Description:

Randolph John

1pp ALS on watermarked cream paper inscribed overall and signed by Virginian politician John Randolph of Roanoke (1773-1833) as “John Randolph of Roanoke” at right center. In near fine condition, with expected folds and a few stray pencil inscriptions. The 7.125" x 6.875" letter is tipped into larger sheet measuring 7.25” x 10.75”.

John Randolph penned this letter to an unknown correspondent on January 4, 1814 from Richmond, Virginia, requesting a copy of a letter he had sent to the same correspondent three years earlier.

Letter is shown in full below:

“Richmond Jan. 4. 1814

Sir,

I beg leave to recall to your recollection a conversation on which took place between us last winter, at my apartment in George Town, on the subject of a letter from me to you, written on or about the 2s of March 1811, of which letter you then promised to furnish me with a copy.

I am, Sir

Your mo: obedt servt.

John Randolph of Roanoke

Jan: 4. 1814”.

John Randolph of Roanoke is best-known for his political zealotry. He first aligned with Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and his Democratic-Republicans, and even served as Jefferson’s spokesman in the House of Representatives. Yet Randolph soon rejected Jefferson’s pragmatic spirit of compromise and broke from the 3rd U.S. President after his first term. Afterwards Randolph formed his own arch-conservative faction called the “Old Republicans” or “Tertium Quids”. Randolph and his partisans championed the “Principles of 98”, which maintained that individual states could evaluate the constitutionality of federal mandates and decide whether to implement them.

This letter was written during Randolph’s time as a Virginia representative. Indeed, most of Randolph’s political career was spent in the House of Representatives. He also served one term as a U.S. Senator from Virginia and a four-month stint as U.S. Minister to Russia. For Randolph, his political views were as polarizing as his personality. The intemperate Randolph dueled with Kentucky Senator Henry Clay (1777-1852), and had several violent altercations with a North Carolinian representative, including one involving tableware!

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. The monumental task of expanding the original two volumes to twenty-one volumes was given to Emery E. Childs, Esq. of New York City. A lovely india ink drawing of Mary L. Booth labeled “presented by her to E.E.C.” in pencil appears in the first volume of this work. 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, presumably 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 in his Lakeside home that survived the great Chicago fire in 1871. 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.

These items were preserved for over 140 years and have never been on the market. The mostly pristine state of preservation of the items is due from their being wedged in these volumes.

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