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Edward Livingston who was a famous and prominent statement and jurist in America was born on May, 26 1764 in Clermont, Columbia Country, New York. He was the son of Robert R. Livingstone, and a brother of famous American statesman and diplomat Robert R. Livingston. Besides his great-grandfather was Robert Livingston, who was the first member of the family to settle in America.
Edward graduated from a private school and entered the College of new Jersey, A. B, from which he graduated in 1871. In 1784 Edward studied law first in Albany with Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr and later in New York together with his brother Robert. In 1785 he was admitted to the bar, and started his practice in New York. From 1795 till 1801 Edward Livingston was a representative from Republicans in the United States Congress. He had one of the strongest and leading oppositions to John Jays treaty.
Edward also introduced the resolution calling upon administration of George Washington to furnish Congress with the details of the negotiations of the peace treaty with Great Britain, which the President refused to share. The resolution was adopted in the House by a vote of 62 to 37, but the copy of the instructions was withheld by the President on the advice of his cabinet. Livingston disapproved the Alien and Sedition Acts, which argued either a strong central government should be formed (federalist desire), or should the individual states have control. Most Americans had little problem with the first part of the Act, but the latter parts were controversial.
The Republicans viewed this bill as nothing short of an attempt to strengthen the federal government and subvert the power of the States. Edward Livingston, who was at that time a Republican congressman from New York, in a speech to the House of Representatives on June 21, 1798, remarked: .".. by this act the president alone is empowered to make the law, to fix in his mind what acts, words, what thoughts or looks, shall constitute such a crime. " In 1800 Edward Livingston attacked the president for permitting the extradition by the British government of Jonathan Robbins, who had committed murder on an English frigate, and had then escaped to South Carolina and falsely claimed to be an American citizen. John Marshal was the primarily man who opposed Livingstons idea. During the forth presidential election when there was a tie vote between Jefferson and Burr in the House, Livingston gave his vote for Jefferson.
On March 3, 1801, Livingston s position as a representative in Congress had expired and Edward was selected as the U. S. Attorney for the state of New York by President Jefferson. Having this position Livingston, in august 1801 (same year, ) was appointed for the position of the mayor in New York city by the Governor Clinton. In 1803 Livingston rendered conspicuous service in the yellow fever epidemic.
Edwards endeavors to stop the spread of that decease and to save the district were very courageously and energetically. He himself suffered a terrible attack of fever, during which many people helped him and in such a way proved that they were close to Livingston... When Livingston recovered it was very unpleasant for him to find out that his own affairs were in some confusion, and he had a great debt to the government for public funds which had been lost through the mismanagement or dishonesty of a confidential clerk, and for which Edward was responsible as district-attorney. Immediately, Livingston surrendered all his property, resigned his two offices in 1803, and moved early in 1804 to Louisiana.
In Louisiana Livingston opened a law office and also engaged in land speculation. During the short period Livingston acquired a large law practice in New Orleans which helped him to earn enough money in order to pay the government debt. And he paid it in full in 1826, including the interest, which at that time had the amount of more than his original debt. Straight away when Livingston came to Louisiana he was appointed to the legislature to prepare a provisional code of judicial procedure. Before that the legislation in the state of Louisiana was mainly based on other laws like Roman, French and Spanish ones.
Edward prepared a new code of procedure that was adopted by the legislature in 1805 and remained in force till 1825, when his revised code was adopted. In 1807, after conducting a successful suit on behalf of a clients title to a part of the battery or alluvial land near New Orleans, Livingston attempted to improve part of this land, which he had received as his fee. A great excitement and opposition came from people. Livingston reputation was also damaged by President Jefferson, who believed that Livingston had favored Burr in the presidential election of 1800. Jefferson by any means was trying to destroy Livingston but Edward won in the courts. This, in some way had improved Livingstons financial position.
During the war with England from 1812 to 1815 Livingston was trying to raise the population for the resistance and helped the General Jackson, who was his close friend by serving as an adviser for him. In 1821, being a member of the legislature, Livingston was appointed to prepare a new code of criminal law and procedure, later known in Europe and America as the Livingston Code. He made the code in two languages: French and English because of the requirement in law system of Louisiana. This code had four main sections concerning the crimes and punishments, procedure, evidence in criminal cases, reform and prison discipline and was remarkable for its vigor and simplicity. The code influenced reform and prison discipline in other countries but it had been never adopted by the State of Louisiana. His Code of Reform and Prison Discipline was adopted by Guatemala.
During two years from 1831 to 1833, while the President Jacksons term, Livingston worked as a United Stated Secretary of State. Jackson considered Edward to be one of the most trusted advisers to him. Livingston prepared a number of state papers for the president from which one of the most important and famous one was the anti-nullification proclamation of the 10 th of December 1832. From 1833 to 1835 Livingston was minister plenipotentiary to France. Livingston was the leading member of a commission appointed to prepare a new civil code, which for the most part the legislature adopted in 1825, and the most important chapters of which, including all those on contract, were prepared by Livingston alone.
Livingstone died at Montgomery Place, Dutchess county, New York, at his sisters estate on May, 23, 1836. Livingston had two wives. His first marriage was on April 10, 1788 and his first wife, Library Mc Evers died 13 years later. In 1805 Livingston married another women named Madame Louise Moreau de Last, who was nineteen years old. She was a very beautiful and intellectual women and had a great influence on Livingston. Bibliography: Cross, Vincent P. , & Lawrence H.
Leder. Edward Livingston and Jacksonian Diplomacy. Louisiana History 7 (Summer 1966): 241 - 48. Mackey, Philip English. Edward Livingston and the Origins of the Movement to Abolish Capital Punishment in America. Louisiana History 16 (Spring 1975): 145 - 66.
The Complete Works of Edward Livingston on Criminal Jurisprudence. 2 vols. 1873. Reprint. Montclair, NJ: Patterson Smith, 1968.
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