Any ruling is a personal opinion of the judge who writes it, and you have yet to substantiate exactly what personal interest Taney had in the case.
-- Taney was a slave owner with strong leanings towards slave power interests --
You've said that. Now explain exactly what if anything slave ownership has to do with a ruling on the judicial process of habeas corpus and how it in any way, shape, or form created a vested interest for Taney in Merryman's case. Otherwise your charade will be treated for what it appears to be - an unrelated personal smear on the judge since you have foudn yourself unable to refute his ruling.
Taney was flirting with treason himself.
The Lincoln evidently thought so as well. In reality though, Taney was a properly seated judge with the constitutional authority of the judiciary branch to rule on cases before him. Unless you are denying this power to him, you are full of nonsense.
He had no standing to make any ruling at all.
Sure he did. He was a properly seated judge of the judiciary system established under the U.S. Constitution serving on the circuit for the state where the case arose.
He should have recused himself.
Why and on what grounds?
But Lincoln showed himself a pretty canny lawyer too.
No. The Lincoln simply decided himself to be above the law and ignored the ruling as if it were never made.
He didn't need to arrest Taney
Some evidence exists that he desired to, you know. Taney also thought The Lincoln would try it as well.
We may be taking this all from the wrong tack. If all you can point to is Merryman, you can in a sense pretty much be countered with a "so what?"
No, not really. Merryman is only the physical case that happened in 1861. It makes it indisputable that The Lincoln knew what he was doing was unconstitutional under court precedent and that he was willing to violate a court ruling for him to stop.
The Lincoln evidently thought so as well. In reality though, Taney was a properly seated judge with the constitutional authority of the judiciary branch to rule on cases before him.
So what? Anybody can tell you've no interest in fairness and balance.
I believe at least one Supreme Court justice resigned to follow his state. Most of the judges and elected officials in the so-called seceded states went to the sesesh side. Taney was a Marylander. Maryland was rife with secessionist sentiment.
The fact that he was "properly seated" is just more of your blue smoke and mirrors.
Walt