Description:

A. Lincoln Signed Endorsement on Letter to S. Chase From A. Pettijohn, Beautifully Framed Display

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). Autograph Endorsement Signed, "Respectfully submitted to the Attorney General / A. Lincoln / June 4, 1862", as 16th U.S. President, 1p, on the verso of a 1p letter to Salmon P. Chase from Dr. Amos Pettijohn, Washington, 7.5" x 11.5". Framed with an image of Lincoln and descriptive plaques to a size of 44" x 23". Swing-out frame exhibits minor surface chips. Letter has expected light wear. In overall near fine condition. 

Pettijohn's letter to Chase, Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury, in full, with spelling unchanged, and paragraph breaks for ease of reading: "I crave your attention a moment. I am an applicant for the Marshallship of Arizonia Territory and desire you to Speak to the president on the Subject. Having been a member of the any Slavry political Party for the past Twenty five years, having in that lenth of time Suffered prosecution & persecution. Perhaps yourself recolict the J B Mahan fuss that took place in Brown County in the state Ohio about 20 odd years ago in which I was included in the Suit with Mahan, which utterally Broke me up.

Having Since that time acted with no other party except the Republican Party. Believing that you think Such Men Since Such great changes have taken place Should be Recompensed to Some amount for their former difficulties. And ask your kind attention with the president in this matter for the truth of the above I Refer you to J D G Pettijohn & Z P Gunion of the Auditors department at Washington / Amos Pettijohn MD / My Papers and vouchers are in the hands of the Hon Mr Shanks M.C. of the 11th Cong District in Ind of which I am a citizen".

Self-educated and from modest means, Abraham Lincoln had developed a reputation as a "Man of the People", and as President, he continued to keep in contact with his constituents. Unfortunately, people soliciting federal positions and pardons besieged Lincoln, and he was forced to narrow down his unlimited visiting hours to only two or three hours a day, thus increasing the number of letters he received. On June 4, 1862, the President signed and forwarded this petition for a marshalship to Attorney General Edward Bates, whose office oversaw all United States Marshals.

An Indiana surgeon, Dr. Amos Pettijohn (1815-1886) was a native of Ohio who appealed to Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase (1808-1873), a former leader of the Ohio State Antislavery Society (founded 1835). Chase helped build the state's Society into the second largest auxiliary of the American Antislavery Society, but the movement declined in the 1840s with some abolitionists being physically attacked in the North. While big party politicians feared associations with antislavery groups, Chase joined the abolitionist Liberal Party, which was absorbed by the Free Soil Party in 1848. A prominent leader of this new political group, he was largely responsible for the Ohio Society's increasing role in politics, particularly after 1854 when Free Soilers turned to the recently created Republican Party, which Lincoln joined in 1856.

In spite of Chase's intervention with the President, Pettijohn did not receive the appointment as Marshal for Arizona, the southern and pro-slavery section of the New Mexico Territory. Although Arizona sided with the Confederacy, the Union needed the gold there, so Lincoln appeased its citizens by officially making Arizona a separate territory on February 24, 1863. Two weeks later, on March 10, Milton Duffield received the appointment as Marshal. In January 1865, Charles Poston, a Congressman from the Arizona Territory, asked Lincoln to replace Duffield, whom he considered to be "unworthy of the office". The President was assassinated before he could take action.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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