A WEEK AFTER THE LINCOLN ASSASSINATION, FIVE BOSTONIANS CONTRIBUTE TO AN ABRAHAM LINCOLN MEMORIAL

(ABRAHAM LINCOLN).  DS. 1pg. April 21, 1865. Boston. A document pledging one dollar apiece to a Massachusetts memorial to President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln had been assassinated one week prior. “Enclosed please find the pledge of myself and family to the cause […] for our late Presidents memory….” Five signatures follow by T. Clement, Mary A. Clement, Clement O Jordan, Elisa M. Huston and one more. The document is in very good condition with some smudges.  I am uncertain if the funds went to the controversial Boston statue of Lincoln that was removed in 2020.

GENERAL HENRY S. COMMAGER, CIVIL WAR ERA POLITICIAN AND SOLDIER, CHARACTERIZES PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON AND PREDICTS HIS IMPEACHMENT: “THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET, AND ESPECIALLY THE CABINET, WERE TERRIBLY FRIGHTENED BY THE THREATENING TONE OF THE RADICALS AND BESIDES THESE CONSIDERATIONS, THE WHOLE CABINET ARE AGAINST THE DEMOCRACY”

(ANDREW JOHNSON IMEACHMENT).  ALS. 4 pg. 5” x 7”. January 10, 1867. Washington D.C. An autograph letter signed “H.S. Commager” to “Hon W. Carter”: “The day after I reached Washington about Nov 2^nd last, I place on file in the Post Office Department an application asking for the appointment of Mr. William Higgins to be Post Master at Defiance. Supposing that there would be no question as to his appointment and having a great many other matters to attend t, I did not trouble the Post Master General about it, for some little time, but finding that appointments were not being made, promptly, I called on the Post Master Genl, specially  in regard to the matter, and he then informed me that the President and Cabinet had decided, not to make any more removals, on political grounds alone, until after Congress should meet, and its temper and tone ascertained…The fact is, that, although it took me some time to find it out after coming here, the President and Cabinet, and especially the Cabinet, were terribly frightened by the threatening tone of the Radicals and besides these considerations, the whole Cabinet are against the Democracy. Almost all of them are disposed to get back in some way to the Republican Party. If the President long ago had made a clean and thorough change in his Cabinet, resulting in Democrats he would to-day be master of the situation. Now all depend {sic} on chance...Those who know him best say that he is indeed a strange man; that he can neither be driven nor coaxed to advance one step till he is fully ready; but XX having taken that step forward it is an advance forever…The impeachment idea is dead for this session. But Congress may attempt to reduce the Southern States to Territories. If they pass such an act, the President will not execute it and if the question comes before this Supreme Court, the President will be sustained. Yet the refusal will induce next the Congress to impeach”. This letter by General Henry S. Commager, former Brigadier General of Volunteers and a Democratic Party politician, perfectly sets up the state of political affairs between President Andrew Johnson and the Radical Republican-controlled U.S. Congress. Though both sides had been feuding over Reconstruction since Johnson’s ascension to the presidency, appointment power was also a key divide. The letter describes how Johnson and his Postmaster General Alexander Randall were unwilling to make an appointment for fear of rejection by the U.S. Senate. This fear was codified into law just a month after this letter with the Tenure of Office Act, which would have denied the President the power to remove any executive officer unless the Senate approved the removal during the next full session of Congress, which was unlikely given the existing political dynamics. Johnson’s removal of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton the following year despite the Senate’s rejection of such a removal was the impetus of Johnson’s impeachment, predicted in this letter, and unsuccessful Senate removal trial. Commager died later in 1867, so he did not live to see his prediction come true. The letter is in fine condition with some folds. Included is a separate typed document with additional biographical information and historical context.

A PHOTO OF PRESIDENTS REAGAN, FORD, CARTER, AND NIXON – SIGNED BY ALL FOUR

JIMMY CARTER (b. 1924). Carter was the Thirty-Ninth President.

GERALD R. FORD (1913-2006). Ford was the Thirty-Eighth President.

RICHARD NIXON (1913-1994). Nixon was the Thirty-Seventh President.

RONALD REAGAN (1911-2004). Reagan was the Fortieth President.

PS. 8” x 10”. N.d. N.p. A photograph signed “Ronald Reagan”, “Gerald R. Ford”, “Jimmy Carter”, and “Richard Nixon”. The color image depicts these four Presidents standing together in the White House on October 8, 1981, in the first year of Reagan’s Presidency. This well-known image was taken as the three former Presidents were about to fly to Egypt for Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat’s funeral.  All four signed on the wide lower margin, likely on different dates. In fine condition.

JUDGE MINOT’S FAMOUS EULOGY OF PRESIDENT WASHINGTON

(GEORGE WASHINGTON).  Booklet. 24pg. 1800. Boston.  A booklet entitled “An Eulogy on George Washington, late commander in chief of the Armies of the United States of America, who died December 14, 1799, Delivered before the Inhabitants of the Town of Boston, at the Request of their Committee, by George Richards Minot.”  Minot praised the late President, stating in the start: “Our duty, my Fellow-Townsmen, on this distressing occasion, is dictated by the dignity and resplendent virtue of the beloved Man whose death we deplore.  We assemble to pay a debt to departed merit, a debt which we can only pay by the sincerity of our grief, and the respectful effusions of gratitude…”.  This is a second edition printed by Manning & Loring.  There is water spotting to the first few pages, a toning box to the title page, and modern staples along the left margin; the condition is good to very good.

AN APPEAL TO NEW YORK GOVERNOR GROVER CLEVELAND TO USE ALTERNATE RESERVOIRS FOR THE NEW YORK CITY FIRE SERVICE

GROVER CLEVELAND (1837-1908). Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th Presidents, was the only one not elected to consecutive terms. He served an New York Governor before his election as President.

D. 2pp. 8” x 11”. New York. May 18th 1883. A document sent to New York Governor Grover Cleveland; it is signed by the ”Committee of Fifteen appointed by the Merchants of New York”. They ask ”to obtain a supply of water for a special fire service, from the water sheds of Orange and Rockland counties; if, upon examination, it shall be deemed practicable to do so…should they deem it for the best interest of the City to do so…That bill (Senate Bill No 441) is now awaiting your signature to become a law. For the reasons given in the Memorial referred to, we ask that it may receive your favorable consideration…”. The document is in fine condition with dark ink and white paper; the original envelope is included. A fine and early New York fire piece.

A DOCUMENT CONCERNING JAMES GARFIELD’S ESTATE

JAMES A. GARFIELD (1831-1881). Garfield was the Twentieth President.  He served that role for a little over six months before being assassinated. 

DS. 1pg. 5” x 8”. April 20, 1882. Cleveland, Ohio. A handwritten document pertaining to President James A. Garfield’s estate.  It was written several months after Garfield’s death and signed “Joseph Rudolph” as administrator. Rudolph was the brother of Garfield’s wife Lucretia.  It states: “Riggs and Co. Washington D.C. Pay to Bateman & Co. or order sixteen thousand seven hundred and thirty nine dollars fifty two cts. Joseph Rudolph Administrator”.  Warner Bateman was a long-time, prominent Cincinnati attorney.  $16,000 was a tremendous sum of money in the 1880s.  The document has folds, a minor punch hole and pencil writing on it; it is in good condition.