.S.
     (lending aid and comfort to the enemey IS treason)
6) Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
   - violation of the 1917 espionage act (gave military
     secrets to the Russians)

CSvax:mab (03/23/83)

    Bear in mind the statistic I referred to involved convictions for treason
against the federal government and NOT treason against a state or crimes
tantamount to treason.  The Rosenbergs were convicted of violating a law
banning the giving of atomic secrets to foreign powers (I don't remember the
act's name), not of treason  (source: "The Implosion Conspiracy", by Louis
Nizer, which describes the trial in detail.)  I remember from my history
classes that John Brown was convicted of sedition and treason against the
state of Virginia (not the US), but I can't cite a source for it offhand.
    The statistic I referred to meant convictions of treason as defined
in the Constitution.  I agree that a lot more have been convicted of
similar offenses.

Peace,

Matt Bishop

mab@purdue                              via ARPA, works most of the time
mab.purdue@udel-relay                   via ARPA, works all the time
...{decvax|ucbvax}!pur-ee!csvax:mab     via UUCP