Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/91

 RHETT

KHIND

to Laura O., daughter of Isaac and Mary A. (Everett) Clarke of Washington, D.C. ; and secondly, Sept. 20, 1866, to Romenia F. Ellis of Boston, Mass. He was one of the three original founders of the Young Men's Christian associa- tion, serving in all its offices from librarian to president, and was a delegate to and secretary of many national conventions. He was also one of the founders of the Sous of the American Revolution ; organized a lecture bureau in 1856 for the Y.M.C.A., securing the service of emi- nent speakers, and conducted Professor John Tyndall's lecture tour of the United States in 1872. He was a trustee of the public schools of Washington, 1862-68, 1873-74 and 1878-79, and invented and patented the Rhees ruler and pencil- case slate in 1868. He had charge of the publica- tions of the Smithsonian Institution ; edited TJie Scientific Writings of James Smithson (1879), and is the author of : Manual of Public Libraries, Institutions and Societies in the United States and British Provinces of North America (1859) ; Guide to the Smithsonian Institution and Na- tional Museum (1859, and many later editions) ; Manual of Public Schools of Washington (1863- 66) ; Tlie Smithsonian Institution : Documents Relative to its Origin and History (1879 and 1901); James Smithson and his Bequest (1880) ; and various Catalogues of Publications of the Smith- sonian Institution (1862-1903).

RHETT, Robert Barnwell, statesman, was born in Beaufort, S.C, Dec. 14, 1800 ; son of James and Marianna (Gough) Smith. He re- ceived an academic education ; was admitted to the bar in 1824 ; was a representative from the Beaufort district in the state legislature in 1826 ; attorney-gen- eral of the state in 1832, and in 1837 sub- stituted the surname Rhett from a colonial ancestor for his pat- ronymic Smith. He was a States' Rights representative from the seventh district of South Carolina in the 25th-30th con- gresses, 1837-49, and was elected to the U.S. senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John C. Cal- houn, serving from Jan. 6, 1851, to Aug. 31, 1852, and resigning during the vacation of con- gress from Aug. 31, to Dec. 6, 1852, on account of the death of his wife. While in the senate he urged the withdrawal of South Carolina from the Union, even if the state stood alone IX. — 6

in the movement. He took no active part in public affairs after his resignation until Decem- ber, 1860, when he was a member of the South Carolina secession convention, and prepared the declaration of her people in convention, giving to the world her reasons for seceding. He w;is chairman of the South Carolina delegation to the congress of seceded states that met at Jilont- gomery, Ala., Feb. 4, 1861, and was made chair- man of the committee appointed to frame a con- stitution for a permanent government. To this instrument he proposed the amendments in rela- tion to the protective policj' ; the presidential term ; the modification of the removal from office or civil service reform, and the mode provided for future amendments. It was his casting vote that elected Jefferson Davis provisional president of the Confederate States, although he was per- sonally opposed to his candidacy, and he was chairman of the committee to notify the presi- dent elect and to present him to the convention for inauguration. He was chairman of the com- mittee on foreign affairs in the provisional con- gress, and favored the immediate demand from foreign nations of recognition of the Confederate States of America as an independent government, in which he was opposed by the administration. On the removal of the seat of government to Richmond and the organization of the govern- ment under a permanent constitution, Feb. 22, 1862, he appears to have taken no part either in the administrative or legislative departments. He owned the Charleston Mercury, in which he advo- cated his extreme states' rights views, and his son, Robert B. Rhett, Jr., conducted the paper during the civil war. Senator Rhett removed to St. James parish, La., from whence he was sent as a delegate to the Democratic national conven- tion of 1868, apparently his last public act. He died in St. James Parish, La., Sept. 14, 1876.

RHIND, Alexander Colden, naval officer, was born in New York city, Oct. oL, 1821; son of Charles and (Colden) Rhind. He was war- ranted midshipman, U.S.N., Sept. 3, 1838; at- tended the naval school, Philadelphia, Pa., 1844- 45 ; was advanced to passed midshipman, July 2, 1845, and was attached to Commodore Conner's squadron during the Mexican war, participating in the capture of Alvarado and Tabasco. He was commissioned master, April 20, 1853 ; lieutenant, Feb. 17, 1854 ; commanded the E. B. Hall on the South Atlantic blockading squadron, and on April 29, 1862, captured and destroyed the bat- teries on the north and south Edisto ; engaged in a shore figlit at Seabrook's plantation, when with his crew and a Pennsylvania company, he defeated a mounted force of Confederates, for which he received the thanks of the navy depart- ment ; was promoted lieutenant-commander,