Twenty Years of Congress, Vol. 1: From Lincoln to Garfield, with a Review of the Events Which Led to the Political Revolution of 1860Blaine, James Gillespie
History
Twenty Years of Congress, Vol. 1: From Lincoln to Garfield, with a Review of the Events Which Led to the Political Revolution of 1860
Blaine, James Gillespie
United States -- History; United States -- History -- 1865-1898
Mr. Sumner's protest was vigorously seconded by Mr. Hale of New
Hampshire and Mr. Wade of Ohio. The former said that a monument
to Taney "would give the lie to all that had been said by the
friends of justice, liberty, and down-trodden humanity," respecting
the iniquity of the Dred Scott decision. Mr. Wade violently opposed
the proposition. He avowed his belief that the "Dred Scott case
was got up to give judicial sanction to the enormous iniquity that
prevailed in every branch of our government at that period." He
declared that "the greater you make Judge Taney's legal acumen the
more you dishonor his memory by showing that he sinned against
light and knowledge." He insisted that the people of Ohio, whose
opinion he professed to represent, "would pay two thousand dollars
to hang the late Chief Justice in effigy rather than one thousand
dollars for a bust to commemorate his merits."
Mr. McDougall of California spoke in favor of the bill, and commented
on the rudeness of Mr. Sumner's speech. Mr. Carlile of West Virginia
spoke very effectively in praise of the Chief Justice. If the
decision was harsh, he said, no one was justified in attributing
it to the personal feelings or desires of the Chief Justice. It
was the law he was expounding, and he did it ably and conscientiously.
Mr. Sumner concluded the debate by a reply to Reverdy Johnson. He
said that, in listening to the senator from Maryland, he was
"reminded of a character, known to the Roman Church, who always
figures at the canonization of a saint as the _Devil's advocate_."
He added that, if he could help it, "Taney should never be recognized
as a saint by any vote of Congress." The incidents of the debate
and the names of the participants are given as affording a good
illustration of the tone and temper of the times. It was made
evident that the opponents of the bill, under Mr. Sumner's lead,
would not permit it to come to a vote. It was therefore abandoned
on the 23d of February, 1865.
HONORS TO TWO CHIEF JUSTICES.
Nine years after these proceedings, in January, 1874, the name of
another Chief Justice, who had died during the recess, came before
Congress for honor and commemoration. The Senate was still controlled
by a large Republican majority, though many changes had taken place.
All the senators who had spoken in the previous debate were gone,
except Mr. Sumner, who had meanwhile been chosen for his fourth
term, and Mr. Wilson, who had been elevated to the Vice-Presidency.
Mr. Howe of Wisconsin, a more radical Republican than Mr. Trumbull,
reported from the Judiciary Committee a bill originally proposed
by Senator Stevenson of Kentucky, paying the same tribute of respect
to Roger Brooke Taney and Salmon Portland Chase. The bill was
passed without debate and with the unanimous consent of the Senate.
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