Description:

J. Peter Zenger Fantastic "Freedom of the Press" Archive of 6 Docs & Newspapers

A fascinating group relating to one of the country's most famous early libel trials, with documents and letters signed by key figures William Cosby, Andrew Hamilton, and James and Catherine Alexander, along with two publications of "The New-York Weekly Journal", printed and sold by Zenger and very rarely encountered. The majority of the letters and documents have flattened folds, with varying degrees of soiling, toning, and foxing. Some areas of chipping with minor paper and text loss. Repairs have been made with archival material and tape where separations and chipping have occurred. All bold signatures.

Includes the following:

1. William Cosby Document Signed "W Cosby". 1p of vellum, measuring 13" x 6.75", New York, dated April 20, 1733. Appointing Abraham Gaasbeck Chambers Esq. to be "Collonell [sic] of the Regiment of Militia Foot for the County of Ulster." With a paper embossed seal at the upper left corner. Cosby was the Colonial Governor of New York 1732-6 who accused Zenger of libel and sedition for publishing unflattering reports about him. Zenger was acquitted of all charges and the case helped to establish the concept of freedom of the press. This document, is even more important because it was signed the same year that Zenger established the so-called seditious paper "The New York Weekly Journal" and not long before Cosby sent troops to burn his papers and arrest Zenger. It is certainly possible that the present document could be related to the militia that harassed Zenger?

2. Andrew Hamilton Document Signed "A: Hamilton". 1p, measuring 8" x 12.75", Philadelphia, dated January 26, 1736. A deed granting Letters of Administration. Reading in part: "Know all ben by these presents that we Sarah Read of Phila. Widow, Israel Pemberton of Phila. Merch., and James Bingham of the same place sadler are held & firmly bound unto Peter Evans Register General for the probate of Wills & granting Letters of Administration in & for the province of Pennsylvania &c in the sum of one thousand pounds…" Signed and sealed by the participants, with Hamilton signing as a witness. Docketing on verso.

3. James Alexander Autograph Letter. 3pp of a bifolium, measuring 8.25" x 12", No place, Ca. October 1721. In an unsigned letter to his brother, Alexander writes of the birth of a daughter, his success in business in America, and praise for his wife. Reading in part: "…For Offices and Titles I have pretty many, for besides those of Surveyor-General of East and New Jersey and Receiver-General of the Quitrents of East Jersey, which you have heard that I have had, His Excellency the Governor was pleased to recommend me to His Majesty for one of the Council of the Province of New York and His Majesty was thereupon pleased to appoint me one of them which appointment came over in July last…I wish I may deserve and hold all these Offices which, while His Excellency stays here, in all probability I may hold. I must say my fortune in America is above my expectations & I think even my deserts, and the greatest of my good fortunes is in getting so good a wife as I have, who alone could make a man easy and happy, had he nothing else to depend on…" With pencil notations in Autograph Dean Charles Hamilton's hand.

4. Catherine Alexander Document Signed "Catherine Alexander". 3pp, measuring 8" x 13.25", New York, dated November 4, 1748. Granting power of attorney to William Watson, with direction to purchase land in His Majesty's Chancery in Scotland, along with other business to conduct in Edinburgh. Also signed by her father, James Alexander "Ja: Alexander witness." While most of the value of the present document is father James signature, Catherine was herself distinguished as a prominent colonial woman and mother of John Rutherfurd (1760–1840), a Federalist member of the United States Senate from New Jersey who served from 1791 to 1798, who married Helena Magdalena Morris (1762–1840), daughter of Congressman Lewis Morris of Morrisania. With pencil notations in Charles Hamilton's hand.

5. Two editions of "The New-York Weekly Journal". 4pp, measuring 6.75" x 11", New York, dated March 17, 1734 and June 16, 1735. The paper was printed and sold by Zenger. The later edition, No. LXXXIV references Zenger's libel case in a letter to the editor printed on the first page. Reading: "Mr. Zenger; As the following piece has formerly been published with great Applause, in our Mother Country, the Seat of Liberty, I believe you may venture to give it another Edition here, without incurring the Danger of an Indictment as a Libeler. I am Yours, &c. T. Stet." Zenger goes on to write in this edition, "Those Nations who formerly either lavished away their Liberties through their own Folly, or that lost them through the Treachery of others, soon found their Properties as precarious in the Hands of Sycophants, as their Liberties were desperate in the Hands of Tyrants…"

John Peter Zenger (1697-1746) was a German printer, accused by William Cosby of libel in 1734. Cosby (1690-1736) was the British colonial governor of New York from 1732-1736. Zenger's paper was pro-colonist and anti-royalist, and printed several editorials about Cosby's corruption: rigging elections, stealing taxes and appropriating Native American land. Zenger was arrested on November 17, 1734, on a charge of seditious libel, although his wife Anna continued to print the newspaper in her husband's absence. Zenger's initial counsel had been James Alexander (1691-1756), but the court found him in contempt and removed him from the case. In his place, Andrew Hamilton (1676-1741), a celebrated Philadelphia lawyer, was hired to defend Zenger. It took the jury only ten minutes to reach a verdict of not guilty, and the case became a landmark affirmation of freedom of the press in America.

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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