On June 10th 1823, Caesar Augustus Rodney, an America lawyer, politician and diplomat died in Buenos Aires as a patriot whom, according the Niles' National Register, came from a family who ranked "among the most distinguished in the annals of Delaware, for patriotism, talents and public virtue." President Monroe had commissioned Caesar Augustus Rodney as Minister Plenipotentiary to Buenos Aires in January of 1823 , for negotiations of the treaty would have commenced "had it not been prevented by the indisposition and lamented decease of Mr. Rodney". Not only was Rodney hailed as a hero in America, but his memory was also given the "most respectful attention has been shewn by the Government of [Argentina]". Still today, in the atrium St. John's Church at the Centre of Buenos Aires, there is a monument dedicated to Minster Caesar Augustus Rodney erected in 1832.
Upon the death of Rodney, the Niles National' Register reprinted an article from the Delaware Watchman chronicling the life of Caesar Augustus Rodney, and a number of letters from both the US and BuenosAires. To fully understand the greatness of the Rodney family, we have to start with Caesar Augustus Rodney's namesake Uncle, the great patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence from Delaware.
On July 1st, Caesar August Rodney from Delaware rode 80 miles on his horse to cast his vote for America's independence. Delaware sent three delegates to the Continental Congress and two were split. Mr. Rodney was needed to cast the tie-breaking vote for Delaware, and give the Continental Congress a unanimous vote for Independence. On June 30, the night before, a motion for independence in the Continental Congress was put forward and debate over the resolution spilled over to the next day when a vote was held. Congress took a straw poll the night before, and seeing that Delaware delegation was split, Thomas McKean of Delaware who voted for independence dispatched a rider to notify Caesar Rodney of the tied vote. Despite his ill health, Caesar Rodney responded without delay, got on his horse riding 80 miles though stormy weather to Philadelphia. He arrived, "springing from his horse, in his boots and spurs he entered the Congress hall, while the question was pending and decided the vote of Delaware". On July 2nd, 1776 when Caesar Augustus Rodney was just a toddler of 3 years, his uncle cast a vote for Independence joining 11 other states, with New York abstaining to make the vote for America's independence unanimous.
This young nephew of one of our founding fathers was first elected to Congress in 1802 and appointed "one of the managers' on the part of the house of representatives, in the impeachment of judge Chase". During these proceedings, the Delaware Watchman reported that Rodney delivered one of the most "ablest" speeches on impeachment of the time. Five years later in 1807, President Thomas Jefferson called on Mr. Rodney to be the US Attorney General where he stayed until 1811. In 1814, President Monroe appointed Rodney as the head of a commission to obtain thorough and personal observations and communications regarding the current state of the revolutionary governments of South America who had recently separated from Spain. In this way, Rodney was instrumental in the United States recognizing the independence of the South American Republics. In 1820, Rodney was again elected to Congress, and in 1822 to represent Delaware in the Senate. Finally, in 1823 President Monroe appointed Rodney to his final position in Buenos Aires. Caesar Augustus Rodney was a true patriot, and as the Delaware Watchman put it, "No public man ever more disdained the arts of intrigue, and no one ever enjoyed among his contemporaries a higher reputation for purity of principle."
In his 1824 State of the Union, President Monroe briefly summarized the work of some of our minister plenipotentiaries and the treaties they were working towards. Here he gave just a brief mention of the "lamented decease of Mr. Rodney", 18 months after his death.
"With the remaining powers of Europe, with those on the coast of Barbary, and with all the new South American States our relations are of a friendly character. We have ministers plenipotentiary residing with the Republics of Colombia and Chile, and have received ministers of the same rank from Columbia, Guatemala, Buenos Ayres, and Mexico. Our commercial relations with all those States are mutually beneficial and increasing. With the Republic of Colombia a treaty of commerce has been formed, of which a copy is received and the original daily expected. A negotiation for a like treaty would have been commenced with Buenos Ayres had it not been prevented by the indisposition and lamented decease of Mr. Rodney, our minister there, and to whose memory the most respectful attention has been shewn by the Government of that Republic. An advantageous alteration in our treaty with Tunis has been obtained by our consular agent residing there, the official document of which when received will be laid before the Senate."http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29466
(January 1, 1825). Niles' National Register: Volume 27, Part 3., pp.74-76.
https://www.theamericanview.com/the-midnight-ride-for-american-independence/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_Augustus_Rodney
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Catedral_Anglicana_de_San_Juan_Bautista%2C_Buenos_Aires_001.JPG
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Delaware_quarter%2C_reverse_side%2C_1999.jpg
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