Representative Matthew Diamond Lagan

Matthew Diamond Lagan (June 20, 1829 – April 8, 1901) was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana, representing the state’s 2nd congressional district in the Fiftieth and Fifty-second Congresses between 1887 and 1889 and again from 1891 to 1893. Over the course of two nonconsecutive terms, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history and represented the interests of his New Orleans–area constituents in the national legislature.

Lagan was born on June 20, 1829, in Maghera, County Londonderry, Ireland. Little is recorded about his early childhood in Ireland, but he came of age during a period of social and economic upheaval that prompted many Irish families to emigrate. At the age of fourteen he immigrated to the United States, joining the large and growing Irish community in New Orleans, Louisiana. His arrival in the United States in the 1840s placed him in a major Gulf port city whose commercial and cultural life would shape his later business and political career.

Settling in New Orleans, Lagan entered the maritime and commercial life of the city. During the American Civil War he became involved in the Confederate war effort through naval activities. In New Orleans he fitted out vessels for the Confederate Navy, preparing ships for service, and he also served in the Confederate Navy himself. His work in outfitting vessels and his naval service tied him closely to the city’s port economy and to the Confederate cause, experiences that would later inform his standing among local voters in the Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction eras.

After the war, Lagan turned increasingly to public service and municipal politics in New Orleans. He was elected to the New Orleans City Council in 1867, during the turbulent Reconstruction period, participating in the local governance of a city undergoing political realignment and economic recovery. He returned to the City Council again in 1882, reflecting his continued prominence in local affairs and the confidence placed in him by his constituents. His municipal service provided him with experience in public administration and helped build the political base that would support his later bids for national office.

Lagan’s congressional career began with his election as a Democrat to represent Louisiana’s 2nd congressional district in the Fiftieth Congress, serving from March 4, 1887, to March 3, 1889. As a member of the House of Representatives, he participated in the democratic process at the federal level and contributed to the legislative work of the period, representing the commercial and residential districts of New Orleans and its environs. After serving this first term in Congress, he chose not to run for reelection in 1888, temporarily stepping away from national office.

In 1890, Lagan reentered congressional politics. Running again as a Democrat, he sought to reclaim his former seat and successfully defeated the incumbent, Hamilton D. Coleman, who had succeeded him after his initial departure from Congress. Lagan thus returned to Washington as a member of the Fifty-second Congress, serving from March 4, 1891, to March 3, 1893. During these two nonconsecutive terms, from 1887 to 1889 and from 1891 to 1893, he represented Louisiana’s 2nd district in the United States Congress and took part in debates and legislation affecting both his state and the nation during the late nineteenth century.

Following the conclusion of his second term in Congress in 1893, Lagan did not again hold federal office. He remained identified with the Democratic Party and with the civic life of New Orleans, where he had long been a figure in both municipal government and national politics. His career reflected the trajectory of an Irish immigrant who rose from newcomer to city councilman and ultimately to United States representative, participating in the political life of Louisiana during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age.

Matthew Diamond Lagan died in New Orleans, Louisiana, on April 8, 1901. He was interred in Metairie Cemetery, one of the city’s historic burial grounds. His life and career, spanning immigration from Ireland, service in the Confederate Navy, municipal leadership, and two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, placed him among the notable nineteenth-century political figures of New Orleans and Louisiana.