Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1892-12-08

saeoc iatsrf raiheu hini. His earlv
life was spent in Cecil and Queen
Anne counties, teaching school for
his bread and butter, while his spare
time was devoted to the study Of
law. With the help of some wealthy
neighbors. who had taken a liking
to the brilliant young fellow, he
was enabled to hang out his shingle
rs country lawyer in Somerset
county and soon forged to the front
rank. Country courts were too
small for him, and he came to Bal
timore to live. lie was a great op-
ponent of England. aud a member
OF the Annapolis convention which
declared for separssiea from the
mother country. He was made at
torney-general of the State in l77s
and when Justice Chase was i'm
peached for malfeasance in Office he
was his counsel. He was also the
counsel of Aaron Burr when the
latter was tried for treason.
Martin was very eccentric, ex-
travagant and intemperate man,
but he made many warm friend
ships, and when misfortune came
to him in the latter years of his
life, and his great mind was clouded
by excesses, the friends he had made
in happier days did not desert him.
The Legislature passed rcsolu-
tion requiring that every person
admitted to the Maryland bar should
contribute IS a year toward his
support, and Aaron Burr gave him
home until the day OF his death.
A picture of Martin, which hangs
in the Superior Court room, shows
a face Of great power.
WILLIAM PINKNEY.
With perhaps the single exception
Of Luther Martin, TO whom he was
u great contrast in every way, VIII
liam Pinkney was the most striking
character ever "a member of the
Baltimore bar. Unlike Martin, he
was very fastidous as to his dress /;
he was always attired in the height
of fashion, and never argued case
in court without wearing a pair Of
white gloves. lie was born in An
napolis on March IL, 1764, and
studied Law under Chase, was at one
time Attorney-General of the State
and was made a commissioner under
John jays English treaty. After
this he was Minister to England,
and on his return to this country
he was made Attorney General of
the United States. When the War
of 1912 came OH he entered tie ar
my, and was wounded at Bladens-
burg, went to Congress from Balti-
more in 1915, and was made Min
ister to Russia by President Mum
roe. He was United States Sena-
tor when he died in 1922.
ROGER BROOKE TANEY.
Roger Brooke Taney, the only
Chief Justice that Maryland has
ever given to the Supreme Court, is
the best known lawyer born in
Maryland. He was a native of Cal
vert county, where he was born in
l777. He graduated at Dickinson
College and, after serving a term
in the Senate from his native coun-
ty, he came to Baltimore. After
serving term as Attorney General
Of the State he was in 1881 appoint
ed by Andrew jackson Attorney
General of the United States. The
Senate refused 10 confirm him, but
| Old Hickory was not to be outdone,
and made him a mem Der Of his Cab
met, giving him the Treasury Port
folio. Then he nominated him for
Associate Justice Of the Supreme
Court, and the Senate again refus-
ed to confirm. A few months after
this Chief Justice Marshall died,
and Jackson Immediately nominat-
ed Taney TO fill the vacancy.
The complexion Of the Senate
having been changed, he was con-
firmed. He is described as a man
of feeble constitution, but of won
derful will power. His most ia
mozs decision was the Dred Scott
case, in which he decided that the
negro was a chattel. This is said
by many students of history to
have done much toward precipitat-
ing the Civil War. The Chief JUS
tice was a deyout Catholic, and it
is related Of him that once when
waiting to 90 TO the confessional
several colored men were in line be-
fore him waiting their turu The