Essay On Was Wilson Right In Passing The Pilgrimage And Sedition Acts

Question: Was Wilson Right in Passing the Espionage and Sedition Acts? To what extent is it acceptable to limit a citizen’s civil liberties during wartime?

In April 1917, America declared war with Germany. Two months later, in June

1917, the United States Congress passed and president Woodrow Wilson signed the Espionage Act, which defined espionage during wartime. In May 1918, the Sedition Act was enacted; thus, greatly expanded the meaning of the Espionage Act. This series of law, known collectively as the Espionage and Sedition Acts, restricted some civil liberties and raised great disputes. “Was Wilson right in passing the Espionage and Sedition Acts?” and “To what extent is it acceptable to limit a citizen’s civil liberties during wartime?”

In fact, the first cause that led to those laws was for the sake of the Americans since they were intended to ensure secret government information, which directly affected the outcome of the war. Nonetheless, the laws were abused; and in practice, they hurt the American citizens and the U.S. ideologies. Wilson was right in passing the Espionage and Sedition Acts. However, the laws were exaggeratedly exercised, and therefore, made people misunderstood. It is logical to limit a citizen’s civil liberties during wartime despite concerns about ethical and moral issues. And what the Supreme Court ruled in the landmark court case of Schenck v. the United States was reasonable and true. In the “Background Essay”, the authors mention John Locke and his philosophy the Social Contract. “...we contract to leave the ‘natural state’ and we give up certain natural rights in order to live in a safe, civil society.” That is Locke’s belief, and that is the most basic reason why restrictions are needed while countries are at war. Without the Espionage and Sedition Acts, the United States’s national security might have been threatened, and the United States might have never won the war.

the United States, “The court ruled against Schenck saying that the the Espionage Act did not violate the First Amendment and that in times of war the government may place reasonable limitations on freedom of speech.” Charles Schenck, a member of the Socialist Party, printed and distributed pamphlets urging citizens to oppose the draft which he linked to slavery. To thoroughly understand the whole picture, let’s first go through the draft. In 1917, to recruit more troops for the war, Congress passed the Selective Service Act which required men between 21 and 30 to register and wait to be called for the draft. Rights and responsibilities always go together. Thus, only coward will enjoy all the rights and deny to take the responsibilities. With great rights come great responsibilities, and the draft was only a method for Americans to repay the country which had provided the fulfill lives many Americans had enjoyed. Like John F. Kennedy has said, “ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your