No, you wrote: "Was Merryman a "personal friend of Taney"? You have provided nothing to refute the claim and I have provided a list of reasons to believe that such was quite likely the case" in post 2173.
Same difference. Face the facts. You lied. You got caught. You have yet to provide one iota of evidence that Chief Justice Taney and John Merryman even knew each other. You and your stablemates have the same tack on everything.
I wrote nothing about "closeness" - nor did Rehnquist.
You were exagerating.