[FreeReign]

No, only “a judgment obtained directly by fraud, and not merely a judgment founded on a fraudulent instrument; for, in general, the court will not go again into the merits of an action for the purpose of detecting and annulling the fraud.” -

No. Replace your word "only" with the actual first independent clause in the sentence that you left out.

"Fraud vitiates every thing, and a judgment equally with a contract; that is, a judgment obtained directly by fraud, and not merely a judgment founded on a fraudulent instrument; for, in general, the court will not go again into the merits of an action for the purpose of detecting and annulling the fraud."

[NobleFree]

The second clause qualifies the first. My previous post remains correct.