The Diana was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1868. The case involved a dispute between the owners of the Diana, a vessel, and the owners of the cargo it was carrying. The Diana had been chartered to transport a cargo of cotton from New Orleans to Liverpool. The owners of the Diana had agreed to pay the owners of the cargo a certain amount of money for the voyage. However, the Diana was damaged during the voyage and the owners of the cargo refused to pay the agreed-upon amount. The owners of the Diana sued the owners of the cargo for the agreed-upon amount. The Supreme Court held that the owners of the Diana were entitled to the agreed-upon amount, even though the vessel had been damaged during the voyage. The Court reasoned that the owners of the Diana had fulfilled their part of the contract by delivering the cargo safely to its destination, and that the damage to the vessel was not their fault. The Court also held that the owners of the cargo were not entitled to any compensation for the damage to the vessel, as they had not agreed to pay for such damages.

In The Diana, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a vessel that had been sold in good faith by its owner could be seized and forfeited for violation of customs laws. Justice Field dissented from the majority opinion, arguing that it would be unjust to allow forfeiture when the sale of the vessel was made in good faith and without knowledge or suspicion on behalf of either party as to any illegal use. He argued that such an action would not only punish innocent parties but also discourage individuals from entering into contracts with each other out of fear they may unknowingly become involved in criminal activity. Furthermore, he noted that if this were allowed then all vessels purchased at auction or otherwise transferred through private contract could potentially be subject to seizure regardless of their owners' innocence or ignorance regarding any wrongdoing associated with them.