Untitled - the Digital Library of Georgia

580 GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS
resigned his seat on September 1, 1836, and was succeeded by Julius C.
Alford, of LaGrange. Richard Henry Wilde, defeated for re-election,
soon afterwards left the state, to be identified no more with its political
fortunes. Mr. Wilde was not only an eminent statesman, lawyer and
advocate, but a poet of rare genius. His best known production, "My
Life is Like the Summer Rose," was characterized by Lord Byron as
the finest American poem. Rival claimants to its authorship were after
wards repudiated, and to Mr. Wilde is now given the uncontested honor.
He remained abroad for several years, residing most of the time in Italy,
where he wrote in two volumes a critical work on the mad Italian poet,
Torquato Tasso. Mr. Wilde spent his last days in New Orleans, where
he died in 1848, but his remains were subsequently brought back to
Georgia and, after resting for a number of years on the Sand Hills,
near Augusta, were finally re-interred in the City Cemetery, at Augusta,
where his companions in death are Paul H. Hayne and James R.
Randall.
President Jackson, in 1833, filled a vacancy on the Supreme Bench of
the United States by appointing Hon. James M. Wayne, of Savannah,
an associate justice of this exalted tribunal. No happier selection could
have been made. Judge Wayne was an eminent lawyer, and was serv
ing a term in Congress at the time of his appointment; but he was tem
peramentally much better fitted for judicial labors than for pleading
causes as an advocate before a jury. At any rate he remained on the
Federal bench for a period of thirty-two years, and at the time of his
death held the record for continuous service, with the single exception
of Chief Justice John Marshall. Judge Wayne resigned his seat in Con
gress to assume the ermine, but the appointment was made near the
close of the term, for which reason his seat remained vacant until the
next Congress.
Georgia's support in the presidential campaign of 1836 was given
to Hugh L. White, of Tennessee, the, state rights candidate, who lost the
election, however, to Martin Van Buren, of New York. For vice presi
dent, Georgia supported John Tyler, of Virginia. The state's eleven
electoral votes were cast by the following delegation: from the state at
large, George R. Gilmer and Thomas Stocks; district electors, John W.
Campbell, Howell Cobb, Gibson Clark, William W. Holt, E. Wimberly,
Ambrose Baber, Thomas Hamilton, David Meriwetlier and C. Hines.*
In 1837 John P. King resigned his seat in the United States Senate and
to succeed him the Legislature this year elected former 'Governor Wil
son Lumpkin. During this same year also the people of Georgia recalled
George R. Gilmer to the helm as governor.
'Lanman's "Biog. Annals of the U. 8. Govt.," pp. 525-526.