Caesar Augustus Rodney

Caesar A. Rodney
United States Senator from Delaware
In office January 10, 1822 – January 29, 1823
Preceded by	Outerbridge Horsey[1]
Succeeded by	Thomas Clayton[2]
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Delaware's Second At-large district
In office March 4, 1821 – January 24, 1822
Preceded by	Willard Hall
Succeeded by	Daniel Rodney
6th United States Attorney General
In office January 20, 1807 – December 5, 1811
President	Thomas Jefferson James Madison
Preceded by	John Breckinridge
Succeeded by	William Pinkney
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Delaware's At-large district
In office March 4, 1803 – March 4, 1805
Preceded by	James A. Bayard, Sr.
Succeeded by	James M. Broom
Personal details
Born	(1772-01-04)January 4, 1772 Wilmington, Delaware
Died	June 10, 1824(1824-06-10) (aged 52) Buenos Aires, Argentina
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse(s)	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.

Early life and family

Rodney was born in Dover, Delaware, son of Thomas Rodney and Elizabeth Fisher. He was the nephew of Caesar Rodney, the signer of the Declaration of Independence who is depicted on the Delaware state quarter. 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.

Professional and political career

Rodney served six terms as State Representative, 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.

While 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, he 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. Rodney was unsuccessful in attaining an acquittal for the workers.

Attorney general

On January 20, 1807, U.S. President Thomas Jefferson named Rodney his U.S. Attorney General. He served in that office for the remainder of Jefferson's term and for nearly three years in 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. Rodney 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.

Later political activity

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 Delaware's only Democratic-Republican U.S. Senator ever.

Along with John Graham and Theodorick Bland, Rodney was selected by President James Monroe in 1817 for a special diplomatic mission to South America, the South American Commission of 1817–1818.^[3] Rodney was appointed to lead the commission to investigate whether the newly formed South American republics should be recognized. He strongly advocated such recognition and, with 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 the Río de la Plata, now known as Argentina. He remained at this posting until his death.

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 to a crypt at St. John's Cathedral in Buenos Aires. The crypt is at the peristyle of the entrance of the cathedral.^[4]

located at the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist at Buenos Aires, it reads "In memory of the Excellency C. A. Rodney. The first Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of North America close to the Argentine Republic. The Government of Buenos Aires, Decree of June 10, 1824 – Placed on February 28, 1832." (the church was completed in 1831, is the oldest non-Catholic church building in South America^[5])

Almanac

Elections were held the first Tuesday of October. Members of the General Assembly took office on the first Tuesday of January. State Representatives were elected for one year. U.S. Representatives took office March 4 and have a two-year term. The General Assembly chose the U.S. Senators, who also took office March 4, but for a six-year term. In this case the General Assembly failed to fill the position for nearly a year.

Notes

1. ↑ this seat was vacant from March 4, 1821, until January 23, 1822.
2. ↑ this seat was vacant from January 29, 1823, until January 8, 1824.
3. ↑ Rasmussen, Wayne D. (2006). "Diplomats and Plant Collectors: The South American Commission, 1817–1818". In Gerber, James; Lei Guang. Agriculture and Rural Connections in the Pacific, 1500–1900. The Pacific World: Lands, Peoples and History of the Pacific, 1500–1900 13. Burlington, Vermont: Ashgate Publishing Company. pp. 53–62. ISBN 978-0-7546-3978-7. 
4. ↑ http://www.cementeriobritanico.org
5. ↑ http://catedralanglicana.com/index.php/history

References

External links

• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Delaware's Members of Congress
• Find a Grave
• The Political Graveyard

Places with more information

• Delaware Historical Society; website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161
• University of Delaware; Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965

United States Attorneys General 18th Century Randolph Bradford Lee 19th Century Lincoln Breckinridge Rodney Pinkney Rush Wirt Berrien Taney Butler Grundy Gilpin Crittenden Legaré Nelson Mason Clifford Toucey Johnson Crittenden Cushing Black Stanton Bates Speed Stanbery Evarts Hoar Akerman Williams Pierrepont Taft Devens MacVeagh Brewster Garland Miller Olney Harmon McKenna Griggs 20th Century 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 21st Century Ashcroft Gonzales Mukasey Holder Lynch

United States Senators from Delaware Class 1 Read Latimer White Horsey C Rodney Thomas Clayton McLane Naudain R Bayard John M. Clayton Wales J Bayard Jr Riddle J Bayard Jr T Bayard Sr Gray Ball H du Pont Wolcott TC du Pont T Bayard Jr Townsend Tunnell Williams Roth Carper Class 2 Bassett Vining Joshua Clayton Wells J Bayard Sr Wells Van Dyke D Rodney Ridgely John M. Clayton Thomas Clayton Spruance John M. Clayton Comegys Bates W Saulsbury Sr E Saulsbury Higgins Kenney Allee Richardson W Saulsbury Jr Ball TC du Pont Hastings Hughes Buck Frear Boggs Biden Kaufman Coons

Members of the United States House of Representatives from Delaware Vining Patten Latimer Bayard C. Rodney Broom Van Dyke Ridgely Cooper T. Clayton McLane Hall D. Rodney Johns Milligan Robinson G. Rodney J. Houston Riddle Cullen Whiteley Fisher Temple Smithers Nicholson Biggs Lofland J. Williams Martin Lore Penington Causey Willis Handy J. Hoffecker W. Hoffecker Ball H. Houston Burton Heald Brockson Miller Polk Layton Boyce R. Houston Adams Stewart Allen G. Williams Traynor Willey Boggs Warburton McDowell Haskell Roth du Pont Evans Carper Castle Carney

United States Ambassadors to Argentina Minister Resident Caesar Augustus Rodney John M. Forbes Francis Baylies William Brent, Jr. William Alexander Harris John Pendleton William Henry Bissell James A. Peden Mirabeau B. Lamar Benjamin C. Yancey John F. Cushman Robert M. Palmer Robert C. Kirk Alexander Asboth Henry G. Worthington Robert C. Kirk Julius White Thomas O. Osborn Bayless W. Hanna Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Bayless W. Hanna John R. G. Pitkin William Insco Buchanan William Paine Lord John Barrett Arthur M. Beaupre Spencer F. Eddy Charles Hitchcock Sherrill Huntington Wilson Charles Hitchcock Sherrill John Ridgely Carter John W. Garrett Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Frederick Jesup Stimson John W. Riddle Peter A. Jay Robert Woods Bliss Alexander W. Weddell Norman Armour Spruille Braden George S. Messersmith James Bruce Stanton Griffis Ellsworth Bunker Albert F. Nufer Willard L. Beaulac Roy R. Rubottom, Jr. Robert M. McClintock Edwin M. Martin Carter L. Burgess John Davis Lodge Robert C. Hill Raúl Héctor Castro Harry W. Shlaudeman Frank V. Ortiz, Jr. Theodore E. Gildred Terence Todman James Richard Cheek Ronald D. Godard Manuel Rocha Hassan Nemazee James Donald Walsh Lino Gutierrez Earl Anthony Wayne Vilma Socorro Martínez Noah Mamet