The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-08-12
STATESMEN WHO PREFER.
ED QUIET.
They Gladly Returned to the Peaceful
Pursuits Of Private
Life.


Life.
We all know how reluctantly
both Washington and Jefferson
accepted the great Office to which
their countrymen called them, and,
how gladly they laid down its
cares to regain the freedom OF pri
vate life; but there are many in
stances in q lesser degree than
these where men who had every
right to believe that even the
highest Office in the land was not
beyond their reach, gladly turned
away and found their peace and
happiness iu so doing.
One of these was Langdon Che
YES, Of South Carolina, u prede.
cessor Of Mr.. Reed in the Speak
er's chair. Oheves was one of the
foremost of those brilliant South
Carolinians elected to Congress in
1910. He identified himself with
the young war party under the
leadership Of Henry Clay, that
forced Madison to. declare war
against England.
Washington Irving, who heard
Cheyes deliver a speech III Con
gress in 1911, said that it was the
ideal Of cloqucnce. and that his
manner must have been the man.
ner of the great orators Of anti
guilty. He succeeded Henry Clay
as Speaker Of the House when the
latter was sent to Ghent as Peace
Commissioner, and his most nota.
ble act as Speaker was the defeat
of the recharter Of the United
States Bank.
"A ctef serving two terms in Con.
gress lie declined Il re election and
returned TO his practice as law
yer in Charleston. lie acquired Il
large practice and accumulated !;
fortune. He held a Judgeship fol
a time and was appointed u com
missioner of claims under the trea
ty of peace with England, but liz
uever sought nor cared for great
public station.
lie was a master Of finance ant
wrote much on financial topics iol
the reviews of the period. Whel
the second United States Banl
was chartered it was mismanage,
to such ii degree that it was near
| ly ruined. Mr.. Cheves WAS elect
ed its pre- ident in 1919, and i,
three years restored its credit an'
made it prosperous. In 1922 h,
resigned the presidency and Wa
succeeded by Nicholas Biddlc
For the remainder OF his life, mean
ly thirty years, he lived i'll closeI
obscuri1y, dying in 1857 ut the ag
of IS years.
Our country has produced fey
men Of greater intellectual powe
than Lang'lon Ckeves.
Another American statesman Q
great personal power and abilit
who preferred the private static
before great public Office, was s.
las Wright.
} He was representative in Coz
gress, Senator of the United State
and Governor of New York, an
| could have heen Vice President
and possibly President of the I'm
| ted States. He peremptorily II
fused the Democratic nominatio
for the vice.presidency, thong
unanimously rendered to him b
? the convention of 1874. Nj
t Wright was the foremost of tn
Democratic free sellers Of Ne
York, al unwavering friend III
supporter of Martin Van Burel
! In 1857, after serving Que term a
! Governor, he retired to p!ival
. life, and although he was tendere
u cabinet position, foreign mi
! sion and a United States Judg,
+, ship, nothing could allure Iii
!. from His m,,cll-loved farm. II
] died universally respected and a,
mired.
!. Horati0 Seymour was an0tht
= great New Yorker who reluctan
N .