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Indiana University Studies 
He was the greatest judge and perhaps one of the two greatest 
constitutional lawyers the United States has ever produced. 
He was a soldier of distinction, a legislator of power, a 
diplomat of skill, a historian of accuracy, a statesman of en- 
lightenment and patriotism, a magistrate of dignity, a judge 
of profundity and compelling, irresistible logic, and a man 
whose character commanded respect and obedience. 
Taney (1777-1864). 57 John Marshall’s successor and the 
fifth chief justice of the Supreme Court was Roger B. Taney, 
who was appointed by Andrew Jackson and presided for an- 
other long period from 1836 to 1864. Taney was an experi- 
enced trial lawyer, and probably entitled to higher rank as a 
justice than ordinarily given. He was born in Maryland 
and was a Catholic, and procured his education at Dickinson 
College and in the law office of Jeremiah T. Chase. He 
practiced law in Fredericktown against Pinckney, Martin, and 
other great lawyers of the day. In 1823 he moved to Baltimore 
and came into competition with Wirt. In 1827 he became 
attorney-general of Maryland, and in 1831 attorney-general 
of the United States under Jackson. He was nominated for 
the secretaryship of the treasury, but the nomination was re- 
jected because of his opposition to the United States Bank. In 
the same way a nomination for justice to take Duvall’s place 
was not confirmed. But when he was nominated for chief 
justice on Marshall’s death he was confirmed, tho opposed by 
Clay. He was a strict constructionist and technical, but did 
not undo the work of Chief Justice Marshall so far as it related 
to the fundamental characteristics of our government. The 
one spot on his record was the “Dred Scott ” 58 decision. In 
correcting Marshall’s “Dartmouth College ” 59 decision he did 
an admirable piece of work. His judicial style was commend- 
able. In character he was a man of the highest integrity, 
simplicity, and purity of life. 
Chase (1808-1875). 60 The sixth chief justice was Salmon 
P. Chase. He was appointed by Lincoln, who generously 
overlooked his personal affronts and political disloyalty, in 
order to appoint a strong man on the supreme bench. Chase 
was born on a farm in Cornish, N.H. ; graduated at Dart- 
57 22 Green Bag 149 ; 46 Am. L. Rev. 1 ; 18 Yale L. Jour. 10 . 
58 19 How. 393 . 
59 4 Wheat. 518 . 
60 7 Green Bag 313 . 
