Stephen Johnson Field

“ It seems to me that the ruling of the majority of the court has carried the principle of protection in this case beyond all former precedents; and that the reasoning of the opinion, in its logical consequences, will justify in many instances the most wanton interference with the private property of citizens.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105) . ”

“ The cotton here in controversy was never seized or taken from any hostile possession. It was at the time stored, in the name of the plaintiff, in the warehouse at Thomasville; and, for many months previously, his status was that of a loyal citizen of the United States. He had taken, in January, 1865, the oath of amnesty under the President's proclamation of Dec. 8, 1863, by virtue of which a full pardon was extended to him, with 'restoration of all rights of property;' and this fact was known to the special agent of the Treasury Department when the cotton was turned over to him. ”

“ It is certainly desirable that full protection should be extended to the agents and officers of the Treasury Department, whilst engaged in executing during the war the commands of their superiors within the insurrectionary districts ”