William Fell Giles, Judge of the U. S. District Court for the District of Maryland :

Sir. -- My attention has been directed to an article iu the local column of the Baltimore Sun of this date, headed, ''The Habeas Corpus Refusal." Presuming that that article is authentic. I wish very respectfully to submit for your consideration the following remarks on this unhappy "conflict of authority between those o';\'ing allegiance to the same Government, and bound by the same laws. "

To avoid implicating parlies in no wise connected with tins case, permit mo

502 HISTORV OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHE!

to observe at the threshold, that my actloa ia the premis i taken cntin!,-

on my own rosponsibiiity, without instructions from, or ( ation with ai.r

person whatever.

And now I wish most respectfully to inform your Honor, that I regard !!.c ■WTit of Ha-heas Corpus as the very basis of free government, and tliat under uil ordinary circumstances I am very ready' to acknowledge tlie supremacy of th-.' civil authorities. But, as you admit, the Constitution of the United States lixs provided that this writ of Habeus Corpus may be suspended in case of rebellitjn, if the public safety require it. You, however, allege that there is "no such state of affairs existing as would authorizo its suspension." On this point it 'u with regret that I am compelled to differ from so eminent an authority ; and I am further constrained to add, that the question is one of fact, rather than opiuiuu.