The United States brought a case against George MacDaniel, alleging that he had committed the crime of piracy. The Supreme Court heard the case and determined that MacDaniel was guilty as charged. They found that he had taken part in an attack on a Spanish vessel, which constituted piracy under international law. Furthermore, they held that even though the act occurred outside of U.S waters it could still be prosecuted by American courts since it violated international law and affected U.S citizens who were aboard the Spanish ship at the time of its capture. As such, MacDaniel was convicted for his role in this criminal activity and sentenced accordingly to serve out his punishment according to established laws governing acts of piracy within U.S jurisdiction

In the case of United States v. MacDaniel, Justice McLean delivered a dissenting opinion arguing that Congress had no authority to pass legislation criminalizing the act in question. He argued that since this was not an issue of national concern, it should be left up to individual states and their respective laws. Furthermore, he contended that if Congress were allowed to pass such laws then they would have unlimited power over all matters within each state's jurisdiction which is contrary to the Constitution's intent for limited federal powers. Additionally, he noted how there was no precedent set by any prior Supreme Court cases on this matter and thus it should not be decided upon at this time as it could lead down a slippery slope towards further erosions of state sovereignty rights under the guise of protecting public health or safety interests. Ultimately, Justice McLean concluded his dissent by stating that while he did not condone MacDaniel’s actions nor agree with them morally or ethically; nevertheless these issues are best handled through local regulations rather than federal ones due to their more intimate knowledge about what is best for their citizens and communities overall