almost unlimited discretionary power to suspend the writ. This was accordingly done, and many arbitrary arrests were made of persons suspected of disloyalty, with the result of causing much bitter feeling in the North. In October, 1864, a court-martial in Indiana sentenced several persons to death for treasonable designs; from the name of the most prominent prisoner the affair was known as the "Milligan Case." The United States circuit court issued a writ of habeas corpus, and being divided in opinion as to releasing the prisoners, the case was taken to the Supreme Court. There it was held in 1866 that the privilege of the writ could not be suspended in districts where the action of the civil courts was not interrupted, except that military commissions might be given jurisdiction to try residents of rebellious States, prisoners of war, and persons in the military and naval services. In December, 1865, President Johnson proclaimed the restoration of the privilege of the writ throughout most of the North; in April, 1866, everywhere except in Texas; and in August, 1866, in that State also. The Ku-Klux troubles led to an act authorizing the local suspension of the writ in 1871 for which see Ku-Klux Klan and Force Bill. One solitary instance has occurred of the suspension of the privilege of this writ in time of peace and when the public safety did not seem to demand it. In 1865 Mrs. Mary E. Surratt was in custody of the military authorities, having been condemned to death by a military commission for conspiring in the murder of President Lincoln. A writ of habeas corpus to produce her and show by what lawful authority she was held was issued by Judge Wylie of the District of Columbia and served on Gen. Hancock, the commander of the district. President Johnson, fearing the defeat of, or a delay in, the execution of Mrs. Surratt, issued the following order:

EXECUTIVE OFFICE, July 7, 1865, 10 A. M.

To Major-General W. S. Hancock, Commanding, etc.:

I, Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, do hereby declare that the writ of habeas corpus has been heretofore suspended in such cases as this, and I do hereby especially sus

pend this writ, and direct that you proceed to execute the order heretofore given upon the judgment of the Military Commission, and you will give this order in return to this writ. ANDREW JOHNSON, President.

Notwithstanding Johnson's assertion to the contrary, his action seems to have been without precedent and wholly unwarranted; but it served the purpose and Mrs. Surratt was hanged.

Hail Columbia.-The words of this national song were written by Judge Joseph Hopkinson during President John Adams' administration. The air was composed by the leader of the orchestra of the only theatre in the capital, in honor of George Washington. The composer, named Pfyles, Feyles, or Fyles, called it the President's March, but after the words had been written for it, both air and words passed under the name of Hail Columbia, the opening words of the song.

Half-Breeds. (See Stalwarts.)

Halifax Fishery Commission.- In accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Washington (see Fishery Treaties; Treaty of Washington), the joint commission to determine the compensation which the United States should pay to Great Britain for the privileges granted the former by the treaty referred to, met at Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the summer of 1877. It was composed of Hon. Ensign H. Kellogg, appointed by the President, Sir Alexander T. Galt, appointed by the Queen, and Maurice Delfosse, selected by the Austrian Minister to Great Britain. Reliable statistics could not be obtained, but finally by the casting vote of Delfosse it was decided, in November, 1877, that the United States should pay to Great Britain $5,500,000. The award created general surprise and, in the United States, much indignation, but it was duly paid the next

year.

Hamilton, Alexander, was born on the Island of Nevis, West Indies, January 11, 1757, and died at New York, July 12, 1804, killed in a duel with Aaron Burr. He left King's (now Columbia) College and entered the Continental Army. He was Washington's aide during

the Revolution.

He was a member of the Continental Congress from 1782 to 1783, and of the Convention of 1787. From 1789 to 1795 he was Secretary of the Treasury, and in 1798, when Washington was appointed lieutenant-general, the actual command of the army fell to Hamilton. His perspicacity and power of thought were remarkable. In his own day one of the most abused as well as one of the most lauded of men, the correctness of his judgment has been again and again vindicated by events. He was the undisputed head of the nationalizing element in American politics, the leader of the Broad Constructionists. (See Whisky Insurrection.) His skill as a financier was well characterized by Webster in the words: "He smote the rock of the national resources and abundant streams of revenue gushed forth. He touched the dead corpse of public credit and it sprung upon its feet."

Hamlin, Hannibal, was born at Paris, Maine, August 27, 1809. He was a lawyer. From 1843 to 1847 he served in Congress, and from 1848 to 1857 in the Senate, as a Democrat. From 1857 to 1861 he was in the Senate as a Republican, and again from 1869 to 1881. In this last year he was appointed Minister to Spain, but resigned in 1882. He died July 4, 1891.

Hancock, Winfield Scott, was born February 24, 1824, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. A graduate of West Point, he served in the Civil War, rising, to the rank of major-general. After the war he was placed in command of the fifth military district. order, issued by him in 1867 as commander, restoring the civil tribunals of his district, caused him to be severely criticised by Republicans, and made him correspondingly popular with Democrats, to whose party he belonged. He was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1880. He died February 9, 1886.

Hard Cider Campaign.-In the presidential campaign of 1840 the political enemies of William Henry Harrison, the Whig candidate, told stories of his having lived in a log cabin with nothing but hard cider to drink. His friends claimed that this was rather to his

credit than otherwise, and log cabins were used in the parades of his adherents. "Hard cider," as well as

log cabin," became party cries. In fact, the whole campaign was based on Harrison's sturdy qualities and his military reputation. One of his best known victories was at Tippecanoe against the Shawnee Indians in 1811, while he was Governor of the Territory of Indiana. This, too, was turned to account, and the cry of "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too," figured prominently in the campaign. John Tyler was the nominee for Vice-Presi

dent.

Hards or Hard Shells. (See Hunkers.)

Harrison, Benjamin, was born in North Bend, Ohio, August 20, 1833. He was graduated at the Miami University, Ohio, and moved to Indiana, where he practiced law. He served on the Union side in the Civil War, and became a brigadier-general. He was several times elected reporter of the State Supreme Court. In 1876 he was defeated for Governor. In 1880 he was elected United States Senator; at the expiration of his term he retired to private life. In 1888 the Republican party named him for President. He is the grandson of William Henry Harrison.

Harrison, William Henry, was born in Charles County, Virginia, February 9, 1773, and died April 4, 1841. He was an officer of the regular army and fought against the Indians under General Wayne. In 1801 he was appointed Governor of Indiana Territory, having previously served as secretary. As Governor he won the famous battle of Tippecanoe against the Indians. After the surrender of Hull during the War of 1812, he was appointed to command the army in that region, with the rank, first of brigadier-general and subsequently of major. general. He served in the House of Representative from 1816 to 1819, and in the Senate from 1825 to 1828, representing the State of Ohio. From 1828 to 1829 he was Minister to Colombia. In 1836 he was defeated for the presidency, but at the next election, 1840, he was successful. He served but one month, dying in office. In politics he was a Whig.

Hartford Convention.-The War of 1812 against England had been entered into in the face of the protest of the New England and northern Middle States. These being commercial in their pursuits had everything to lose by war; what they demanded was a strong navy to protect commerce. In politics they were Federalists. When the Democratic majority in Congress had forced the war on the Democratic President, Madison, and hostilities had actually commenced, these States took no active part in the struggle; they opposed the war; finally, in October, 1814, Massachusetts passed a resolution inviting the other New England States to a convention having in view an ultimate convention of all the States for the purpose of a revision of the Constitution. Connecticut and Rhode Island and some counties of New Hampshire and Vermont signified their approval of this course, but these resolutions explicitly declared that the proposed action was to be within the limits of the Constitution. The reverses of the war had put the Democratic party into no humor for these proceedings; they were denounced; it was charged that there was a conspiracy to establish a grand duchy under an English prince; government agents were sent all over New England to find proofs of these facts. As a matter of fact the convention of twenty-six representatives from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont met at Hartford, Connecticut, December 15, 1814; this convention disclaimed any intention to dissolve the Union at that time; such dissolution, it declared, must be the work of peaceable times and deliberate consent." Among the grievances it recited were the "easy admission of naturalized foreigners to places of trust, honor and profit," and the easy formation of new Western States; it desired the defense of every State to be entrusted to the State itself, and declared it to be "as much the duty of the State authorities to watch over the rights reserved, as of the United States to exercise the powers which are delegated." It desired changes in the Constitution as follows: Abrogation of the right of Southern States to