The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-08-08
For the Spirit of Democracy.
Chief Jus iice Taney.

Mr.. EDITOR: R:-The Know Nothing
papers, in order to show that their fears
of Catholic power are not unfounded,
make this charge: "And strange to say,
the Chief Justice of the United States,
Roger B. Taney, is Roman Catholic
was one when he was appointed to the
Supreme Bench, and is even supposed to
belong to the order of Jesuits!''
1t is probably true, as charged, that
Judge Taney is Catholic; but 1 never
heard it insinuated before that he is
Jesuit; in fact, 1 had supposed the Jesuits
to be an order of priesthood; and do
assert, that if the Chief Justices accusers
intend to charge that he has taken any
oath which might. in any way, conflict
with his obligations as an American citi-
zen, that the charge is unqualfedly false;
because no man can occupy the prominent
position that Taney has for fifty-six years,
and conduct himself in so unexceptionable
a manner, and still secretly be an enemy
to the country he serves. It is impossible.
Ny present object, however, is not to
discuss the religious principles of Chief
Justice Taney, nor do propose to affirm
any part of the Catholic faith, but sim
ply suggest that when Know Nothings
look about them for instances of misplaced
power they would do well to cite some
other case than that of Judge Taney.
Where has he given evidence of infdelty
to his country? History answers, NO.
WHERE. Search his whole public life,
from the period when he graduated at
Dickinson College, Pennsylvania in 1875,
to the present time; it will all bear in
spection.
Roger Brooke Taney is native of
Maryland, and was born in Calvert Coun-
ty, in that State, on the l7th day of
March, 1777. His ancestors, both on the
fathers and mothers side, were among the
earliest settlers of Maryland, having emf
grated from England to that colony in
Cromwell's time. The name of Taney is
of Welsh, or at least of aboriginal British
origin, and though not common in Eng
land at the present day, is, 1 am informed,
still known there. The paternal ancestor
of Mr.. Taney, who came to Maryland
about the year 1856, was of the Catholic
faith. Like the Puritans of England in
the time of Charles l., he sought repose
and liberty of conscience in the wilds of
the new world; for the otherwise liberal
policy of the Protector, in matters of re-
ligious worship and faith, did not embrace
the Catholic, and indeed scarcely included
the prelatist, within the pale of liberation.
While the government of Charles I. drove
the Puritan to the shores of New England,
that of Cromwell forced the Catholic into
the wilderness of Maryland, and thus
America became peopled with the bone
and sinew of the English nation. The
descendants of this gentleman for several
generations, Catholics like himself, expe-
rienced, even in their. secluded retreat in
Calvert County, where they titled the soil,
in peace with all men, those civil disable
tiles, and political acknowledgements, which
the intolerant legislation of the mother
country fastened upon aproscribed church.
The Maryland Convention in l776, how
ever, by its Constitution and Bill OF Rights.
abolished these arbitrary distinctions, and
established full and absolute equality OF
citizenship and privilege for all religious
denominations. Subsequent to this period
the father of the present chief justice was
repeatedly elected to represent his native
County in the Maryland House of Dele
gates" Van Santvoord's Sketches, 46l.
/ We find Roger B. Taney, at the age Of