{"id":"01KG6GMMTMZGTTEBY07N8ESZMZ","cid":"bafkreieafa5c4rutenzclugaqwnn2de3ty2dvsx77otddbeqevowlwkb3m","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":2740,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T03:55:03.879Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 26","source_file":"01KG6FXSCNX5F3D880P3YP3PKR","start_line":2684,"text":"‘To steady us a bit, let us recur to the facts. In war-time at sea a\r\nman-of-war’s man strikes his superior in grade, and the blow kills.\r\nApart from its effect, the blow itself is, according to the Articles of\r\nWar, a capital crime. Furthermore----’\r\n\r\n‘Ay, sir,’ emotionally broke in the officer of marines, ‘in one sense it\r\nwas. But surely Budd purposed neither mutiny nor homicide.’\r\n\r\n‘Surely not, my good man. And before a court less arbitrary and more\r\nmerciful than a martial one that plea would largely extenuate. At the\r\nLast Assizes it shall acquit. But how here? We proceed under the law of\r\nthe Mutiny Act. In feature no child can resemble his father more than\r\nthat Act resembles in spirit the thing from which it derives--War. In\r\nHis Majesty’s service--in this ship indeed--there are Englishmen forced\r\nto fight for the King against their will. Against their conscience, for\r\naught we know. Though as their fellow-creatures some of us may\r\nappreciate their position, yet as Navy officers, what reck we of it?\r\nStill less recks the enemy. Our impressed men he would fain cut down in\r\nthe same swath with our volunteers. As regards the enemy’s naval\r\nconscripts, some of whom may even share our own abhorrence of the\r\nregicidal French Directory, it is the same on our side. War looks but to\r\nthe frontage, the appearance. And the Mutiny Act, War’s child, takes\r\nafter the father. Budd’s intent or non-intent is nothing to the purpose.\r\n\r\n‘But while, put to it by those anxieties in you which I cannot but\r\nrespect, I only repeat myself--while thus strangely we prolong\r\nproceedings that should be summary, the enemy may be sighted and an\r\nengagement result. We must do; and one of two things must we do--condemn\r\nor let go.’\r\n\r\n‘Can we not convict and yet mitigate the penalty?’ asked the junior\r\nlieutenant, here speaking, and falteringly, for the first.\r\n\r\n‘Lieutenant, were that clearly lawful for us under the circumstances,\r\nconsider the consequences of such clemency. The people’ (meaning the\r\nship’s company) ‘have native sense; most of them are familiar with our\r\nnaval usage and tradition; and how would they take it? Even could you\r\nexplain to them--which our official position forbids--they, long moulded\r\nby arbitrary discipline, have not that kind of intelligent\r\nresponsiveness that might qualify them to comprehend and discriminate.\r\nNo, to the people the foretopman’s deed, however it be worded in the\r\nannouncement, will be plain homicide committed in a flagrant act of\r\nmutiny. What penalty for that should follow, they know. But it does not\r\nfollow. _Why?_ they will ruminate. You know what sailors are. Will they\r\nnot revert to the recent outbreak at the Nore? Ay, they know the\r\nwell-founded alarm--the panic it struck throughout England. Your clement\r\nsentence they would account pusillanimous. They would think that we\r\nflinch, that we are afraid of them--afraid of practising a lawful rigour\r\nsingularly demanded at this juncture lest it should provoke new\r\ntroubles. What shame to us such a conjecture on their part, and how\r\ndeadly to discipline. You see then whither, prompted by duty and the\r\nlaw, I steadfastly drive. But I beseech you, my friends, do not take me\r\namiss. I feel as you do for this unfortunate boy. But did he know our\r\nhearts, I take him to be of that generous nature that he would feel even\r\nfor us on whom in this military necessity so heavy a compulsion is\r\nlaid.’\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 26"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG6GK8EG5N9JTTBYRRP0CTKZ","peer_type":"segment","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG6FXSCNX5F3D880P3YP3PKR","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG2T49K0H5GDRB0G4YDTPG8H","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG6GMMTMXNN2FHSE2091JRF5","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG6GMMTP8PE0HBFETMKH7HD4","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T03:55:06.452Z","ts":"2026-01-30T03:55:14.828Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}