History of Virginia :: :: University of Virginia Library

Mr. Tazewell was the son of Hon. Henry Tazewell, who was
one of the Revolutionary patriots and constantly in the public
service as a member of the House of Delegates from Brunswick
County 1776-1778, and from Williamsburg 1779-1786, a member
of the Convention of 1776, as Judge of the General Court
1785-93, and of the Supreme Court of Appeals 1793, and as
a member of the Senate of the United States 1794-99. He was
born in Williamsburg December 17, 1774, and graduated from
William and Mary College in 1792, studied law under John
Wickham, of Richmond, and in 1796 was admitted to the bar.
In 1798 he was elected to the House of Delegates from James
City County and remained a member till 1801. He supported
Madison's resolutions of 1798 and report of 1800. When John
Marshall resigned from Congress, on being appointed by John
Adams Secretary of State, Tazewell was elected by the people
of the Richmond District to fill out his unexpired term. While
in Congress Mr. Tazewell supported Jefferson in the presidential
election, and opposed the attempt to place Burr in the
presidency. He moved to Norfolk in 1802, where he gained
much fame as a lawyer. In 1804-05 and 1805-06 he represented
Norfolk in the Legislature. That city was Federalistic
in its politics on account of its commercial interests, and this
doubtless influenced Mr. Tazewell to oppose the embargo and
the War of 1812.

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After the war started, however, he loyally and patritically
yielded his support to Madison's administration. In 1816 he
was once more in the House of Delegates as the representative
of Norfolk City, but served only a single term. Under Monr
he was one of the United States commissioners instrumental
in the purchase of Florida from Spain. In 1824 Tazewell was
elected to the Senate of the United States and in that year
supported Crawford for the Presidency. Four years later, in
1828, he gave his support to Andrew Jackson as a choice of
evils, being disgusted with the latitudinarian views of Mr.
John Quincy Adams as represented in his messages. Jackson
in 1829 offered him the mission to England, which he declined.
In November, 1832, he retired from the Senate, induced
by the calls of private business and sickness in hi
family. In the meantime, he had served in the Convention of
1829-30, in which he was one of the influential members. He
joined the new Whig party formed in 1834 of all the opponents
of Jackson, denouncing the proclamation against the
South Carolina movement, though he did not approve the
doctrine of nullification. In January, 1834, he was elected
Governor and entered upon his duties March 31 following.
When the Legislature framed and adopted resolutions for
removing the deposits from the United States Bank he
resigned April 30, 1836, and retired to his elegant seat in
Norfolk, never afterwards to appear in public service. He was
revered in Virginia for his great ability; and his appearance
was majestic and commanding. Both John Tyler and John
Floyd regarded him as an abler man than either Webster or
Calhoun. He died in Norfolk May 6, 1860.

In his message of December 1, 1834, Mr. Tazewell discussed
the question of the relation of the States to the Union and
opposed the National or rather Sectional interpretation. An
act of the Virginia Legislature of April 8, 1831, appointed
Thomas W. Gilmer of Albemarle as commissioner to investigate
the claim of Virginia on the United States for and o
account of the promise contained in an act of the General

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Assembly May, 1779, to give the officers of the Virginia line
in the Revolution half pay for life. John Floyd, while Governor,
had pressed the responsibility of these claims upon
Congress, and Congress by an act July 5, 1832, agreed to pay
over to Virginia the sum of $380,888.66 already paid by the
State, and to satisfy the unpaid judgments. In this message
Governor Tazewell stated that the money had been received
and that it had been used to pay what remained of the State
Debt and to increase the Literary Fund.

In his second annual message December 7, 1835, Governor
Tazewell took notice of the slavery agitation, severely condemning
it as unfriendly to the existence of the Union. A pile
of incendiary pamphlets was publicly burned in front of the
postoffice in Richmond.

Some notable deaths threw sadness over his administration.
June 24, 1834, the papers in Richmond appeared in
mourning for the death of the good and great LaFayette. He
died in Paris May 20, 1834, in the seventy-sixth year of his
age. On July 30, 1835, died Major James Gibbon, who led
"the forlorn hope" at Stony Point during the American
Revolution. But the most notable death was that of John
Marshall, who despite his Federalistic views, which the majority
of Virginians never approved, was admired by all
because of his remarkable powers of mind, the purity of his
private life, and the amiability of his temper. He died at
Philadelphia July 6, 1835, and his remains arrived in Richmond
July 9 on the Steamer Kentucky. A great procession
of citizens, civil and military, escorted his remains to their
burial place in Shockoe Cemetery.