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Comparison Argumentative Analysis

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Treason is a political crime committed against a state or government to which the person charged with treason owes a duty of allegiance. The dictionary defines treason as a violation of allegiance toward one’s country or sovereign, especially the betrayal of ones country by waging war against it or by consciously and purposely acting to aid its enemies. The men signing the declaration of independence were aware of the risk they ran of committing treason against the British king. The value that defense remained to be determined in a civil war. In civil wars, every man chooses his party, but generally that side with prevails arrogates the right of treating those who are vanquished as rebels. In the weeks preceding the Declaration of Independence, …show more content…

After the British evacuated Philadelphia and the Americans regained control of the city, more than twenty defendants were tried before a court and jury on the charge of treason. Only two of them were found guilty and hanged in the city commons or Center Square. Both of these men, Abraham Carlisle and John Roberts, were Quakers who, contrary to the peace testimony of the Society of Friends, had unwisely identified themselves with the British during the occupation of Philadelphia. Whether either of them merited execution has, however, been debated ever since, especially because a great outpouring of sympathy and petitions for clemency occurred prior to their hanging. As a consequence, in the history of the United States, few convictions have been sought, and fewer still obtained, for the commission of treason. Nevertheless, the constitutional provision defining treason and the strict evidence required to prove it in court has not prevented Congress from enacting legislation prohibiting conduct which, while not technically treason, has exposed those found guilty of engaging in it to severe penalties, sometimes including death. There are other nations which define treason more broadly as including various categories of conduct deemed prejudicial to the maintenance of public order or challenging the government in

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