Caesar A. Rodney

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Caesar A. Rodney
U. S. Senator from Delaware
In office January 10, 1822 – January 29, 1823
Preceded by	Outerbridge Horsey [1]
Succeeded by	Thomas Clayton [2]
U. S. Representative from Delaware 2nd at-large
In office March 4, 1821 – January 24, 1822
Preceded by	Willard Hall
Succeeded by	Daniel Rodney
U.S. Attorney General
In office January 20, 1807 – December 5, 1811
Preceded by	John Breckinridge
Succeeded by	William Pinkney
U. S. Representative from Delaware at-large
In office March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805
Preceded by	James A. Bayard, Sr.
Succeeded by	James M. Broom
Born	January 4, 1772(1772-01-04) Wilmington, Delaware
Died	June 10, 1824 (aged 52) Buenos Aires, Argentina
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse	Susan Hunn
Residence	Wilmington, Delaware
Alma mater	University of Pennsylvania
Profession	lawyer

Caesar Augustus Rodney (January 4, 1772 – June 10, 1824) was an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly, as well as a U.S. Representative from Delaware, U.S. Senator from Delaware, U.S. Attorney General, and U.S. Minister to Argentina. He was the nephew of Caesar Rodney, the signer of the Declaration of Independence who is depicted on the Delaware state quarter.

[edit] Early life and family

See also: Rodney family of Delaware

Rodney was born January 4, 1772, in Dover, Delaware, son of Thomas Rodney and Elizabeth Fisher. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1789, he studied law under Joseph B. McKean in Philadelphia and was admitted to the bar in 1793. He practiced law in Wilmington and New Castle, Delaware, for the next three years. Rodney married Susan Hunn, the daughter of Captain John Hunn and their home was "Cool Springs", located in Wilmington.

[edit] Jeffersonian legislator

Rodney served six terms in the Delaware House of Representatives, from the 1797 session through the 1802 session. There he became one of the leaders of the Jeffersonian party, now known as the Democratic-Republican Party. Encouraged by Jefferson to compete for the U.S. House against the staunch Federalist James A. Bayard, Rodney ran and won a lively campaign by fifteen votes. While in the U.S. House, he was a member of the Committee on Ways and Means, and established a national reputation as one of the managers appointed in January 1804 to prepare the articles of impeachment against John Pickering, judge of the United States District Court for New Hampshire. Pickering was charged with conduct unbecoming a judge, and his acquittal was viewed as strengthening the independence of the judiciary. In December of the same year, Rodney led another such case against Samuel Chase Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

After serving one term in the U.S. House from March 4, 1803 until March 3, 1805, he was defeated for reelection in 1804 by Bayard, by nearly as close a vote. The two men, always vigorous political opponents, remained good friends throughout their tumultuous political careers.

[edit] Private Practice

While Mr. Rodney spent most of his legal career in public service, he took on at least one notable case as a private advocate during the year before his appointment as Attorney General. In 1806, Mr. Rodney made an appearance before the Mayor's Court of Philadelphia to defend the Philadelphia Cordwainers against a common law charge of conspiracy. The conspiracy charge was instituted by retail shoe merchants, based on attempts by the journeyman shoe- and boot- makers to organize for the purpose of setting their wages and hours. Sadly, Mr Rodney was unsuccessful in attaining an acquittal for the workers, so that the progress of organized labor was delayed for more than a half-century in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

[edit] Attorney General

On January 20, 1807 U.S. President Thomas Jefferson named Rodney his U.S. Attorney General and he served in that office for the remainder of Jefferson's term and for nearly three years in U.S. President James Madison's first term. As Attorney General, Rodney participated as a member of the prosecution during the second treason trial of former Vice-President Aaron Burr. He resigned December 5, 1811, unhappy about being passed over for a U.S. Supreme Court appointment. During the War of 1812, he was captain of a rifle corps which became the Delaware 1st Artillery. They served at Fort Union in Wilmington, on the Canadian frontier, and assisted in the defense of Baltimore in 1814.

[edit] Later career

Rodney returned to politics serving in the State Senate for three sessions from 1815 through 1817. In 1820 he was again elected to the U.S. House, serving from March 4, 1821 until January 24, 1822, when he resigned upon being elected to the U.S. Senate. He served there only a year as well, resigning January 29, 1823 to accept a diplomatic appointment. During that brief year Rodney was Federalist dominated Delaware's only Democratic-Republican U.S. Senator ever.

In 1817 Rodney was appointed by President James Monroe to lead a commission to investigate whether the newly formed South American republics should be recognized. He strongly advocated such recognition and, with John Graham, published his findings in 1819 as Reports on the Present State of the United Provinces of South America. This report is thought to have contributed much to the thinking behind the policy that eventually became expressed as the Monroe Doctrine. It also resulted in Rodney's 1823 appointment as United States Minister Plenipotentiary to the United Provinces of La Plata, now known as Argentina. He remained at this posting until his death.

[edit] Death and legacy

Rodney died June 10, 1824, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was buried there in the Victoria district British Cemetery. His remains were moved in 1923 to the Charcarita district British Cemetery.

[edit] Almanac

Elections were held the first Tuesday of October. Members of the State House took office on the first Tuesday of January for a one year term. U.S. Representatives were popularly elected for a two year term, and the General Assembly chose the U.S. Senators, for a six year term. Both took office the following March 4th.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Commonwealth v. Pullis ("The Philadelphia Cordwainers' Case"), Mayor's Court of Philadelpia (1806)
• Conrad, Henry C. (1908). History of the State of Delaware. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Wickersham Company. 
• Martin, Roger A. (1995). Memoirs of twenty-two years in the Delaware State Senate. Newark, Del.: Roger A. Martin. OCLC 34016846. 
• Martin, Roger A. (2003). Delawareans in Congress. Middletown, Del.: Roger A. Martin. ISBN 0924117265. OCLC 56794580. 
• Munroe, John A. (1954). Federalist Delaware 1775-1815. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press. OCLC 1867660. 
• Read, William T. (1853). Biographical Sketch of Caesar Augustus Rodney. Wilmington, Del.: C.P. Johnson. OCLC 13813351. 
• Ryden, George Herbert (1943). Biographical Sketches of Caesar Rodney (the Signer) Thomas Rodney and Caesar A. Rodney. Dover, Del.: Public Archives Commission. OCLC 8230494. 
• Scharf, John Thomas (1888). History of Delaware 1609-1888. 2 vols. Philadelphia: L. J. Richards & Co. ISBN 0-87413-493-5. 
• Wilson, W. Emerson (1969). Forgotten Heroes of Delaware. Cambridge, Mass.: Deltos Publishing Company. OCLC 56456. 

[edit] External links

• Caesar A. Rodney at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Caesar A. Rodney at the The Political Graveyard
• Caesar A. Rodney at Delaware’s Senators

[edit] Places with more information

• Historical Society of Delaware, 505 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware (302) 655-7161
• University of Delaware Library, 181 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware (302) 831-2965

v • d • e Cabinet of President Thomas Jefferson (1801 - 1809) Vice President Aaron Burr (1801 - 1805) · George Clinton (1805 - 1809) Secretary of State James Madison (1801 - 1809) Secretary of the Treasury Samuel Dexter (1801) · Albert Gallatin (1801 - 1809) Secretary of War Henry Dearborn (1801 - 1809) Attorney General Levi Lincoln, Sr. (1801 - 1804) · Robert Smith (1805) · John Breckinridge (1805 - 1806) · Caesar A. Rodney (1807 - 1809) Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert (1801) · Robert Smith (1801 - 1809)

v • d • e Cabinet of President James Madison (1809 - 1817) Vice President George Clinton (1809 - 1812) · Elbridge Gerry (1813 - 1814) Secretary of State Robert Smith (1809 – 1811) · James Monroe (1811 – 1814) (1815 – 1817) Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin (1809 – 1814) · George W. Campbell (1814) · Alexander J. Dallas (1814 – 1816) · William H. Crawford (1816 – 1817) Secretary of War William Eustis (1809 – 1813) · John Armstrong, Jr. (1813 – 1814) · James Monroe (1814 – 1815) · William H. Crawford (1815 – 1816) Attorney General Caesar A. Rodney (1809 – 1811) · William Pinkney (1811 – 1814) · Richard Rush (1814 – 1817) Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton (1809 – 1813) · William Jones (1813 – 1814) · Benjamin Williams Crowninshield (1814 – 1817)

v • d • e United States Attorneys General Randolph • Bradford • Lee • Lincoln • Breckinridge • Rodney • Pinkney • Rush • Wirt • Berrien • Taney • Butler • Grundy • Gilpin • Crittenden • Legaré • Nelson • Mason • Clifford • Toucey • Johnson • Crittenden • Cushing • Black • Stanton • Bates • Speed • Stanberry • Evarts • Hoar • Akerman • Williams • Pierrepont • Taft • Devens • MacVeagh • Brewster • Garland • Miller • Olney • Harmon • McKenna • Griggs • Knox • Moody • Bonaparte • Wickersham • McReynolds • Gregory • Palmer • Daugherty • Stone • Sargent • W D Mitchell • Cummings • Murphy • Jackson • Biddle • T C Clark • McGrath • McGranery • Brownell • Rogers • Kennedy • Katzenbach • W R Clark • J N Mitchell • Kleindienst • Richardson • Saxbe • Levi • Bell • Civiletti • Smith • Meese • Thornburgh • Barr • Reno • Ashcroft • Gonzales • Mukasey