Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 07.pdf/396

 The

Vol. VII.

No. 8.

Green

BOSTON.

Bag.

August, 1895.

ROGER B. TANEY. By Edward S. Tanky. ROGER BROOKE TANEY, the fifth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, was a lineal descendant on his mother's side of Robert Brooke, who arrived from England in Maryland the 29th day of June, 1650. He was soon after ap pointed, by Lord Baltimore, Commander of Charles County, and was chosen by the Commissioners, appointed by Cromwell, Governor of Maryland. His forefathers on his father's side were among the early emi grants to Maryland, and owned and lived on the estate where the Chief-Justice was born, for many generations. His father. Michael Taney, owing to the disabilities attached to Roman Catholics at that period, was sent to France to be edu cated at the noted Jesuit College at St. Omer. Soon after his return to America he married Monica Brooke, daughter of Roger Brooke, whose plantation adjoined Michael Taney's, the two houses being nearly opposite, on the banks of the Pautuxent River. The third child and second son of this marriage, Roger Brooke Taney, was born March 17th, 1777. His first teacher was a " queer" man who only pretended to instruct his scholars in the rudiments; his only books were a Bible and Dilworth's spell ing book. He was next sent to a gram mar school kept by an eccentric Scotch man, who imagined he could walk on water, that he was a disembodied spirit. He had the reputation of being a classical scholar. About three months after the opening of school he finally drowned himself whilst at tempting to walk across the river. After a

short time spent with a private tutor at home, he was sent to Dickinson College, at Carlisle, Pa., in the spring of 1792. It was no small undertaking for a boy of fifteen, in that day, to get from the lower part of Cal vert County to Carlisle; embarking on board a schooner, which, owing to unfavorable winds, did not reach Baltimore for a week; and as there was no regular stage line be tween Baltimore and Carlisle, he and his two young friends were obliged to stop at an inn until they could find a wagon returning to Carlisle, that would take their trunks and allow them to ride occasionally. In this way the journey occupied two weeks. At college he made rapid progress and was soon noted for application and thor oughness in every branch of his studies. He graduated with the highest honors of his class in 1795, and was chosen by his classmates to deliver the valedictory. After returning home he spent the ensuing winter in leisure, hunting foxes with his father, fish ing, shooting ducks with his brothers, and in similar sports. In the spring of 1790 he went to Anna polis to study law with Jeremiah T. Chase, one of the judges of the General Court of Maryland, and was admitted to the Bar in 1799. His first case was tried in the May or's Court at Annapolis. He used to say he was so badly frightened, that his knees trembled so much when he arose to address the Court that he was obliged to press them against the desk for support. Mr. Taney's temperament was morbidly sensitive and very painful to him. After 36'