The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-05-06
Death Of Hon. VIM. G. Rives.

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C. Rives died recently at his residence,
Cas.le Hill, Albemarle county, Virgin
la. He was the last Of the Virginia
statesmen Of the old school--the last,
in fact, of the old statesmen of the
Union who for more than third of a
century shed such lustre on their coun-
try's history.
Mr.. Rives was born in the year 1893
and was, consequently, at the time Of
his death in the seventy fifty year Of
his age. His academic education was
received at William and Mary College
which educated So many of the able
men of Virginia in former generations.
Among his classmates was the late
John Tyler, with whom an early init
macy was formed which lasted through
life. Among the most jealous defen-
ders of Mr.. Tyler, when his admins
tration was assailed by his former
Wing friends, was Mr.. Riyes, then a
member of the Senate; and when the
illustrious ex-President died while a
member of the Confederate Con-
gress, Mr.. Rives was present to pro-
nounce a graceful tribute to his memo
ry.
Mr.. Rives was elected at a very early
age to the House of Delegates of Vir-
ginia and soon took prominent posi-
ton as a debater. In the year 1923 he
was elected to Congress, and served
with distinction in the House of Repre-
sentatives for six consecutive years.
He retired at the commencement of
Gen. Jackson's administration for the
purpose of accepting the Office of Min
lister to the Court of st. Cloud which
had been offered him by the new Pres
ident with whom he was a great fayo-
rite.
Mr.. Rives was peculiarly qualified
to make an able and efficient ambassa-
dor to France. His scholarly educa-
ton and affable and refined manners
soon made him exceedingly popular
among the polite inhabitants of the
most refined city on the Globe. Twen-
ty years after his first appointment to
the Office he was again appointed by
General Taylor and served as Minister
to France until the commencement Of
the Pierce administration.
In 1882 Mr.. Rives, who had been
succeeded by Edward Livingston, re-
turned home and was soon afterwards
elected to the Senate Of the United
States TO succeed Hon. Littleton w.
Tazewell, who had been elected Gov
ernor of the State. Mr.. Rives served
continuously in the Senate, with the
exception of a short interval in 1884,
until the 4th of March, 1916, when a
Democratic Legislature elected Hon.
Isaac S. Pennybacker to succeed him.
Mr.. Rives was at first an ardent sup
porter of the administration Of General
Jackson. even agreeing with him on
the notification question, in which re-
spect he differed from his friend, Mr..
Tyler, who was the only member ofthe
Senate who voted against the Infamous
"Force Bill" During Gen. Jackson's
troubles with the Bank Mr. Rives
gradually cooled down in his support
of Democratic measures, until he came
out into open hostility to the admins
tration of Mr.. Van Buren, under the
name of a conservative" as the
leader of new faction Of his own, and
finally was elected to the Senate in
1889 as Wing. This change in his
politics drew down upon him the exc
crations Of his former political friends,
seriously impaired his usefulness in the
future, and ended in driving him from
Office at a time when the highest hon.
ors seemed to be not beyond his grasp.
Gen. Jackson attributed his course to
his overweening ambition. Said he,
e Mr.. Rives (pronouncing the j with the
English sound) is the most ambitious
man on Earth. On announcing the
change in his political relations he de-
livered a sentiment which deserves to
be inscribed upon his tomb. Said he
"In taking this course, Mr.. President,
I know I shall have to incur the anath-
ema of party, but can never forget
that have a country to serve as well
as a party to obey"
Mr.. Rives was called from his retire.
ment in the year 1861 to exert his abil-
ties in an endeavor to save from de-
struction the Union which he had
served SO long and SO faithfully. The
agitation Of the slavery question and
the division Of parties by a geographi-
cal line, the news Of which had fallen
upon the ears Of his illustrious friend
"like a fire-bell at night" had brought
about just such q result as the sage Of
Monticello had so early predicted.