The Body of John Merryman


Book Description

When Chief Justice Taney declared Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus unconstitutional and demanded the release of John Merryman, Lincoln defied the order, offering a forceful counter-argument for the constitutionality of his actions. The result was one of the most significant cases in American legal history—a case that resonates in our own time.




Abraham Lincoln and Treason in the Civil War


Book Description

In the spring of 1861, Union military authorities arrested Maryland farmer John Merryman on charges of treason against the United States for burning railroad bridges around Baltimore in an effort to prevent northern soldiers from reaching the capital. From his prison cell at Fort McHenry, Merryman petitioned Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Roger B. Taney for release through a writ of habeas corpus. Taney issued the writ, but President Abraham Lincoln ignored it. In mid-July Merryman was released, only to be indicted for treason in a Baltimore federal court. His case, however, never went to trial and federal prosecutors finally dismissed it in 1867. In Abraham Lincoln and Treason in the Civil War, Jonathan White reveals how the arrest and prosecution of this little-known Baltimore farmer had a lasting impact on the Lincoln administration and Congress as they struggled to develop policies to deal with both northern traitors and southern rebels. His work exposes several perennially controversial legal and constitutional issues in American history, including the nature and extent of presidential war powers, the development of national policies for dealing with disloyalty and treason, and the protection of civil liberties in wartime.




Habeas Corpus


Book Description




An Introduction to Constitutional Law


Book Description

An Introduction to Constitutional Law teaches the narrative of constitutional law as it has developed historically and provides the essential background to understand how this foundational body of law has come to be what it is today. This multimedia experience combines a book and video series to engage students more directly in the study of constitutional law. All students—even those unfamiliar with American history—will garner a firm understanding of how constitutional law has evolved. An eleven-hour online video library brings the Supreme Court’s most important decisions to life. Videos are enriched by photographs, maps, and audio from the Supreme Court. The book and videos are accessible for all levels: law school, college, high school, home school, and independent study. Students can read and watch these materials before class to prepare for lectures or study after class to fill in any gaps in their notes. And, come exam time, students can binge-watch the entire canon of constitutional law in about twelve hours.




Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney


Book Description

The clashes between President Abraham Lincoln and Chief Justice Roger B. Taney over slavery, secession, and the president's constitutional war powers are vividly brought to life in this compelling story of the momentous tug-of-war between these two men during the worst crisis in American history.




Decision of Chief Justice Taney, in the Merryman Case, Upon the Writ of Habeas Corpus (Classic Reprint)


Book Description

Excerpt from Decision of Chief Justice Taney, in the Merryman Case, Upon the Writ of Habeas Corpus With such provisions in the Constitution, expressed rn language too clear to be misunderstood by any one, I can see no ground whatever for supposing that the Presi dent, in any emergency or in any state of things, can an thorize the suspension of the privileges of the writ of ko bcas corpus, or arrest a citizen, except in aid of the judicial power. He certainly does not faithfully ex ecute the laws if he takes upon himself legislative power by suspending the writ of habeas cor pus and the judicial power also, by arrestin a person without due process of argument be drawn from the nature of sovereignty, or the necessity Of government, for self-defence in times of tumult and danger. The Government of the United States is one of and limited powers. It derives its existence rity altogether from the Constitution, and neither of its branches, Executive, Legislative, or Judicial can exercise any of the powers of Government beyond those Specified and granted. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.