Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-11-13

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he ever coveted. His pride of State was
very strong. He loved Maryland, and
wished to be inferred at Frederick, where
be passed the majority of his private
life"
"Aud he is buried there. "
"Yes, sir; beside his wife, who was
The sister of Francis Scott Key, author
of the Stsr-Spangled Banner" There
it has been proposed TO erect a monu-
ment to his memory. There lie all those
members Of his family whom he loved in
his lifetime. There, sir, / met the Chief
Justice first, one of bis townsmen.
"What papers did be take, sir2 You
have alluded to his cotemporary read.
ing"
"He took the New York papers, the
National Intelligencer, the Globe, the
Edinburg, North British, Quarterly
and Westminster Repieios, and the Lon
don Times, regularly down to his death.
He read every article in them also"
Was he much of a reconteurF'
"Yes, upon subjects disconnected
with himself; but being Chief Justice he
seemed to hold his personal affairs in a
jealous regard, being fearful that they
might become public and so compromise
his professional opinions. To me, even,
whom he had selected to write his life, If
found it worthy enough, he would sci.
dom talk upon those concerns which l
was curious to know"
SIN what year was Justice Taney ap-
pointed Chief Justice ?"
"In 1886, SIR There never was a
country so fortunate in its Chief Justices
as the United States. The two terms OF
Marshall and Taney, put together, ex-
J tend over sixty years"
"Taney had not literary abilities, like
Marshall?"
"Yes, he had abilities, but he was q
thoroughly devoted lawyer, who refused
to express opinions, literary or other.
wise, which might seem TO obtain the
sanction of the name of the Chief Justice,
and, although he read much, he seemed
to make an effort to compress his mind
and utterances into legal channels mere
ly, and looked upon his court with an
eye single. Efforts were made to drag
him into politics at many periods of his
life, notably during the Douglas-Breck-
inridge campaign"
"What case was that, Mr.. Tyler2"
"Well, sir One Mr.. Hughes, of Hs-
gerstown, an intimate friend of Judge
Taney, wrote to the Judge in the heat Of
that political campaign, saying that il
was affirmed all through the country that
Judge Taney bad declared himself IN
faver of Mr.. Douglas for the PresideL cy
Consequently the Irish Catholic vot er'
we're going pell-mell for Mr.. Dougl as
And Mr.. Hughes, who believed the con
trary to be the predictions of the Ch lei
Justice, wrote to the latter for permission
to deny that he had expressed himself in
support of the Little Giant, as he was
called
"What did the Chief Justice reply 2"
He wrote, in letter which Ipossess,
to this effect-very nearly in these terms:
Sir / am Chief Justice of iihe
United States. As such, since the year
1886, have neeer cast rote. l never
permit any retainer or under-officeholder
OF mine to converse with me upon canji-
dates and their prospects. / never give
advice or render service, voluntarily or
involuntarily, upon any side. And so
particular am /, sir, that my name shall
never appear. with my consent, appended
to any politics, that refuse to permit
you to deny that am for or against any
body at this juncture. If any man has
affirmed anything on the credit OF my
name, / hold to my neutrality so tena-
ciously that l refuse to let my name be
used for any denial, even of an unauthor-
lied falsehood.'
"There were probably other instances
Of his political neutrality 2"
"Yes. / Irecollect that at one time the
marshal of his Court, being q stout par
tisan, wanted to go to the polls in his
official capacity, to keep order, for the
Democrats were hard pressed, and re-
qured both physical and official aid. The
Chief Justice said to him: Mr.. Marshal
-, be always gave every man his
official term, and insisted Hpon being en-
titled to his own name officially, in like
manner; Mr.. Marshal, you can go to
the polls, sir, like every citizen, but it
you 90 as the marshal of my Court, you
90 at your peril
Asking Mr.. Tyler of whom Of his CO.
temporaries the late Chief Justice spoke
Of most frequently, he replied:
"He often talked with mingled amuse-
ment and reverence of Luther Martin,
the great Maryland advocate, who defend
ed Aaron Burr, and died in the house OF
Aaron Burr, eventually, after being
bankrupt, poor, and partially insane. 1t
was for Luther Martin that the Maryland
legislature passed generous, but uncon-
stitutional act, compelling every candi-
date for the bar to pay five dollars for the
support of old Luther Martin. This
shows the esteem in which he was held
for his past talents and never-faihng
amiabiliiy. Judge Taney used TO say
that there were some men who never
we're affected, intellectually or physical
", by dissipation, although be was him
self sigually free from vices And be in
stanced Luther Martin. The Chief JUS
tics and Martin in Old days used TO prac-
iice together. Once they started from
Frederick to Hsgerstovn, to issue an in
portaut writ Of ejectment Luther Mar
tin was the best ejeciment attorney in
Maryland, aud Mr. Taney busted himself
very little with the case. The first tavern
tkey came to, Martha got cut and drank
vhiskA Al the next, there being no
whisky, be drank ale. Atthe third there
was only butiermilk So be drank, mis-