Early Americana From David Lesser
Fine Antiquarian Books
Rare Americana from David M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books
By Michael Stillman
David M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books has issued their 81st catalogue of rare Americana. This is an interesting collection of political, business, and religious documents from the 18th and 19th centuries. Many provide insights into the controversies of the day, some virtually forgotten, others still part of our national psyche.
For those who think rough and tumble politics is something new, Lesser has a series of pamphlets that are ridiculous enough to have been written today. John C. Fremont was the first Republican candidate for president, and that candidacy elicited this publication: Black Republican Imposture Exposed! Fraud Upon the People! The Accounts of Fremont Examined; Showing an Astounding Disregard of the Public Interest, Only to be Accounted for by Extravagance, Recklessness, or an Utter Want of Judgment! Fremont was a surveyor and explorer known as "The Pathfinder," an image that made him a popular figure. In this pamphlet, he is attacked for supposed fraud in the purchase of horses ten year earlier when serving in California. Item 47. Priced at $250.
That was the mild criticism. The opposition became more serious with Infidelity and Abolitionism. An Open Letter to the friends of Religion, Morality and the American Union. Fremont was evidently no friend to any of those. He is accused of such dastardly behavior as advocating social equality of Blacks, free love, and political affiliation with "unsexed females." Unfortunately, Fremont was not able to get the "unsexed female" vote to the polls, so he lost. You've got to get your base out on election day. Item 58. $250.
Nathaniel Appleton preached a sermon on May 26, 1742, which was transcribed in the following: The Great Blessing of Good Rulers, Depends upon God's Giving His Judgments & Righteousness to Them. A Sermon Preached Before His Excellency William Shirley, Esq: Governour...(of Massachusetts). In his sermon Appleton proclaims, "God forbid that we should have any irreligious, prayerless Rulers among us." Hopefully Governor Shirley was a God-fearing, righteous man. Otherwise, he must have been squirming in his seat through this lecture. Item 3. $500.
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Early Americana From David Lesser
Fine Antiquarian Books
none
Rev. Appleton also gave us A Faithful and Wise Servant, Had in Honor, throughout the Churches. This was a eulogy in honor of Rev. Edward Wigglesworth, a Professor of Divinity at Harvard College, who passed away early in 1765. In his tribute Appleton notes, "Altho' his hardness of hearing was a great difficulty to him when debates were carried on, yet things being made known to him...here always appeared in him such an accuracy of thought..." What? What did you say? Item 4. $375.
Stephen A. Douglas, a northern Democrat, had become something of a pariah with southern Democrats for his "moderate" position on extending slavery to new states, which called on allowing the citizens of those states to make the choice. The southern branch of the party bolted from the northerners, demanding slavery be declared legal in all new territories. Item 42 is Douglas' 1860 Speech....on the Invasion of the States. In it, he criticized President Buchanan, who was more amendable to southern interests, for saying the federal government lacked constitutional authority to protect Virginia from an alleged northern conspiracy to rescue John Brown. This was evidently an attempt by Douglas to regain southern support by taking a more pro-southern position on the issue than did Buchanan. It didn't work. The southern Democrats did not return to Douglas, and instead split the party, assuring that a man they truly despised, Abraham Lincoln, would be elected president. $250.
Douglas was not the only candidate attempting to run as a "moderate" in the 1860 election. John Bell of Tennessee presented himself as a moderate candidate of the Constitutional Union Party. In those days, "constitutional" would appeal to southerners (because the constitution did not outlaw slavery), while "union" appealed to northerners. As a resident of a border state, he hoped that too would help bridge the gap. The southern Democrats wanted nothing to do with Bell either. Item 49 is Breckenridge and Lane Campaign Document, No. 5. The Public Record and Past History of John Bell & Edw'd Everett. The southern Democrats here portray Bell as a friend of compromise who voted with the abolitionists. Bell would carry the border states of Kentucky and Tennessee, and even Virginia, but the split would allow Lincoln to win the election with just 40% of the vote. $250.
Of course Douglas and Bell weren't the only ones attacked. Lincoln is the victim of abuse in this pamphlet, published by Douglas' supporters: Abraham Lincoln's Record on the Slavery Question. His Doctrines Condemned by Henry Clay. It's interesting that Henry Clay condemned Lincoln's doctrines, since he had been dead eight years when this was published in 1860, but hey, this is politics. It contains the usual charges that seemed to play well in that day, that Lincoln favored the "doctrine of negro equality with the white man," and that his "views on slavery tend to its abolition." Item 48. $500.
C.A. Grimmer predicted the coming of the apocalypse in The Voice of Stars or the Effects of the Coming Perihelia. The perihelia had to do with the alignment of the four great planets, and Grimmer predicted plagues would come unless strict sanitary measures were taken. Of course we now know that that these terrible things did not happen in 1880 as he predicted. Instead, the world came to an end in 2000 when the second millennium concluded. Item 70. $350.
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Early Americana From David Lesser
Fine Antiquarian Books
none
Item 158 was printed in Washington in 1841, and it dealt with a New York court decision, but it may be of greatest interest to collectors of Canadiana. It is the Review of the Opinion of Judge Gowan, of the Supreme Court of the State of New-York, in the Case of Alexander McLeod. By a Citizen of New York (the "citizen"was evidently Daniel Tallmadge). In 1837, the British had attacked an American steamship in the Niagara River, and sent it over the Falls. One American was killed. Not that there wasn't any reason. The Caroline was helping a small band of rebels in the already hopeless Rebellion of 1837, where some Canadians attempted to throw out the British. McLeod would later cross over the border to New York, stop at a tavern, and foolishly start boasting of how he had participated in the sinking of the Caroline. New York arrested him and put him on trial for murder. It created an international incident. The British said McLeod could not be personally tried for his actions as he was acting under their orders. The U.S. agreed, but said it did not have the power to interfere with the New York courts. Fortunately, McLeod was acquitted, and a crisis avoided. $275.
At one time, the "Republican" (today's Democratic) party had a monopoly on presidential politics. In the hotly contested 1824 election, both Jackson and Quincy Adams were members of the same party. However, Jackson stirred such antagonism among his opponents that the party would split. The faction in power, Jackson's, would become known as the "Democratic-Republicans"(today's Democratic party), their opponents the "National Republicans." The National Republicans would become the Whigs, and they would be a major force in the 1840s, until the slavery issue tore them apart. Here are the proceedings from their first convention: Journal of the National Republican Convention, which Assembled in the City of Baltimore, Dec. 12, 1831.... The party would nominate Henry Clay for president, as they would again twelve years later. Both times he lost. However, in their brief existence, the Whigs did give us four of our most beloved presidents: William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Millard Fillmore. Why did this party disappear? Item 182. $250.
Speaking of Zachary Taylor, and who could forget Old Rough and Ready, supporters of Lewis Cass had some nasty words for the General who campaigned on saying as little as possible. In Taylor Whigery Exposed. Letter from the Hon. Edmund Burke (1848), it is said of Taylor that he was the candidate of the Whigs, "Who have sympathized with the public enemy, who have traitorously given him 'aid and comfort,' who have voted to disgrace their country in Congress..." Wow. Swift Boat Vets for Cass. Evidently treason was acceptable back then, as Taylor swept to victory anyway. Item 46. $175.
David M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books may be found online at www.lesserbooks.com and reached by phone at 203-389-8111.
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