Read the passage from the opinion of the court in dred scott v. sandford, written by justice taney.
the question before us is, whether the class of persons described in the plea in abatement compose a portion of this people, and are constituent members of this sovereignty? we think they are not, and that they are not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word "citizens" in the constitution, and can therefore claim none of the rights and privileges which that instrument provides for and secures to citizens of the united states. on the contrary, they were at that time considered as a subordinate and inferior class of beings, who had been subjugated by the dominant race, and, whether emancipated or not, yet remained subject to their authority, and had no rights or privileges but such as those who held the power and the government might choose to grant them. what is taney’s claim in this passage?
a. that black people were covered by the constitution’s definition of citizen
b. that emancipated black people had rights guaranteed by the government
c. that black people were not part of the group considered citizens by the constitution
d. that black people would have to get the government's permission to be citizens