“For my part I think it is a less evil that some criminals should escape, than that the government should play an ignoble part.”

Sounds like a Ford Pardon, heh.
True enough, I find criminals and offence but a collective statist criminal beast much more. -- Gölök Zoltán Leenderdt Franco Buday

Just before the attacks of 9/11, a terrorist that had planned to participate in the hijacks was prohibited entry into the United States by an alert immigration officer, who said he got the chills from the guy. Not exactly a scientific method. Later it was confirmed that he had been correct in his assessment. The same terrorist was caught in other actions and is now in prison. The immigration officer would be considered racist for his racial profiling. But he picked out thre right bastard, even though he was Arabic.

neither statement is worthy of a reply

Bravo Robert. This quote seems to be a parallel to the old Ayn Rand idea that "It is moral to let ten guilty men go free rather than execute one innocent man." One would naturally hope to never be faced with this extreme sort of choice.