Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-10-17
FOR PRESIDENT
ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
OF ILLINOIS.
FOR VICE PRESIDENT
y ANDREW JOHNSON
OF TENNESSEE.
Death Of Chief-Justiee Taney,
OF TENNESSEE.

Chief-J Justice Fancy was born in Mary
land, in l777, and died 1T the age of eigh-
ty-eight. He was descended from family
Of English Roman Catholics. He gradua-
ted at Dickinson College, Pennsylvania, in
l7s5. -Four years afterwards he was ad-
1nitted 10 the bar, in Maryland. He be-
came successively State Senator, Attorney
General Of the STATE, and Attorney General
Of the United States, until 1885, when he
was appointed Associste-Justice of the
Supreme Court. he was ffty-nine years
eff age whom ne became ChieCJustioe. OF
his first years it is said he did not maintain
the high repute of his Predeeessors.-
Not possessing the breadth of mind and
CREST legal learning of the Bllsworths, and
Marshalis, ard Storys his decisions, very
generally, were marked by caution
and good sense. His earlier de-
cisions proved that he did not
entertain the extreme views of State
Rights IS held by the Southern leaders. He
regarded the General Government not as
a confederation of States, bua as com
posite or unmi1ed nation. His assOcia-
tons with Southern politicians, however,
so biassed his judgment that in 1856 be
was ready to lend himself to their scheme
for making slavery national institution.
In the case Of Dred Scott he decided that
negroes are not q portion of the people CT
citizens of the country, and gravely assert
ed that fcr more than century previous
70 the adoption Of the Declaration Of In
dependence, negroes, whether slaves or
free, had been regarded as beings of an
inferior order, and altogether unfit to as
sociate with the white race either in So
cial or political relations-and so far in
ferior that they had no rights which the
white man was bound to respect
This decision, which made slavery Con-
stitutional, established it in the territories,
and gave free transit to slaves through
the free States was 50 opposed to humani-
ty, good sense and sound patriotism, that
it served more than all other causes, to
Bring about that revolution which ulti-
nateiy resulted in the election of Abra-
ham Lincoln to the Presidency. The de-
cision was universally regarded as infa-
nous, and must forever leave foul blot on
the memory af Chief Justice Taney.-
Whatever may have been his virtues as
private individual or the worth of his de-
cisions on other subjects than that of
slavery, history will ever record the fact
that Chief Justice Taney, in his subservi-
ence to party spirit, so far forgot his duty
and high character, as to make decision
which legalized and extended the greatest
crime of the age.
r He is dead, however, and hereafter,
Freedom Is the law of the land. We
heartily endorse the language Of dis
tinguished cotemporary in speaking of
Secretary Chase as the man who should
succeed him. IA crest statesman of the
West, whose life has been identified with
The struggle for truth, will doubtless as
cend to the vacant seat and the year that
closes the war will be a renewal of she best
life of the Republican her courts as well
as in her iegislative halls, il the Executive
chair as well as among the people,