they were vested with power in Admiralty to restrain
or penalize activities violative of international law.
Hence, when the question of the possession of such
power by these Courts arose, in June, 1793, in a case
in the District Court of the United States in Pennsyl-
vania, the decision was awaited with the utmost anxi-
ety by the President and his Cabinet, Two American
neutral vessels captiu-ed by French privateers in our
territorial waters — The William and The Fanny —
had been libeled by their American owners. Eminent
counsel, Peter S. Duponceau and Jared Ingersoll, argued
that the Federal Court had no jurisdiction and that
under an existing treaty France had the right to bring
all prizes into our ports ; and they contended that the
United States must seek its redress by negotiation and
that the Courts must keep clear of all the international
complications and ^^disturbances which agitate Eu-
rope."^ William Rawle, for the American owners,
urged that the Court take jurisdiction, saying : "From
the well-known spirit of liberty and justice which
breathes through all the public acts of France since her
revolution, he was persuaded that she would be per-
fectly satisfied with this equitable mode of settling the
business.*' William Lewis, on the same side, said that
"the honor and dignity of the United States are deeply
involved in the decision of this case; it involves a
violation of the peace of the country, and if, when two
powers are at war, one may invade our territory, our
commercial intercourse with foreign nations and our
tranquility become materially involved. ... It has
been said that this is a cause between the citizens of
Great Britain and the citizens of France. It is the
1 For account of the proceedings, see Oeneral Advsrtiser, June 7, 10, 21, 24» 20, 1708; American Daily Advertiser, June 17, .24, 1703; The Diary or. Loudun Register, June 24, 1708.
