Habeas Corpus
By: Elyse Muma
This legal proceeding is a protection against unlawful imprisonment. A prisoner uses it to ask for a court hearing to determine if he or she is being held lawfully. The Constitution provides that habeas corpus can be suspended only “when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.” As a result of Lincoln's action, thousands of Northerners were jailed without without trail. When people even supporters of the war spoke against the suspension, they were labeled treasonous Copperheads. Lincoln's critics were right to be concerned. Although many who were in jail actively helped the enemy, others were simply political leaders who had started their opinions.