WilliamRawle:AViewoftheConstitution:ChapterXICHAPTERXI。OFTREASONAGAINSTTHEUNITEDSTATES。THEimportanceofthissubjectmeritsaseparatechapter。
Itwashighlyproper，perhapsabsolutelynecessary，thatacrime，thecommissionofwhichmustoweitsexistencetotheformationofthegovernment，shouldbebothrecognisedanddefinedintheConstitution。
Althoughitisageneralprinciplethatallgovernmentsmustbeunderstoodtocontainwithinthemselvesthematerialsfortheirownpreservation，anditcouldnotbesupposedthatthenationalgovernmentnowcreatedwastodependontheindividualstatesforprotectionagainsttraitors，yettohaveleftthepowerofself-defencetoinferenceandtoargument，wouldhavebeenunwise。
Theunityofthegovernmentinitslimitedcharacterrequiredfromthejudicialauthority，whichappertainedtoit，aconcurrentaid，simpleanduniforminitsnature，andadequateinitseffect。Toleavethisoffenceliabletoprosecutioninthestatecourtsonly，wouldhavebeentohazardtheconsequencesofavarietyofopinionsanddiscordancesofadjudication，and，perhaps，occasionally，totheinconvenienceofencounteringsomepoliticalreluctanceordissatisfactiononthepartofthestates。Foralthough，aswillbehereaftermorefullyshown，thejudicialpoweris，initsnature，superiortothebiasofpartyorpersonalmotives；yetitisprudent，wheneveritispracticable，toguardagainstthepossiblerelaxationofthisexaltedprinciple。Itwasalsorecollectedthatintheproceedingspreparatorytothetrial，muchistobedonebyinferiorofficers，amongwhomsuchindependenceisnotalwaystobefound。
TheUnitedStates，therefore，justlyreservedtothemselvestherighttopunishthishighoffence，andthestatecourts，sincetheadoptionoftheConstitution，haveabstainedfromintermeddlingwithprosecutionsonaccountofit。1