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Lot 38
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Henry Clay twice signed ALS " ... promised from Jackson's messages"
Henry Clay twice signed ALS " ... promised from Jackson's messages"
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Description:

Clay Henry 1777 - 1852 Henry Clay twice signed ALS " ... promised from Jackson's messages"

Single page ALS, 7.5" x 6", signed by Henry Clay as "H. Clay" and dated "23 rd Mar 1841". Tipped onto another sheet along bottom edge. Accompanied by a second manuscript note, 3.25" x 5", which appears to have been written over the original address label, and includes Henry Clay's signature of "From H Clay", along with scripted notes in another hand and a date stamp. Overall clean and bright, with strongly contrasting ink. Several very tiny stains, else near fine. Accompanied by documented provenance as noted below.

A near fine ALS from Henry Clay, founder of the Whig party, who was at the time seeking to lead the New Whig Congressional majority. Newly elected President Harrison had earlier asked Clay to serve another term as Secretary of State. After initially resisting Clay's pleas to call a special session of Congress (the first regular session of Congress was set to begin on December 1841), Harrison finally consented and called for a session of Congress to begin in May 1841. President Harrison died of pneumonia just 10 days after this ALS was written and before this congressional session convened.

President Tyler retained Harrison's Cabinet, but quickly made it known that he had reservations about re-establishing a national bank, a key priority of Clay's which is lightly touched upon in his ALS, in which he makes a reference to "revenue was never a real object with the late dominant party" Clay saw the re-establishment of a national bank as policy in reviving the weak national economy, and Clay sought to compromise with Tyler to create national bank legislation that the president would not veto. In August 1841, Tyler was presented with a bill that incorporated some of Tyler's proposals. Tyler vetoed the bill over concerns that the national bank would compete with state banks. After Tyler told Whig Congressman Alexander Stuart that he would sign a similar bill that addressed his concerns, Congressional Whigs wrote another bill that they hoped would satisfy Tyler. On September 9, Tyler vetoed this bill as well. Tyler's second veto infuriated his fellow Whigs, and Tyler's Cabinet resigned, with the exception of Secretary of State Daniel Webster. Reflecting his belief in legislative supremacy and his anger at Tyler's actions, Clay unsuccessfully proposed Constitutional amendments removing the president's veto power and giving Congress the authority to appoint the Secretary of the Treasury. Oddly enough, this period also coincides with the concern that the Senate was beginning to pay an allowance for mileage traveled for journeys related to business. The issue that arose in March of 1841 was that numerous senators were paid for mileage that they never made. While that may appear to be trivial, it amounted to a total sum of over $40,000 even back in 1841 and became a dispute.

The ALS reads in part:

"Dear Sir, 23 rd Mar. 1841

Detained here by severe (illegible) ... the first moment when I am able to write, to request you to ... Mr Hickey to ..me at Ashland the Extracts which he promised from Jacksons messages ... from Com. Reports .... Revenue was never a real object with the late dominant party in their administration of the 9 Lands. Mr. H promised to send it to me the day of the Senates adjournment; but I suppose was prevented by his engagements.

I hope to resume my journey homewards in a day or two

With great respect

H.Clay"

A beautiful twice signed example in highly collectible condition.

The address docket has the note in another hand which reads:

"W. Hickey (as Mr Clay justly supposes) was prevented by the performances of indispensable current business from collecting the extracts desired by W.C. before his departure from Washington, but W.H. is now engaged on the work and will send to W.C. at Ashland as soon as it is completed

Office of the senates

March 25, 1841

And signed and autographed across the address as "From H Clay" / "Mr Dickins, Secy of the Senate"

Clay was one of the most partisan, hot-headed, and polarizing politicians of his day. Yet he was also a statesman possessing an unsurpassed ability for brokering differences, for finding the middle ground, for soothing and consoling opposing passions into compromise and reconciliation. At one point in his career he was dubbed "The Dictator" by some of his Senate colleagues. But this political gut-fighter's most lasting fame and greatest contribution to his country was achieved in the role of "The Great Pacificator," the man who held together the Union.

Henry Clay failed in his all-consuming ambition to become President of the United States. "I would rather be right than President," was his most famous remark, and probably one of the greatest utterances of political sour grapes of all time. Yet in failing in his fondest goal he became perhaps the foremost legislator America ever produced.

Provenance: This item was recently discovered in an extra illustrated volume of "History of the City of New York" by Mary L. Booth, New York W. R. C. Clark, 1867. Originally two volumes, the monumental task of expanding the work to 21 volumes by none other than Emery E. Childs esquire of New York City. In volume 1 of this work exists a lovely india ink Drawing of Mary L. Booth along with a notation "presented by her to E E C" in pencil. Next to the title page we find an original letter of Booth to Childs dated April 4, 1872 "I am in receipt of your favor of the 4th inst., and am grateful to hear that you are taking the trouble to illustrate my History of the City of New York in the manner you describe. I shall be happy to see you, should you favor me with a call as I am usually in my office during business hours and should be pleased to facilitate your Enterprise by any means in my power"

It is assumed that the book took several years to assemble at which point, assumedly through Childs, it made its way to Senator Charles B. Farwell of Chicago who took the seat of John A. Logan in 1887. Farwell had an extensive library that fortunately survived the great Chicago fire in 1871 having been housed in his Lakeside home. In the American Bibliopolist of November 1871 there is an article about the devastation to libraries caused by the tragedy. "Mr C. B. Farwell's library is also fortunately far out from the city, at his country house, and is safe. The same remark will also apply to the extensive collection of books and curiosities belonging to Mr. E. E. Childs." This establishes the Chicago connection between Childs and Farwell.

That these letters were preserved for over 140 years and have never been on the market for that period is remarkable on many levels. It is the state of being wedged in these volumes that also account for what is mostly the pristine state of preservation.

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