Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/212

 DEBREUL

DECATUR

civil war, was resumed in New York city in ISGo, and the oiiice was subsequently removed to Nashville, Tenn. His first introduction to the public as a political economist was through a paper contributed by him in 1843 to the ^^uutlicni Quarterly Heview on "Oregon and the Oregon Question,'' which was widely copied both in the United States and Europe, and the occasion of a debate in the French chamber of deputies. He published: EucyclopaiUa of the Trade and Com- mcrreofthe. United AY«(es (2 vols, 1853); The In- dustrial lie/tources and Statistics of the Southiccst (3 vols., 1853); Statistical View of the United States: Being a Compendium of the Seventh Census (1854); The Southern States, their Agriculture, Commerce, etc. (18.54). He died in Elizabeth. N.J., Feb. 27, 1867.

DEBREUL, Joseph Paul, educator, was born in St. Etienne, France, Nov. 12, 1814. He was educated at the Theological seminar}' at Lyons and the Seminary of St. Sulpice, Paris. He became a novice in the Society of St. Sulpice, Issy, and was ordained priest, May 24, 1839. He was professor of theology in the seminary at Orleans. France, 1839-49. He was sent to Amer- ica in 1849 and founded the Society of St. Sulpice in the United States, serving successively as master of novices, rector, consultor and provin- cial. He was vice-president of the Theological seminary of St. Sulpice and St. Mary's college, Baltimore, Md., in 1849, tilled the chair of moral philosophy, was procurator of the college, and after 1860 was also superior of the seminary. He died in Baltimore, Md., April 20, 1878.

DEBS, Eugene Victor, reformer, was born in Terre Haute, Ind., Nov. 5, 1855; son of Jean Daniel and Marguerite (Betterich) and grandson of Jean Daniel and Marguerite (Schillinger)Deb.s. He attended the public schools of Terre Haute, 1860-70, and completed a commercial course in the Terre Haute business college. He was employed by Hulman & Co., wholesale grocers, 1875-79; was city clerk of Terre Haute, 1879-83; a representative in the Indiana legislature, 1885- 86; grand secretary and treasurer of the Brother- hood of locomotive firemen, 1880-93, and president of the American railway union, 1893-97. In 1897 he originated the Social Democracy of America, a socialist party, embracing a scheme for colon- izing the unemployed in sparsely settled western states, with a view to establishing co-operative indu.stries and gradually developing the cooper- ative commonwealth. The organization was es- tabli,shed in thirty-one states and one territory. In the fir.st annual convention of the national council held in Chicago in June, 1898, the Social Democratic party, an independent political organization, grew out of the Social Democracy. While Mr. Debs was president of American rail- way union the strike of June, 1894, occurred, in

which the business on thirty -two railways con- verging at Chicago was practical!}- stopped, and the strikers sought, by withdrawing from tiie service in a body, to prevent its resumption till their demands were met. On July 2 an injunc- tion was granted by the U.S. circuit court against the union and its officers, commanding them to refrain from hindering the business of the roads. When the injunction was disregarded, Mr. Debs and some of his associates were arrested and imprisoned and the justice of the sentence was practically affirmed by the U..S. supreme court, that body declining to review the case upon the ground that in a contempt proceeding the lower court had final jurisdiction. ]\lr. Debs, in explaining his position, said that he "" disliked strikes as much as he did war, but that at times both were justifiable. When the people were ready to abolish war, the laboring men would find another metliod than strikes to right their wrongs. Arbitration, if compulsory, is vicious in principle, and if voluntary it cannot be enforced, yet boards of arbitration are the best instruments now at hand to adjust labor difficulties."' His imprisonment he claimed to have been " a fla- grant disregard of the constitution, as trial by jury had been denied and yet he had been im- prisoned for a fixed term."' He said: " Our onl}' crime was to seek to rescue 14,000 famishing men, women and children after arbitration had been denied." Mr. Debs was married, June 9, 1885, to Katherine Baur.

DE CAMP, John, naval officer, was born in New Jersey, Oct. 5, 1812. He entered the U.S. navy as midshipman, Oct. 1, 1827, serving on board the Vandalia in the Brazil squadron, 1829- 30, and in the West India squadron as passed midshipman, 183:3-37. He was promoted lieu- tenant in 1838 and was on the African coast on board the frigate Constitution, 1854. His com- mission as commander was received in 1855 and in the civil war he was commissioned captain in 1862 and commanded the sloop Iroquois in the expedition of Commodores Farragut and Porter to open the Mississijipi river to New Orleans iji April, 1862, and the Wassahickon in the attacks on Vicksburg, 1862-63. He was attached to the South Atlantic squadron in 1863-64, in the opera- tions against Charleston and Savannah. He was promoted commodore in 1866, commanded the receiving ship Potomac in 1868-69, and was retired in 1870 with the rank of rear-admiral. He died m Burlington, N.J., June 24, 1875.

DECATUR, Stephen, naval officer, was born in Marylanii, Jan. 5, 1779. His father, Stephen Decatur (l)orn in Newport, R.I., 1751; died near Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 14, 1808), was a captain in the volunteer navy during the American Revolu- tion, a commander in the U.S. navv in the