President Lincoln's decision to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in order to confine John Merryman was ______.

Question

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There was no statutory authorization for President Lincoln to suspend the writ of habeas corpus. However, he argued that it was necessary to preserve the Union during the Civil War. The Supreme Court later ruled in Ex parte Merryman that only Congress had the power to suspend the writ and criticized Lincoln's actions.

President Lincoln's Decision to Suspend the Writ of Habeas Corpus