Chapter XXXII: Section 2: And be it further enacted, That if any person shall

write, print, utter, or publish, or shall cause or procure to
be written, printed, uttered or published or shall knowingly
and willingly assist or aid in writing, printing, uttering or
publishing any false, scandalous and malicious writing or
writings against the government of the United States, or
either house of the Congress of the United States, or the
President of the United States, with intent to defame the said
government, or either house of the said Congress, or the said
President, or to bring them or either of them, into contempt
or disrepute; or to excite against them, or either, or any of
them, the hatred of the good people of the United States, or
to stir up sedition within the United States, or to excite any
unlawful combinations therein, for opposing or resisting any
law of the United States, or any act of the President of the
United States, and one in pursuance of any such law, or of the
powers in him vested by the constitution of the United States,
or to resist, oppose or defeat any such law or act, or to aid,
encourage or abet any hostile designs of any foreign nation
against the United States, their people or government, then
such person, being thereof convicted before any court of the
United States having jurisdiction thereof, shall be punished
by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, and by
imprisonment not exceeding two years.

Section 3. And be it further enacted and declared, That if any
person shall be prosecuted under this act, for the writing or
publishing any libel aforesaid, it shall be lawful for the
defendant, upon the trial of the cause, to give in evidence in
his defence, the truth of the matter contained in the
publication charged as a libel. And the jury who shall try the
cause, shall have a right to determine the law and the fact,
under the direction of the court, as in other cases.