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Early Political, Religious, and Other Americana from David Lesser Antiquarian Books Catalogue 84 of Americana from David M. Lesser By Michael Stillman David M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books latest catalogue, number 84, fits the mold of the typical Lesser catalogue. It is filled with rare books and ephemera of Americana, mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries, and each piece comes with its own story. Reading through a Lesser catalogue is reading through a series of vignettes of American history. By the time you are finished, you will know a bit more about the nation's past, and in particular, many of the small incidents that led to the major confrontations which shaped its history. Lesser's catalogues are not just book catalogues, but mini-history texts as well. Some of what we found follows. Item 3 is more than a bit ironic as it is an Extract of a Letter from the House of Representatives of the Masschusetts-Bay proclaiming their loyalty to the British crown, even as it protests mistreatment in the days before the Revolution. The year was 1770, and the colony was upset with taxes, restrictions on imports, and heavy-handed British control of their institutions. Nevertheless, the representatives proclaim, "we cannot be justly suspected of the most distant thoughts of an independence on Great-Britain." For emphasis, they go on to say "it is so far from the truth, that we apprehend the colonies would refuse it [independence] if offered them; and would deem it the greatest misfortune to be obliged to accept it." Methinks they protested too much. They would have jumped on such an offer, but one was never made. Priced at $1,500. Here is a different take on the British taxes that were a primary cause of the American Revolution. Rev. John Fletcher makes his arguments in American Patriotism Farther Confronted with Reason, Scripture, and the Constitution...with a Scriptural Plea for the Revolted Colonies. In this 1776 book, Rev. Fletcher defends the right of the British to tax the colonists. However, he goes a bit farther than most by claiming that paying British taxes is some sort of religious obligation. "The duty of paying taxes to the protective power, is so strongly connected with Christianity, that the Colonists must practically give up the scriptures, or submit to the reasonable demands of the British legislature," claims Fletcher. No wonder the founding fathers decided to separate church from state. Item 58. $1,500. One of the uglier political papers of early America was James Callender's The American Annual Register...for the Year 1796, published early the following year. Callender was a shrill opponent of the Federalists, not above making use of scandal to achieve his goals. In this publication, he raises charges of financial dishonesty on the part of Alexander Hamilton relating to payments he made to James Reynolds. This forced Hamilton to reveal the truth - that he was paying Reynolds blackmail to keep quiet about the affair he, Hamilton, was having with Reynolds wife Maria. Item 21. $875.
Early Political, Religious, and Other Americana from David Lesser Antiquarian Books none Talk about a moot publication. Item 20 is An Address to the Government of the United States, on the Cession of Louisiana to the French...by Charles Brockden Brown. Brown was upset when the Spanish, who received Louisiana from the French as part of the treaty ending the French and Indian War, ceded it back to the French in 1802. Brown was concerned the French would interfere with free use of the Mississippi and stir up trouble with the Indians on America's western frontier. He urged America to seize the territory. Of course, all of this was rendered moot within the year when the French willingly sold Louisiana to America. $500. In 1843, people had a different way of handling disputes. They wrote pamphlets about them, either hoping to receive what they perceived as "justice," or at least embarrass the other party. Sarah Dean did just that with her dispute with Benjamin Hamlen. Her booklet is A Plain and Candid Statement of Facts of the Difficulty Existing Between Mr. B.L. Hamlen and Mrs. S. Dean; Being an Appeal to the Moral and Religious Community from a Defenceless and Injured Widow for Justice and Protection. It seems that Mrs. Dean, a poor widow, had opened up a pastry shop and "ladies saloon" in her home which adjoined Mr. Hamlen's print shop. To her disappointment, Mrs. Dean found that most of her customers were Yale students, and that she was harassed by some of the "boys" who worked in Mr. Hamlen's shop. She supposedly attempted to convince Mr. Hamlen to control his employees, but was rebuffed. She next tried appealing to her church, since both parties were members, but they weren't interested in becoming involved either. It was then that she resorted to printing this pamphlet to obtain justice. Whether she did, or whether her position was even just, is not known, but it is probably safe to say that Mr. Hamlen was not the printer of this piece. Item 37. $275. Alexis de Tocqueville is the Frenchman still remembered in America for his comprehensive work "Democracy in America." What is not as well known is that de Tocqueville did not come here to study democracy, but to study the nation's penal system. It was what he learned traveling around America for this study which led to his more famous work, but here is the one he really came to America to write: On the Penitentiary System in the United States, and its Application in France...written with Gustave de Beaumont. This is the Philadelphia translation to English roughly contemporaneous to the Paris printing (1833), but including the introduction by Francis Lieber. Item 36. $1,000. An unnamed author using the pseudonym "Atticus" wrote a series of letters to public officials published around 1838 entitled Letters of Atticus on the Currency, The Credit System, and National Fiscal Agent... He had some wonderful advice for former president Andrew Jackson, encouraging him "...in the short space of time you have to abide on this side of eternity, you'll assiduously employ it, in repenting the evils done your country, arising from your civil incompetency." From what I know of Jackson, I suspect it is very unlikely he spent his sunset years so engaged. Item 6. $500.
Early Political, Religious, and Other Americana from David Lesser Antiquarian Books none Item 15 is an 1848 political call from Virginia Whig John Minor Botts to nominate Henry Clay for the presidency, not his fellow delegates' preference, General Zachary Taylor. Botts argues that Clay, the Whigs' losing candidate in 1844, represents Whig principles, while Taylor stands for nothing discernable. Precisely. That's why the Whigs nominated him. He was hard to criticize as he took as few positions as possible. Being a hero of the Mexican War, he was a perfect candidate for the Whigs who lost political favor because of their reluctance to support this war. As 1848 was the year in which slavery began to arise as the major political issue, Taylor was ideal as he could imply pro-slavery sentiments in the South, anti-slavery sentiments in the North, without ever really committing himself. Taylor was nominated and swept to an easy victory, but no Whig would ever be elected again as that issue would soon tear the party apart. Botts' pamphlet is headed To the Whole Wig Party of the United States, and it was universally ignored. $250. The total collapse of the Whigs can be seen in this 1855 or 1856 broadside from Philadelphia, Circular of Whig Committee with Ticket. In this piece the Whigs' Executive Committee explains to its members why it is endorsing the candidates of the nativist American Party, also known as the "Know-Nothings." The Whigs separate themselves from the nativist, anti-Catholic sentiments of the Know-Nothings, but point to their support of the "freemen" of Kansas. The Know-Nothings, perhaps somewhat oddly, were, for the most part, opponents of slavery, and opposed the violence of pro-slavery forces in Kansas, something the Democrats managed to effectively ignore. Item 135. $375. David M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books has a website at www.lesserbooks.com and may be reached by phone at 203-389-8111.

Early Political, Religious, and Other Americana from David Lesser Antiquarian Books

Catalogue 84 of Americana from David M. Lesser

By Michael Stillman

David M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books latest catalogue, number 84, fits the mold of the typical Lesser catalogue. It is filled with rare books and ephemera of Americana, mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries, and each piece comes with its own story. Reading through a Lesser catalogue is reading through a series of vignettes of American history. By the time you are finished, you will know a bit more about the nation's past, and in particular, many of the small incidents that led to the major confrontations which shaped its history. Lesser's catalogues are not just book catalogues, but mini-history texts as well. Some of what we found follows.

Item 3 is more than a bit ironic as it is an Extract of a Letter from the House of Representatives of the Masschusetts-Bay proclaiming their loyalty to the British crown, even as it protests mistreatment in the days before the Revolution. The year was 1770, and the colony was upset with taxes, restrictions on imports, and heavy-handed British control of their institutions. Nevertheless, the representatives proclaim, "we cannot be justly suspected of the most distant thoughts of an independence on Great-Britain." For emphasis, they go on to say "it is so far from the truth, that we apprehend the colonies would refuse it [independence] if offered them; and would deem it the greatest misfortune to be obliged to accept it." Methinks they protested too much. They would have jumped on such an offer, but one was never made. Priced at $1,500.

Here is a different take on the British taxes that were a primary cause of the American Revolution. Rev. John Fletcher makes his arguments in American Patriotism Farther Confronted with Reason, Scripture, and the Constitution...with a Scriptural Plea for the Revolted Colonies. In this 1776 book, Rev. Fletcher defends the right of the British to tax the colonists. However, he goes a bit farther than most by claiming that paying British taxes is some sort of religious obligation. "The duty of paying taxes to the protective power, is so strongly connected with Christianity, that the Colonists must practically give up the scriptures, or submit to the reasonable demands of the British legislature," claims Fletcher. No wonder the founding fathers decided to separate church from state. Item 58. $1,500.

One of the uglier political papers of early America was James Callender's The American Annual Register...for the Year 1796, published early the following year. Callender was a shrill opponent of the Federalists, not above making use of scandal to achieve his goals. In this publication, he raises charges of financial dishonesty on the part of Alexander Hamilton relating to payments he made to James Reynolds. This forced Hamilton to reveal the truth - that he was paying Reynolds blackmail to keep quiet about the affair he, Hamilton, was having with Reynolds wife Maria. Item 21. $875.

Early Political, Religious, and Other Americana from David Lesser Antiquarian Books

none

Talk about a moot publication. Item 20 is An Address to the Government of the United States, on the Cession of Louisiana to the French...by Charles Brockden Brown. Brown was upset when the Spanish, who received Louisiana from the French as part of the treaty ending the French and Indian War, ceded it back to the French in 1802. Brown was concerned the French would interfere with free use of the Mississippi and stir up trouble with the Indians on America's western frontier. He urged America to seize the territory. Of course, all of this was rendered moot within the year when the French willingly sold Louisiana to America. $500.

In 1843, people had a different way of handling disputes. They wrote pamphlets about them, either hoping to receive what they perceived as "justice," or at least embarrass the other party. Sarah Dean did just that with her dispute with Benjamin Hamlen. Her booklet is A Plain and Candid Statement of Facts of the Difficulty Existing Between Mr. B.L. Hamlen and Mrs. S. Dean; Being an Appeal to the Moral and Religious Community from a Defenceless and Injured Widow for Justice and Protection. It seems that Mrs. Dean, a poor widow, had opened up a pastry shop and "ladies saloon" in her home which adjoined Mr. Hamlen's print shop. To her disappointment, Mrs. Dean found that most of her customers were Yale students, and that she was harassed by some of the "boys" who worked in Mr. Hamlen's shop. She supposedly attempted to convince Mr. Hamlen to control his employees, but was rebuffed. She next tried appealing to her church, since both parties were members, but they weren't interested in becoming involved either. It was then that she resorted to printing this pamphlet to obtain justice. Whether she did, or whether her position was even just, is not known, but it is probably safe to say that Mr. Hamlen was not the printer of this piece. Item 37. $275.

Alexis de Tocqueville is the Frenchman still remembered in America for his comprehensive work "Democracy in America." What is not as well known is that de Tocqueville did not come here to study democracy, but to study the nation's penal system. It was what he learned traveling around America for this study which led to his more famous work, but here is the one he really came to America to write: On the Penitentiary System in the United States, and its Application in France...written with Gustave de Beaumont. This is the Philadelphia translation to English roughly contemporaneous to the Paris printing (1833), but including the introduction by Francis Lieber. Item 36. $1,000.

An unnamed author using the pseudonym "Atticus" wrote a series of letters to public officials published around 1838 entitled Letters of Atticus on the Currency, The Credit System, and National Fiscal Agent... He had some wonderful advice for former president Andrew Jackson, encouraging him "...in the short space of time you have to abide on this side of eternity, you'll assiduously employ it, in repenting the evils done your country, arising from your civil incompetency." From what I know of Jackson, I suspect it is very unlikely he spent his sunset years so engaged. Item 6. $500.

Early Political, Religious, and Other Americana from David Lesser Antiquarian Books

none

Item 15 is an 1848 political call from Virginia Whig John Minor Botts to nominate Henry Clay for the presidency, not his fellow delegates' preference, General Zachary Taylor. Botts argues that Clay, the Whigs' losing candidate in 1844, represents Whig principles, while Taylor stands for nothing discernable. Precisely. That's why the Whigs nominated him. He was hard to criticize as he took as few positions as possible. Being a hero of the Mexican War, he was a perfect candidate for the Whigs who lost political favor because of their reluctance to support this war. As 1848 was the year in which slavery began to arise as the major political issue, Taylor was ideal as he could imply pro-slavery sentiments in the South, anti-slavery sentiments in the North, without ever really committing himself. Taylor was nominated and swept to an easy victory, but no Whig would ever be elected again as that issue would soon tear the party apart. Botts' pamphlet is headed To the Whole Wig Party of the United States, and it was universally ignored. $250.

The total collapse of the Whigs can be seen in this 1855 or 1856 broadside from Philadelphia, Circular of Whig Committee with Ticket. In this piece the Whigs' Executive Committee explains to its members why it is endorsing the candidates of the nativist American Party, also known as the "Know-Nothings." The Whigs separate themselves from the nativist, anti-Catholic sentiments of the Know-Nothings, but point to their support of the "freemen" of Kansas. The Know-Nothings, perhaps somewhat oddly, were, for the most part, opponents of slavery, and opposed the violence of pro-slavery forces in Kansas, something the Democrats managed to effectively ignore. Item 135. $375.

David M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books has a website at www.lesserbooks.com and may be reached by phone at 203-389-8111.