United States v. O'Brien

75 F. 900, 1896 U.S. App. LEXIS 2077
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York
DecidedJuly 1, 1896
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 75 F. 900 (United States v. O'Brien) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Southern New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. O'Brien, 75 F. 900, 1896 U.S. App. LEXIS 2077 (circtsdny 1896).

Opinion

BROWN, District Judge

(charging jury). I have been requested,, gentlemen, to present to you a very considerable number of charges. Before doing so I shall say something upon the case in general and will return to those hereafter.

The case is an important one, because it involves an important principle having reference to our relation to foreign powers. The object of the series of laws, of which this is a part, was to prevent complications between this government and other nations. It. was intended to do this by making criminal such acts as are calculated to embroil us with other nations. Within five years after the adop[902]*902tion of the constitution, so long ago as 1794, these enactments were found necessary, and the law then passed is substantially the same as it exists to-day. In 1818 it was revised by a few changes of words here and there, not affecting the section under which this indictment has been found. In the Revised Statutes of the United States, adopted in 1874, the same provisions were incorporated and are now referred to by sections under this act. Section 5282 deals with the enlistment of individuals. Section 5286, under which this indictment was brought, deals with military expeditions. Section 5282 deals with armed cruisers designed to commit hostilities in favor of one foreign power as against another with which we are at peace. Section 5282 prohibits any person from enlisting in this country as a soldier in the service of any foreign power. It also prohibits any person- from hiring or retaining any other person to enlist or to go abroad for the purpose of enlisting; but it does not prohibit any person, whether he is a citizen or not, from going abroad himself for the purpose-of enlisting in a foreign army. By our legislation, therefore, on this subject, as it appears from this statute, our law thus negatively permits individuals to go to foreign countries to enlist. That I regard as of some importance in the construction which we should give to section 5286 under which this indictment is found, for 5286 is a part of the same law originally passed in 1794. As that was dealing with the whole subject, I cannot help regarding the law, framed as it is, as designedly leaving the field open to all persons within our jurisdiction, whether citizens or not, to go to foreign states and enlist in their armies if they choose to do so. As this, therefore, is by our law rightful and lawful for 1 man, so it is lawful for 10 men or 20 men or 100 men. It is a necessary incident to this lawful right that men may go abroad for this purpose in any way they see fit. They may go as passengers by regular lines of steamers, or by chartering a steamer, or in any other way they choose, either separately or associated, provided, and so long as, they do not go as a military expedition, nor set on foot nor begin any mil.tary expedition or enterprise; for that is what section 5286 prohibits. We are, therefore, to consider these two sections as opposed to each other, or as providing- for different classes of cases. It is the military expedition or enterprise alone that is prohibited by our law. The language of that section is that' every person who, within the jurisdiction of the United States, begins or sets on foot or provides or prepares the means for any military expedition or enterprise to be carried on from thence, that is to say, from this country, shall be guilty of a high misdemeanor. While, therefore, the right of individuals to go abroad for the purpose of enlisting is undoubted, they must not go as a military expedition or as a military enterprise. They must not form, begin or set on foot any military expedition or enterprise to be carried on from this country, or provide or prepare the means therefor. Row these four defendants stand charged with having violated this section by having begun or set on foot, or having provided or prepared the means for, a military expedition or enterprise to be carried on from this country. The first question is whether there was, as it appears to you upon the [903]*903whole evidence, a military enterprise or a military expedition; or was this merely a lawful act, by which individuals merely were transported as passengers, and merchandise consisting of military material was transported as merchandise, destined for Cuba, but under circumstances and in a way which did not constitute a military expedition or military enterprise? So long ago as 1807, not long1 after this statute was passed, Chief Justice Marshall, who has been by all considered as one of the highest lights, if not the highest light in our legal history, in some comments upon .this statute, said that there wa.s “a lack of precision, in defining the offense” under this particular statute — defining what was a military expedition or enterprise — -“which might make difficulty in its application to particular cases.” This arises from the generality of the language; and it will be for you, with such light as the court can afford, to say in the first place whether this was an expedition or enterprise of a military character; or whether on the contrary, looking at it from the light of all the evidence which you have; received, it was merely a lawful transportation of merchandise and transportation of passengers, although those passengers may have intended ultimately to join the Cuban army? Because at the outset I must say to you, that (lie mere intent of passengers to join the Cuban army, will not alone make a military expedition or enterprise out of a transportation which, does not contain any other military feature. What then are the marks, or some of the marks, of a military enterprise or expedition, as distinguished from what I might call a miscellaneous group of persons transported to Cuba and going with the individual intention of enlisting in the Cuban army when they get there? 1 must say to you, what I think will occur to every one of yon, that one of the most prominent marks of a military enterprise is that ihere is concert of action, that there is some kind of combination and organization among" the men to act together, to stand together. That is our first conception of a military operation. Next, there must be arms or weapons which can be used for military purposes; and ordinarily there is needful some direction. A miscellaneous body of men although they might intend to act for a, common purpose, cannot very well act in a military way unless there is some direction, some leadership; in other words, some command. Now if you find indications of those three'things, or of the first two alone perhaps, you will have at least some marks of a, military enterprise. That is to say, if you find that there is a combination of the men to stand by each other, and you find them with military weapons prepared to act in concert, these are marks of a military enterprise, as distinguished from (hat of individual passengers, or a company of individual passengers merely going each upon his own account. Accordingly in all indictments which have been brought under this law the circumstance of a combination among the men, an organization of some sort, is first insisted upon. And to that effect I read a few passages to you from the opinion of the Supreme Court, very recently delivered, in the case of The Horsa, sailing from Philadelphia and having delivered a number of passengers who were armed and equipped somewhat as in this case; and upon appeal the Su[904]*904preme Court (Wiborg v. U. S., 16 Sup. Ct. 1134), through Chief Justice Fuller, stated as follows:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
75 F. 900, 1896 U.S. App. LEXIS 2077, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-obrien-circtsdny-1896.