{"id":"01KG8AM79NWSN4W5MQXRJ1M4R6","cid":"bafkreihevhgwuvrz45w7vhz6fdwvh4rxhflej7xe2hzosd6nr5ybdftv74","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":2716,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:26.981Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 9","source_file":"01KG89J1FFTGRE9J93Z3K29NGY","start_line":2665,"text":"cool. Ashore in a criminal case will an upright judge allow himself off\r\nthe bench to be waylaid by some tender kinswoman of the accused seeking\r\nto touch him with her tearful plea? Well, the heart here is as that\r\npiteous woman. The heart is the feminine in man, and hard though it be,\r\nshe must here be ruled out.’\r\n\r\nHe paused, earnestly studying them for a moment; then resumed.\r\n\r\n‘But something in your aspect seems to urge that it is not solely that\r\nheart that moves in you, but also the conscience, the private\r\nconscience. But tell me whether or not, occupying the position we do,\r\nprivate conscience should not yield to that imperial one formulated in\r\nthe code under which alone we officially proceed?’\r\n\r\nHere the three men moved in their seats, less convinced than agitated by\r\nthe course of an argument troubling but the more the spontaneous\r\nconflict within. Perceiving which, the speaker paused for a moment; then\r\nabruptly changing his tone, went on.\r\n\r\n‘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","title":"Chunk 9"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJV0GJ6SDZS7Z24MESH84","peer_type":"segment","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1FFTGRE9J93Z3K29NGY","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AM79KRCSE6T56VZ8M04W4","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AM79J7TBXXXGGW090DNMD","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:30.005Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:36.667Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}