Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/134

 UNITED STATES SENATORS

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and voted against the measure. He favored James Monroe as presidential candidate to succeed "Mr. Jefferson in 1808, and opposed the war of 1812 and the policy of President AJadison. which made an enemy of Monroe, who had been chosen secretary of state. This cost him his reelection to Congress in 18 1 2, and he retired to "Roanoke," his resi- dence in Charlotte county. He was return- ed to the Fourteenth, Sixteenth, Seven- teenth and Eighteenth Congresses, 1815-17 and 1819-25, and became the founder of a powerful state rights party. He hated slav- very, and his duty to his creditors was the only bar to the liberation of the slaves owned by him during his lifetime. He op- posed the Missouri compromise as an in- fringement of the constitution. In Decem- ber. 1824, he was elected to the United States senate to fill the vacancy caused by tlie resignation of Senator Barbour, and cc mpleted his term. March 3, 1827. While in the senate. Clay challenged him for the use of offensive language in a speech, and a duel followed, April 8, 1826, in which neither was hurt. In 1827 he was defeated o'' reelection by John Tyler. He was a member of the state constitutional conven- tion of 1829, and, as a reward for his sup- port of Jackson for the presidency in 1828. he was appointed United States minister to Russia in 1830, but resigned in 183 1. Though he did not approve of the doctrine of nullification, he condemned Jackson's proclamation against South Carolina in 1832. as subversive of the confederate char- acter of the Union. In 1833 ^^ made prepa- rations for a second visit to Europe for the benefit of his health, but only lived to reach Philadelphia. He was declared of unsound mind when he made his last will, executed

in 1832, and a former will made in 1821, liberating his slaves and providing for their colonization, was sustained. He is the author of **Letters to a Young Relative" (1834). Hugh A. Garland wrote "Life of John Randolph'' (2 vols., 1850), and Henry Adams, "John Randolph" (American states- man series, 1882). He died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 24. 1833.

Tyler, John (q. v.).

Rives, William Cabell, son of Robert Rives, of Sussex county, one of the richest merchants of Virginia, and Margaret Cabell, his wife, daughter of Colonel William Ca- bell, of "Union Hill," was born in Xelson county. May 4, 1793. He was first schooled under private tutors, entered Hampden- Sidney College in 1807, and was graduated at William and Mary College in 1809. He studied law under the direction of Thomas Jefferson, 1809-11; served in the defence ot \'irginia as aide-de-camp to General John H. Cooke, 1814-15. and engaged in the practice of law in Xelson county. He repre- sented Xelson county in the Virginia house of delegates, 1817-19, and was married, March 24. 18 19, to Judith Page, daughter of the Hon. Francis and Jane Byrd (Page) Walker, of Albemarle county, Virginia. He removed to Albemarle county in 1821 ; rep- resented that county in the Virginia house of delegates, 1822-23, and was a Republican representative in the Eighteenth, Xine- teenth and Twentieth Congresses, 1823- 1829. He was a member of the board of visitors of the University of Virginia, 1828- 29, and United States minister to France by appointment of President Jackson, from April 18. 1829. to September 27, 1832, nego- tiating the indemnity treaty of July 4, 1831.

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