Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-09-22
The Habeas Corpus suspended.


We give, 10 to-dsy's paper, the startling
proclamation Of Abrahsm Line In. suspen>
dipg the privileges of the writ of habeas
corpus throughout the whole land in all
cases where. by the.suthority Of the Presi-
dent of the United States, any military.
navel, or civil officers hold persons under
their command or in their custody.
This is the most monstrous stretch Of
illegal and unconstitutional power the Ad.
ministration has exercised since its inaug
uratiOn. 1t is, in fact, q usurpatou of the
most dangerous and despntic character.
Congress, which alone has the right to
sxercise the right Of suspending the writ nf
hdbeGs corpus. it is true. has assumed the
power Of delegating it TO the President. but
the highest judicial authority maintains
that the suspension is a legislative func.
ton, not to be delegated under suy circum-
stances whatever. Congress. therefore
has authorized the President 70 do an un-
constitutional act, when they had no su.
thority for doing so.
The writ of habeas corpus, as everybody
knows, is the palladium Of liberty. Its
efficacy consists in the right that every man
has to have his cause of arrest and commit
ment publicly stated and inquired into BY
the lawful judges of the land. according to
the ordinary rules of law. 1t provides no,
only against oppression and cruelty, 6ul
against the ignorance and Incidence o.
government. Under its operation, when q
man is arrested and put in Jail or detained
charged with any offence, under the consti
tuition, the party 50 arrested and imprison.
ed has the right to spply to some court o
competent authority for legal inquiry
whether be was arrested and imprisoned
in accordance with law. II it be found
that the proceedings against bin bavr
been according TO Law be is sent back Il
Jail, buff it be found that any part Of th'
proceedings have been Illegal, he is releas
ed and set at liberty.
Such is the character Of the writ, which
the President has set aside.
The great mainstsy of American liberty
has been thIe wiped out by Executive
edict. American citizens nov have no re
dress for grievances. If man is arrests
By anybody. the President says nobody ha
g right to inquire whether the arrest wa
loyal or not. An innocent man must sui
fer equally with the guilty.
Three yearb ago, Q usurpation Of sue
vast and illimitable proportions would hav
astOunded the people, but Of 40 freeueu
occurrence have been the usurpatiOns of tn
present Ad ministration, that this aIarmin
one fails to attract any considerable CON
mant. .--..
1t is impossible. az yet, to tell what oil
ject the Administration had in view he
the liberty-suspension proclamation wa
r sent forth. 1t came Unexpectedly upo
the people, and had not been called for b
the most radical.
: Thus unexpectedly has the Presider
wiped out the last seDblance of civil lIbeI
ty. The proclamation embraces every Il
4, tense. real or pretended, and debars evel
. man the right of trial before the leg TINA
# courts Of the country. The life CT ever
citizen, as we'll rs his property and Iiberl
: are now at the wilIOf Lincoln and his mil
J, ions. They alone are to be the arbiters
>. the law.
How long, oh how long, Will the peop
i submit to these acts of tyranny o.
privileges as freemen have disappssre
one by one until not one Of the blOoC
bought rights of our revolu tioDsry fathe
!. ia lelt us. The disp,ilers have complete
usurped the constitution and laws, and,
- the reorle would regain their rights ar
!. liberties they must have a change of rule
r. and change of policy. Let them .
Il themselves sbOut this patriotic work.