Facts
The case arose out of "an interesting and revealing incident" that occurred during the "Quasi War" with France at the end of the 18th century. The frigate USS Boston commanded by captain George Little captured a Danish vessel, the Flying Fish, under orders of the Secretary of the Navy on behalf of President John Adams "to intercept any suspected American ship sailing to or from a French port." The Congress, however, had passed a law authorizing the navy to seize "vessels or cargoes are apparently, as well as really, American" and "bound or sailing to any port" in an attempt to prevent American vessels transporting goods to France. The Flying Fish was sailing from and not to a French port. Captain Little was declared to be liable for executing a command that was illegal in nature. Little appealed the decision to the Supreme Court.
Read more about this topic: Little V. Barreme
Famous quotes containing the word facts:
“Modern morality and manners suppress all natural instincts, keep people ignorant of the facts of nature and make them fighting drunk on bogey tales.”
—Aleister Crowley (1875–1947)
“The past is of no importance. The present is of no importance. It is with the future that we have to deal. For the past is what man should not have been. The present is what man ought not to be. The future is what artists are.
The facts: nothing matters but the facts: worship of the facts leads to everything, to happiness first of all and then to wealth.”
—Edmond De Goncourt (1822–1896)
““Now what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of service to them.””
—Charles Dickens (1812–1870)