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To: rustbucket
rusty: "It is my understanding that Jefferson Davis suspended habeas corpus only after receiving authority to do so from the Confederate Congress for various limited time periods."

On the subject of Confederate marshall law and habeas corpus:


124 posted on 10/21/2012 2:38:53 PM PDT by BroJoeK (a little historical perspective....)
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To: BroJoeK
"In some areas of the Confederacy, like eastern Tennessee, martial law led to the summary executions of a few civilians and the mass incarceration of others. By the end of the war, Vice President Alexander Stephens and other leading politicians no longer supported the administration, in part because of Davis's 'betrayal' of Southern Constitutional principles. 'Our liberties, once lost,' he declared, 'may be lost forever.' "

What a damning observation by Stephens. Of course this was the same Stephens who presciently warned, "This step, secession, once taken, can never be recalled. We and our posterity shall see our lovely South desolated by the demon of war."

125 posted on 10/21/2012 4:11:54 PM PDT by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: BroJoeK
"Only five days after Davis took office the Confederate Congress adopted legislation allowing the suspension of habeas corpus.
Davis sporadically imposed martial law on Richmond and other major cities.

Hmmm. I'm not familiar with this. I see where the Confederate Congress authorized the suspension of habeas corpus on February 27, 1862 [Link. That is generally listed as the first time Davis suspended the privilege of the writ. February 27, 1862 was five days after Davis' second inaugural address on February 22, 1862. Davis had already been in office for more than a year at this point. His first inaugural speech was February 18, 1861.

Perhaps your source does not count the provisional Confederate government and only counts Davis taking office in 1862 after the November 1861 election.

Or perhaps you have another explanation?

127 posted on 10/21/2012 6:52:48 PM PDT by rustbucket
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