Caesar Augustus Rodney

This article is about the lawyer and nineteenth-century politician. For his uncle, the revolutionary leader, see Caesar Rodney.

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.

Caesar A. Rodney
United States Minister to Argentina
In office December 27, 1823 – June 10, 1824
President	James Monroe
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	John Forbes (acting)
United States Senator from Delaware
In office January 24, 1822 – January 29, 1823
Preceded by	Outerbridge Horsey
Succeeded by	Thomas Clayton
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Delaware's at-large district
In office March 4, 1821 – January 24, 1822 2nd seat
Preceded by	Willard Hall
Succeeded by	Daniel Rodney
In office March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805 sole seat
Preceded by	James A. Bayard
Succeeded by	James M. Broom
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
Personal details
Born	(1772-01-04)January 4, 1772 Dover, Delaware Colony, British America
Died	June 10, 1824(1824-06-10) (aged 52) Buenos Aires, United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouse	Susan Hunn
Education	University of Pennsylvania (BA)

Early life and family

See also: Rodney family of Delaware

Rodney was born in Dover in the Delaware Colony, 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 impeachment managers appointed in January 1804 to prepare and prosecute the articles of impeachment in the impeachment proceedings 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 served as an impeachment manager in 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 Delaware 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. 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, 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.

Located at the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist at Buenos Aires, it reads "In memory of the Most Excellent Mister 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."

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.

Public offices
Office	Type	Location	Began office	Ended office	notes
State Representative	Legislature	Dover	January 3, 1797	January 2, 1798
State Representative	Legislature	Dover	January 2, 1798	January 1, 1799
State Representative	Legislature	Dover	January 1, 1799	January 7, 1800
State Representative	Legislature	Dover	January 7, 1800	January 6, 1801
State Representative	Legislature	Dover	January 6, 1801	January 5, 1802
State Representative	Legislature	Dover	January 5, 1802	January 4, 1803
U.S. Representative	Legislature	Washington, D.C.	March 4, 1803	March 3, 1805
U.S. Attorney General	Executive	Washington, D.C.	January 20, 1807	December 5, 1811
State Senate	Legislature	Dover	January 3, 1815	January 6, 1818
U.S. Representative	Legislature	Washington, D.C.	March 4, 1821	January 22, 1822
U.S. Senator	Legislature	Washington, D.C.	January 10, 1822	January 29, 1823
Resident Minister	Executive	Buenos Aires	January 29, 1823	June 10, 1824	Argentina

Delaware General Assembly service
Dates	Assembly	Chamber	Majority	Governor	Committees	District
1797	21st	State House	Federalist	Gunning Bedford Sr.		New Castle at-large
1798	22nd	State House	Federalist	Daniel Rogers		New Castle at-large
1799	23rd	State House	Federalist	Richard Bassett		New Castle at-large
1800	24th	State House	Federalist	Richard Bassett		New Castle at-large
1801	25th	State House	Federalist	James Sykes		New Castle at-large
1802	26th	State House	Federalist	David Hall		New Castle at-large
1815	39th	State Senate	Federalist	Daniel Rodney		New Castle at-large
1816	40th	State Senate	Federalist	Daniel Rodney		New Castle at-large
1817	41st	State Senate	Federalist	John Clark		New Castle at-large

United States congressional service
Dates	Congress	Chamber	Majority	President	Committees	Class/District
1803–1805	8th	U.S. House	Republican	Thomas Jefferson		at-large
1821–1823	17th	U.S. House	Republican	James Monroe		2nd at-large
1821–1823	17th	U.S. Senate	Republican	James Monroe		class 1

Election results
Year	Office		Subject	Party	Votes	%		Opponent	Party	Votes	%
1802	U.S. Representative		Caesar A. Rodney	Republican	3,421	50%		James A. Bayard	Federalist	3,406	50%
1804	U.S. Representative		Caesar A. Rodney	Republican	4,038	48%		James A. Bayard	Federalist	4,398	52%

References

• Commonwealth v. Pullis ("The Philadelphia Cordwainers' Case"), Mayor's Court of Philadelphia (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 0-924117-26-5. 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.

External links

• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• The Political Graveyard