New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-10-01
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
TYLER,s LIFE OF TANEY.

The judicial career of the late Chief Justice laney,
20 which a large part of this volume is devoted, VIII
claim the attention of students of the legal and po
Gtca history of the United States rather than of the
lovers of personal biography. Still the private life
Of the eminent jurst abounds with interesting de-
tails partly taken from an photographed sketch
Of his early years and partly from the recoections
Of the author who had cherished a lifelong in
timacy with the subject of his memoir 1t presents
an attractive picture of the amenities of his social
and domestic relations and affords agreeable con-
trast to the stern aud thorny course OF his Official
experience.
Mr. Taney was born in Maryland on March II,
l777. His ancestors were among the early emgrants
10 that colony, aud of the Roman Catholic religion
The place of his birth was on secluded plantation
and there was only school within the distance Oh
ten miles. This, which three miles from his
fathers house. was kept by an ignorant old man,
who profesSed TO teach reading, writing, and the
1udiments of arithmetic. For want of a better
Young Taney was sent TO this school at eight years
of age together with an elder brother and sister
They walked every day to and from the school when
the weather was good, and when II was unpleasant
they STAYED at home. His father had no taste for
teaching. and seldom assisted the young people in
their lessons He took far more pleasure IN teaching
ms boys TO ride and swim, and to fish and manage
boat IN the Summer, and to skate and shoot Wild
ducks and geese in the Winter The only school
books were Dilworth's speling-boOk and the Bible,
and these were the only books the ancient school
master had ever read.
The two brothers were afterward sent to gram
mar school about ten miles off which was kept by
Scotchman who had the reputation of being an ex-
cellent classical scholar. Here Roger began the
study of Latin, but had made very little progress
when the school was broken up by the death OF the
master. A private tutor was then engaged for the
growing boy, and under succession of teachers In
the house he was fitted for college before he was
fifteen His father had selected Dickinson College
in Carlisle for the education of his son; where he
graduated in 1895. His college life was a
pleasant one. He boarded in the family of one OF
the professors who treated him with great kindness
a man full of patience and good nature, though
sometimes a little distressed, when upon examining
apnpl he found him not quite learned as himself
AT commencement the second hOnors were awarded
Ia Taney distinction which he found of little con-
sequence in his future pursuits.
After taking his degree he returned home to his
family with whom he passed the ensuing Winter,
Idly spending his time in the amusements Of the
country His father kept a pack of hounds and
was fond of fox-hunting. 1t was the custom 10
invite some other gentleman who also kept fox
hounds. to come with his pack on particular day,
and they hunted with the two packs united. Other
gentlemen addicted to the sport were also invited,
forming a party of eight or ten persons and
sometimes more. The hunting usually lasted
a week. The party rose before day, break
tasted by candle-light on pork spareribs or
bacon and homiuy. drank freely of eggnog and then
mounted and were in the cover before sunrise. The
foxes were mostly red and there was long chase
aud much hard riding over rough ground. The jolly
party seldom returned home until late In the day,
and the evening was spent gay conversation on the
.v,1n Fafr1Wo "a
Of the morrow or in playing whist for small stakes
There was no drunkenness and the play could
hardly be called gambling By the end Of the
Winter fancy was confirmed fOx-hunter, follow
ing the hounds with all the eagerness OF an old
sportsman. But il not long before he began to
nle of this mode of hfe. and to feel inpatient for
the study # law. HIS father had always desired
him 10 follow this profession and he preferred 1t for
himself. In the Spring of 1876, accordingly, he
entered the office of practitioner In Annapolis and
after three years diligent study, admitted to
the bar.
During his course of preparation, his ambition
was constantly on the stretch. He refused to go
into society until he had completed his studies. He
associated ONLY with the students and often spent
twelve hours day over his law books The first
session of the General Court, after he went 20 An
napolis seems to have made a strong impression
upm bis imagination. Three judges wearing scarlet
cloaks sat in chairs on an elevated platform All the
distinguished lawyers of Maryland were assembled
at the bar The future Chief Justice looked with
eager interest upon the array Of talent and learning
before him, and hoped that the day would come
when be would occupy the like position in the pro
fession.
Among the great men Of the Maryland bar at that
Cav was the celebrated Luther Martin. He stood by
universal consent at the very head Of the profession
,oI = foI1a IN blp
He often appeared in court evidently intoxicated,
and in fact there was rarely day in which he was
not under the influence of excessive stimulants.
His dress was an eccentric compound of the fine and
the coarse and appeared never to have felt the
hrush He wore rufies at the wrists, richly edged
with lace though that style of dress had gone COM
pletely ont of fashion, but they were dabbled and
soiled showing in their broad expanse of dirty
white that they had not been changed for many a
dav. His voice was not musical, and when much
excited it cracked. He an accomplished
scholar. and wrote with classical correctness
and great strength. But he delighted in the
use of VuigaTisns which were never used
except among the colOred slaves or the lowest
whites lie would often say, 81 cotch him" instead
If cgyoLf him. and he SO down, instead of 4" sat
down. He took pleasure in showing his disregard
Of taste and refinement both in his dress and Ian
gra0e He was as coarse at dinner table III his
manner of eating as he was in everything else. His
rufortunate habits had made him reckless in money
matters. and after long life of severe labor and
large profits when in old age he was struck with
paralvss he was found TO be utterly penniless and
dependent upon charity for support. 1T is bright
spot in the couded memory of Aaron Burr that after
this happened he took Mr. Martin TO his home and
provided for him until ms death
Upon the return of William Pinkney from En-