The Irish standard., 1902-01-11

In a recent issue of the Catholic
Telegraph, Edward J. McDcrmott, of
Louisville, Ky, gives the following
sympathetic sketch of Chief Justice
Roger Il. Tancy of the United States
supreme court, and shows how his
famous decision in thcDrcd Scott
case was distorted by the friends of
the negroes in slavery:
The two most illustrous chief jus
tees of the supreme court of the Unit
cd States We're Marshall and fancy
1he former had an extraordinary in,
tlucnce in shaping the history Of our
country and the form of our govern,
ment by interpreting the constitution
according to the standards and the
aims of tile Fedcralists, who believed
| in a broad and liberal construction
of the constitution, and, in fact, sought
to strengthen the federal government
at the expense of the states. When
Marshall died and fancy took his
place, more conservative and n
stricter construction of the constitu-
tion was adopted and the danger of
too free construction was, to great
extent, avoided. However we may
differ in opinion us to the relative
merits or talents of Marshall and tn
ney, no man of clear and unbiased
judgment can deny that Taney wns
one of the greatest lawyers we ever
had. His private life was pure and
his public services great and yet no
man has been traduced and villified
more than Taney by partisnns that
differed from him on the question of
slavery. 1t seems strange that, even
at this late day, historians and other
writer's cannot do him Justice. Fair.
ness, impartiality and truthfulness
are, however, rare in men who dis.
cuss any subject in which they have
a deep or passionate interest. We
can see this exemplified just now in
the absurdities and falsehoods told OF
the friars in the Philippines. Not
one man in a hundred can do justice tc
those who differ from him in politics
or religion, or in anything else regard
ed as vitality important in this life
Whether we are reading historical mar
ratives Of the past or partisan writ
ings bearing upon the present, We
must expect not merely warped opin
ions and extravagant statements, but
even lies and ISLANDERS. Chief Justice
Taney was the victim of unusual in
Justice.
He was born March II, 1777, in
Calvert county, Maryland. His an
cestors fed from the religious persecu
tions of the disciples Of Cromwell to
find safety and religious freedom un.
der the government of the Catholic
Calverts in Maryland and his ances'
tors and he, in spite of worldly dis.
advantages, remained steadfast in
their faith to the end. He received
his training at Dickinson college in
Carlisle, Pa, and studied law ut An.
napolis. He was member Of the
General Assembly; and, as n lawyer;
was able to take rank with men like
Pinkney and johnson. On one occas.
sion he was brave enough to defy
public hatred in order to defend q
Methodist minister who had been in
dicted for melting slaves to insurrec-
ton, and he saved his client. In
1916 he became member Of Maryland
Senate and retained his seat for five
years. In 1922 he removed to Balti-
more, and at once became worthy
rival Of William Writ and the other
great lawyers Of the country. In 1927
he was made encouragement Of the
United States by Andrew Jackson;
and later was appointed secretary Of
the treasury, and accepted the uncOn-
genial post in order to join in Jack
sons battle against the Bank of the
United States and its famous cham.
pions, Webster and Clay. The Senate,
under Clay's influence, rejected Tan.