(Secretary of War Stanton)
One of the largest examples of this was a Letter from Stanton to Lincoln, in which the secretary asked the President for complete control of telegram lines. Lincoln approved this, stating, "The Secretary of War had my authority to exercise his discretion in the matter" and all telegraph lines were rerouted to run through Stanton's office to be monitored
Additionally, Stanton made considerable efforts to control the press. Numerous reporters critical of the government and war effort were arrested, sometimes for questionable reasons. In fact, it took less than a month of Stanton being in office for a prominent New York Herald reporter.
At times this power was opposed, such as the House Judiciary Commission opposing it in 1861, but little action was taken against it, and it was largely accepted as a necessary evil of the war effort and promptly pulled back after the war.
Excellent post about politicians taking away liberties from citizens during war efforts. It is indeed a trend that is present all throughout American history, such as FDR placing the Japanese in internment camps. In your opinion, is the suspension of certain rights during war efforts justified?
ReplyDeleteFor more information about Lincoln suspending habeas corpus: http://www.heritage.org/research/lecture/abraham-lincoln-and-civil-liberties-in-wartime
I like how you brought to light these lesser known details of our history that aren't very flattering of the ideals our nation was founded upon. Regarding Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus, the Constitution allows for the government allows for this "in cases of rebellion or invasion," and this was apparently Lincoln's foundation for the decision. However, since the constitution does not specify this as the president's power, this was where the constitutionality is in question.
ReplyDeleteFor more information, check out:
http://www.usnews.com/news/history/articles/2009/02/10/revoking-civil-liberties-lincolns-constitutional-dilemma
I found this very interesting, given taking MEHAP last year, because many nations throughout history have acted this way. Most people don't focus on the evils of the Union, because the Union was fighting for the abolition of slaves which appeared to others as moral high ground. Finding this out shocks me, because although it was common in countries like Russia, France, and England, one would not think America, "Land of the Free" would partake in similar policies such as blatant censorship of the press. Examples of this censorship include Charles I of England's 11 years of Personal Rule, Charles X of France's July Ordinances, and Catherine II of Russia's Censorship Institute. During this time, many of the public was aware of these strict laws, but in America it seems the general public was not.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link regarding censorship in France, and Voltaire's writing despite the law:
http://digitalcommons.wou.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=history_of_book