An equally ambiguous term is the word "wrong." The judges
made no attempt to define it in 1843, and it has been
variously interpreted ever since. Now it may mean "contrary
to the dictates of conscience" or, as it is usually construed,
"contrary to the law of the land"--and exactly what it means
may make a great difference to the accused on trial. If the
defendant thinks that God has directed him to kill a wicked
man, he may know that such an act will not only be contrary to
law, but also in opposition to the moral sense of the
community as a whole, and yet he may believe that it is his
conscientious duty to take life. In the case of Hadfield, who
deliberately fired at George III in order to be hung, the
defendant believed himself to be the Lord Jesus Christ, and
that only by so doing could the world be saved. Applying the
legal test and translating the word "wrong" as contrary to the
common morality of the community wherein he resided or
contrary to law, Hadfield ought to have achieved his object
and been given death upon the scaffold instead of being
clapped, as he was, into a lunatic asylum.
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