beyond comparison, and heretofore governed by conservative magistrates, whose wisdom, experience, and characters commanded respect and confidence-a people who had always supported the Government with alacrity, unselfish devotion. and fidelity, was unprepared to be obliged to submit, without redress, except by physical resistance, to an arbitraty and tyrannical prerogative, unrestrained by law, reason, or justice.

The Administration of Mr. Lincoln having been ushered into existence under the banner of universal freedom, it was to be expected, from the enlightened condition of the age, and the conservative and patriotic disposition of the people in the "loyal" States, that the Government would be admin. istered in accordance with the promised reforms. In this, however, the people were disappointed. Legislative enact ments were unrestrained by constitutional provisions. The President assumed quasi plenary power, to make and enforce laws without the interference, assistance, or aid of the legis lative or judicial branches of Government; and, in a word, drew around his official person as he would his mantle around his individual person - all the powers of government, Municipal, State, and National, which he enforced through his obsequious Secretaries. Consolidation of interests, and centralization of power, were complete. The Government was the President - the President was the Government.

But we forbear to criticise. We present facts. Let them speak. Let the people answer. No words we could use would bring relief to the harrowed feeling of, or redress the wrongs perpetrated upon, thousands of unoffending citizens, by their unwarranted incarceration in American Bastiles during the Administration of the late President Lincoln. We contem. plate the cruelties, oppressions, persecutions, and imprison

ments, committed during that long night of political despotism, with alarm. We shudder for the future of the country, when we take a retrospect of the late past.

If a truthful presentation of the facts, as contained in this volume, will in anywise prevent in the future a repetition of the wrongs and crimes committed against the rights and liberties of the people, in the name of liberty, then our highest ambition has been satisfied. To prevent flagitious wrongs from being committed against the constitutional rights of individuals is the duty of every good citizen in a free State. Liberty is too valuable a privilege, and, as we have endeavored to demonstrate, has been too costly an inheritance, to be bartered away for the gratification of personal or political animosity.

May the time never again arrive in the history of this country, when it may be said to Americans, as was said by Camille Desmoulins to the Parisians during the French Revolution: "Ye worship the Goddess of Liberty, not in principle, but in stone, and never was a more stupid or costly idolatry. Liberty, heaven-descended, is neither a nymph of the opera, nor a bonnet rouge, nor yet a dirty shirt and ragged clothes. Liberty is happiness, reason, equality—the declaration of rights-in a word, the Constitution. If you would have me worship it, open your prisons; set free the two hundred thousand ye have incarcerated as suspects. I find no such crime in the Constitution or the law."

That has alwaye been in the past, and ever will be in the ruturo, the sincere prayer of

THE AUTHOR.

MAGNA CHARTA.

JOHN,

OHN, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, KING OF ENGLAND, LORD OF IRELAND, DUKE OF NORMANDY AND AQUITAINE, AND COUNT OF ANJOU; TO HIS ARCHBISHOPS, BISHOPS, ABBOTS, EARLS, BARONS, JUSTICIARIES, FORESTERS, SHERIFFS, GOVERNORS, OFFICERS, AND TO ALL HIS BAILIFFS AND LIEGEMEN, GREETING:

Know ye, that in presence of GOD, and for the health of our soul and the soul of our ancestors and heirs, and to the honor of God and to the exaltation of His Holy Church, and for the amendment of our kingdom; by advice of our venerable fathers, Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England, and cardinal of the Holy Roman Church; Henry, archbishop of Dublin; William of London, Peter of Winchester, Jocelyn of Bath and Glastonbury, Hugh of Lincoln, Walter of Worcester, William of Coventry, and Benedict of Rochester, bishops; Master Pandulph, our lord the Pope's subdeacon and servant; Brother Aymeric, master of the Temple in England; and the noblemen William Marescall, earl of Pembroke, William earl of Salisbury, William earl of Warren, William earl of Arundel, Alan de Galloway, constable of Scotland, Warin Fitzgerald, Peter Fitzherbert, Hubert de Burgh, seneschal of Poictou, Hugh de Neville, Matthew Fitzherbert, Thomas Basset, Alan Basset, Philip de Albiney, Robert de Roppelaye, John Marescall, John Fitzhugh, and others our liegemen; we have granted to GOD, and by this our presont charter confirmed, for us and our heirs forever:

1. That the English church shall be free and enjoy her whole iberties inviolate. And that we will have them so to be observed, appears from this that of our mere good will we granted, and by our charter confirmed, the freedom of elections which was reckoned most necessary for the English Church, and obtained the

confirmation thereof from our lord the Pope Innocent the Third, before the discord which has arisen between us and our barons; which charter we will ourselves observe, and will that it be observed in good faith by our heirs forever. We have also for us and our heirs forever granted to all the freemen of our kingdom, all the underwritten liberties to have and to hold to them and their heirs from us and our heirs.

2. If any of our earls or barons, or others holding lands of us in capite by military service shall die, and when he dies his heir shall be of full age and owe a relief, the heir shall have his inheritance by the ancient relief; the heir or heirs of an earl for a whole earl's barony, by one hundred pounds; of a baron for a whole barony, by one hundred pounds (marks); of a knight for a whole knight's fee, by one hundred shillings at most; and he who owes a less relief shall pay less according to the ancient custom of his fee.

3. But if the heir shall be under age, and shall be in ward, when he comes of age he shall have his inheritance without relief or fine.

4. The warden of the heir under age shall take only reason able issues, customs, and services; and that without destruction or waste of men or things. And if we shall commit the guar dianship of these lands to the sheriff or any other who is answerable to us for their revenues, and he shall make destruction or waste on the ward lands, he shall make satisfaction; and the lands shall be intrusted to two lawful and discreet men of that fee, who shall be answerable to us. Or, if we shall give or sell the wardship of lands to any one, and he shall make destruction or waste, he shall lose his wardship, and the lands shall be intrusted to two discreet men of that fee, who shall be answerable to us as aforesaid.

5. The warden, for as long as he shall hold the land, shall, from the revenues thereoí, maintain the houses, parks, warrens, ponds, mills, and other things thereto pertaining; and he shall restore to the heir when he comes of age his whole land stocked with ploughs and carriages according as the line of wainage shall require, and the revenue of the estate will reasonably allow.

6. Heirs shall be married without disparagen ent of their rank,

yet in euch wise, that before the marriage is contracted, the blood relations of the heir shall be acquainted with it.

7. A widow, after the death of her husband, shall forthwith and without difficulty have her marriage and her inheritance; nor shall she give anything for her dower, marriage, or her inheritance which she and her husband may have held on the day of his decease; and she may remain in the house of her husband forty days after his death, within which term her dower shall be assigned.

8. No widow shall be distrained to marry herself while she shall desire to live without a husband; but she shall give security not to marry without the king's assent, if she holds of him; or without the consent of the lord of whom she holds, if she holds of another.

9. Neither we nor our bailiffs shall seize any land or rent for any debt, so long as the chattels of the debtor are sufficient for the payment of the debt. Nor shall the sureties of the debtor be distrained, so long as the principal debtor is sufficient for the payment of the debt. And if the principal debtor fail in the payment of the debt, not having wherewithal to discharge it, then shall the sureties be answerable for the debt. And, if they will, they shall have the lands and rents of the debtor until they shall be satisfied for the debt they have paid for him; unless the principal debtor shall show himself acquitted thereof against the said sureties.

10. If any one shall have borrowed anything from the Jews, more or less, and shall die before that debt be paid, the debt shall pay no interest so long as the heir shall be under age, of whom. soever he may hold; and if that debt shall fall into our hands, we will take nothing but the chattel named in the bond.

11. And if any one shall die indebted to the Jews, his wife shall have her dower and shall pay nothing of that debt; and if chil dren of the deceased shall remain, under age, necessaries shall be provided for them according to the tenement which belonged to the deceased; and out of the residue the debt shall be paid, Baving the rights of lords (from whom the lands are held). In ike manner let it be done with debts due to others than Jews.

12. No scutage nor aid shall be imposed in our kingdom, ex.