(GEORGE WASHINGTON).  (1732-1799).  Washington was Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, President of the Constitutional Convention and the first President.

Contemporary copy. 1pg. November 7, 1780. Passaic Falls.  A contemporary copy of a George Washington letter to Colonel Henry Babcock: “Sir, I have received your favor of the 24^th of October, and have to observe on the Subject, that the plan suggested, for paying and supplying the Army and prosecuting the War with vigor, would undoubtedly be eligible, if practicable; how far this is, or is not the case, I cannot take upon myself to determine.  Should the scheme in contemplation be carried into execution; whether it would be most advantageous to have the Plate coined and thrown into circulation, or made the basis of a Bank to support our Credit, might be made a question.  But that this aid (if well disposed of) with other vigorous and decisive measures for drawing out the resources of the Country, would have a powerful influence, in retrieving our affairs, disconcerting those of the Enemy, and inducing them to wish for a peace: does not admit of a single doubt.  The adoption of the plan spoken of by you might give a credit to the public virtue of this Country at Foreign Courts that would be attended with important advantages to us.”  Colonel Henry Babcock (1736-1800), a Yale graduate, fought at Fort Ticonderoga in 1775.  The next year, he was dismissed from command of Rhode Island troops because of his “distempered mind”.  There is a vertical fold and contemporary writing on the verso.

TYPED LETTER SIGNED BY WOODROW WILSON DURING HIS PRESIDENCY OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MERCHANT MARINES: “THEY HAVE INTERESTED ME VERY MUCH AND INSTRUCTED ME NOT A LITTLE”

WOODROW WILSON (1856-1924). Wilson served as President from 1913 to 1921.

TLS. 1 pg. 8” x 10”. January 31, 1910. Princeton, N.J. A typed letter signed “Woodrow Wilson” as President of Princeton University to “Mr. Lewis Nixon”: “I have read with real interest the two pamphlets you were kind enough to send me, containing your address on the question of the Merchant Marine. They have interested me very much and instructed me not a little”.  In 1910, Wilson was nominated and elected to be Governor New Jersey, and within three years he was elected President of the United States. As President during World War I, Wilson would advocate for an expansion of the United States Merchant Marine in his 1914 State of the Union address: “To speak plainly we have grossly erred in the way in which we have stunted and hindered the development of our merchant marine … It is necessary for many weighty reasons of national efficiency and development that we should have a great merchant marine.” This is an idea he perhaps received from Lewis Nixon (1861-1940), a well-respected naval architect, building executive, and Democratic political activist who frequently spoke on the importance of America increasing its naval power. America’s entry into World War I was in large part over Germany’s policy of unrestricted submarine warfare against American merchant ships. Wilson also signed the 1915 Seamen’s Act, “the Magna Carta of American sailors' rights.” In someone else’s hand, probably a previous owner, is the handwritten note, “President of Princeton University President of the United States”. The letter is on the official stationery of the “PRESIDENT’S ROOM” at Princeton. It is in very condition with trimmed margins, toning and a dark autograph.

WOODROW WILSON (1856-1924). Wilson was President during World War I.

TLS. 1pg. 6” x 8”. October 26, 1910. Princeton.  A typed letter signed “Woodrow Wilson” to John McCarthy of Chicago.  Writing on “President’s Room” letterhead, Wilson  stated “On returning from a speaking tour I find your interesting and important letter of October 22^nd.  I wish most unaffectedly that I could comply with the request it contains, but unhappily it is literally impossible for me to come to Chicago before Election Day, or even to write such a letter as I would be willing to have read.  I have time only to send my very warm greetings and to express my great regret that I cannot lend my small aid to the thing you are trying to accomplish.”  Wilson was then running for Governor of New Jersey.  The letter has toning from a previous framing and a horizontal tape remnant to the top margin.

PRINCETON PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON WRITES TO A PROFESSOR ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY’S CREW TEAM: “IT SEEMS TO ME…A MISTAKE TO ALLOW ANY CREW TO GO AWAY FROM PRINCETON…NOT AS RESPONSIBLE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNIVERSITY, TO UNDERTAKE CONTESTS OF ANY KIND AWAY FROM THE COLLEGE”

WOODROW WILSON (1856-1924). Wilson was the Twenty-Eighth President.

TLS. 2pg. 6” x 8”. March 29, 1910. Princeton.  A typed letter signed “Woodrow Wilson” as president of Princeton University.  He wrote to Professor William B. Scott, an expert in paleontology and geology.  Wilson wrote: “I have been thinking over the matters you mentioned to me on behalf of the Committee on Outdoor Sports.  On the whole, I can see no objection to allowing the crew of the Central High School of Philadelphia to come up and row a race with a freshman crew on Carnegie Lake, though of course I think it ought to be very distinctly understood that it involves no obligation on our part whatever to row a return race with them away from Princeton.  The other proposal does not recommend itself to my judgment at all.  It seems to me clearly, particularly at this juncture, a mistake to allow any crew to go away from Princeton, and I have always thought it a mistake to allow irregular crews, that is to say bodies of men going away as individuals and not as responsible representatives of the University, to undertake contests of any kind away from the college.”  The letter has a small brown tape strip on the second page, well below the Wilson signature.  It is in fine condition.

OFFICIAL HANDWRITTEN PROCLAMATION WELCOMING PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON AND THE LIBERTY BELL TO LANE COUNTY, OREGON IN 1915

WOODROW WILSON (1856-1924). Wilson was the Twenty-Eighth President.

Document. 4 pgs. 10” x 14”. July 15, 1915. Lane County, Oregon. An official proclamation for President Woodrow Wilson: “Our President, Greetings: Know you that the citizens of Lane County, State of Oregon, on the occasion of the visit of the liberty bell, fittingly observed July 15, 1915. – as Wilson Day and that in mass-meeting assembled they expressed their faith in your statesmanship in the unanimous adoption of the following patriotic declaration: We, the people of Lane County in the state of Oregon, in general mass meeting assembled…do solemnly declare: That we love peace and deplore war, That we hold most sacred the great principles of American liberty and demand that the life and liberty of American citizens shall be secure throughout the world, That the President of the United States has our loyal support, sympathy and confidence in all his efforts to adjust the present complications with foreign powers honorably and without war, we trust and believe he will be able to do so and here and now unhesitatingly confirm his every effort to that end; but if he is unable to accomplish an honorable adjustment of such complications and war can not be averted, we are ready to take up arms, to follow the President and the Flag until the life and liberty of the citizen of the United States shall be secure wherever the sun shines”. Starting July 4^th 1915, the Liberty Bell left Philadelphia on a custom train for a cross-country summer tour. The Liberty Bell ended up visiting 275 communities, traveling 10,000 miles, and being seen by a quarter of all Americans. One Oregon publication reported 15,000 met the Liberty Bell in Eugene, the county seat of Lane County, Oregon. For Wilson, the tour was a way to increase patriotic fervor in the country and to build support for his policy towards the war in Europe; he wanted credit for maintaining peace thus far but have the nation support military intervention if he called for it. At least in Lane County, the strategy failed; Wilson lost the county in his re-election campaign by almost ten percent. Each page of the proclamation is written on vellum with a beautiful decorative border, reminiscent of a medieval manuscript. Most of the text is in black ink, but some letters have been written in different colors. The proclamation is preserved inside and bound to a cardstock cover that decoratively says, “Woodrow Wilson President”. Each page is further protected by tissue paper being laid between the cover and first page and between each page. The proclamation and the cover are entirely handwritten. This document is in excellent condition.