Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1851-06-19
$40 t8Gg QgIMD.
SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE.
cEsAR RoDNrr, OF DELAWARE.

ince OF delaware. IN the year 1880. lie was de
scended from English ancestry His grandlat
| came from England soon after William Penn com
/ menced the settlement of Pennsylvania After
remaining short time in Philadelphia and form
ing acqgaintances with some Of lis most esteem
4 cd citizens, he went into the county Of Kent, on
/ the Delaware. and settled down upon plantation
/ He was an active man and becoming verv popu-
Tar, he held many posts OF honor and distinction
/ in that Province. He had several sons. but lost
them all except his youngest Cesar, the father Of
/ the subject Of this memoir. Unambitious Of pub
lie honors, and preferring the quiet Of domestic
life to The hustle and turmoil or the political field
he declind all offices that were tenlered 10 him
and in the midst OF agricultural pursuits he en-
richel his mind by study, and prepared his chill
dren for the duties Of life. lie married the daugh-
ter Of an esteemed clergyman, and. C,esar being
the first born, received their special attention in
the matter of education of mind and heart
/ On the death of his father, Mr. Rodney as the
eldest male heir inherited the parternal estate and
with II, the distinguished consideration viii.
which the family had ever been regarded. There
+ are no records to show at what precise time be
appeared in public life but as he seems to have
been a leader in the recorded proceedings Of tic
/ Legislature of that Province in 1862. it is quite
/ probable that he had done service there some
+ wears earlier.
When the Stamp Act excited the jealousy and
alarm Of the colonies. Air Rodney boldly pro
claimed his sentiments in opposition to il and sew
era! an,ecedent acts of injustice which the British
/ govern nent had inflicted upon her colonies in
+ America. He acted as well as thought and spoke.
and when the Stamp Act Congress met in New
+ I or5. ia 1868, Mr. Rodney. together with Mr..
/ N Kean and Mr.. RoIlock, was chosen delegate.
thereto by an unanimous vote
I Mr.. Rodney was a member Of the Provincial
+ Assembly in 1869, and was chosen its Speaker
He continued member and a Speaker OF that
body until 1874, and as chairman of the CORES
/ ponding committee he was arduous in PLYING his
pen in the interchange of political sentiments
with his compatriots in other colonies He was
elected a delegate to the General Congress. by
convention Of the people Of the three counties Of
/ Delaware, in August, 1874, and took his seat at
the opening of Congress, on the fifth of Scptem-
+ Der following His colleagues were Thomas NJ
! Kean and George Read, and three more devoted
and active men than these could hardly be found
/ He was one Of a committee who drew up a Dec
lara;on Of Rights ami set forth in an address the
causes for complaint, under which the colonsts
+ groaned.
/ Mr. Rodney was elected delegate for f771.
and while attending to his duties IN Congress. lie
was appointed Brjgadier General of his province
/ This appointment imposed heavy additional Iu
ties upon him, yet he did not shrink from Their
! performance, and ne was alternately in Congress
and at home, attending at the latter place to the
duties Of his military station He was there dur
Ing the closing debates upon the proposition for
Declaration of independence in I77G. but was sent
+ for bv his colleague. AIr. Kean so as to secure
/ the vote Of Delaware for that important measure.
I re arrived in time to give his voice for irdepen-
dence and enjoyed the high privilege Of signing
the revorad parchment. On MS return 70 his con
st;tuents they approved by accamation, o. his
acts in the National Council
In the autumn Of 1916 the people Of Delaware
called convention to frame State Constitution.
and TO elect delegates TO the next Congress
Through the Vaccinations of tory members Of
taat convention whose principles to great extent
lea.ened it. Mr.. Rodney and Mr.. AI'Keon were
not re eelected, But this only tended TO increase
his arso7 and his pen was constantly busy in cor
rasroulence He was also enabled by this defeat.
TO attend to his private affairs which had suferc,
much bv lis absence.
After the baftleof Princeton at the beginning Of
. 1877. in which Colonel Haset who belonged to
General R0duey's brigade was killed the latter
Immediately started for he army, and meeting
Lord Stirling at Philadelphia. received orders to
remain at Princeton, and make it sort Of recruit
iHg station. General Rodney renamed there for
about two months. when his services became no
longer necessary and he returned 10 his family.
Soon after his return home he was appointed a
Judge Of the Supreme Court. He, however, decI-
ned the honor prefering the more active life Of
his military station. He was soon alteryyard call
al TO marshal his brigade 10 a scene Of insurrec-
tionarv disorder in Delaware which he speedily
queilej, and he also Joined the main army of
Washington when the British under Lord Howe
landed Al the mouth Of the Elk river and directed
tic.r march toward Philadelphia Not long after
this event toryism became SO much ia the minor
ity. that it had but little power TO oppose the pat
riots and General Rodney was again elected TO
Congress. But the political citation OF bis State
demanded his presence there, aud ne remained
lie was chosen President Of the State, and per
formed the arduous duties of his Office with great
iaithfulness for about four years. Delaware was
peculiarly exposed to the predatory incursions Of
the enemy. and II required great sagacity ana ar.
iuous toll for those VINO managed her affairs, 70
prevent a state OF anarchy.
While thus laborng for his country's good, lEr.
Rodney suffered greatly from the effects OF a dis
ease (canoeria the cheek that had been upon him
rom MS youth. and il made dreadful iuroads upon
ais health. Feeling conscious that he was was
ing away, he retired from public life aud calmly
awaited the summons for departure TO the spirit
and. He died early IN the year 1888. when in