Description:

War of 1812 1812 - 1815

Proceedings of the Hartford Convention, a secret meeting of New England Federalists during the War of 1812.

Rare first printing of the Hartford edition of the proceedings of the secret meeting of New England Federalists, held in Hartford, December 15, 1814 to January 5, 1815, favoring states' rights and opposing military conscription and commercial regulations. Among other topics, they discussed admission of new states, grievances with the Louisiana Purchase, declarations of war, and limiting presidential terms of office.

Pamphlet "The Proceedings of a Convention of Delegates, From the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode-Island; The Counties of Cheshire and Grafton, in the State of New-Hampshire and the County of Windham, in the State of Vermont;-Convened at Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, December 15th, 1814. Hartford: Printed by Charles Hosmer, 1815," 40p, 5.75" x 9.25". Deckle edges. Tied together by string. Light toning. Internally sound. Very good condition. Shaw & Shoemaker 34871; Howes H-262.

Begins: "The Delegates from the Legislature of the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode-Island, and from the Counties of Grafton and Cheshire in the State of New-Hampshire and the County of Windham in the State of Vermont, assembled in Convention, beg leave to report the following result of their conference."

The names of the 26 Federalist delegates are printed at the conclusion of the proceedings, dated Hartford, January 4, 1814 [sic, 1815]. Seven Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were proposed "recommended to the States represented as aforesaid, to be proposed by them for adoption by the State Legislatures, and, in such cases as may be deemed expedient, by a Convention chosen by the people of each State..." The last two:

"Sixth. No person who shall hereafter be naturalized, shall be eligible as a member of the Senate or House of Representatives of the United States, nor capable of holding any civil office under the authority of the United States.

"Seventh. The same person shall not be elected President of the United States a second time; nor shall the President be elected from the same States two terms in succession..." In the first 25 years of the U.S. Presidency (1789-1814), a Virginian held the office for 21 years: Washington, Jefferson, Madison. Each had been elected twice. Federalist John Adams of Massachusetts was President for four years.

It was also "Resolved, That if the application of these States to the government of the United States, recommended in a foregoing Resolution, should be unsuccessful, and peace should not be concluded, and the defence of these States should be neglected, as it has been since the commencement of the war, it will in the opinion of this Convention be expedient for the Legislatures of the several States to appoint Delegates to another Convention, to meet at Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, on the third Thursday of June next, with such powers and instructions as the exigency of a crisis so momentous may require." It was thought that secession of New England or a separate peace with England would be discussed.

News of the December 24, 1814, signing of the Treaty of Ghent across the Atlantic ending the War of 1812, along with the secrecy of the Hartford proceedings, discredited the convention and its work. Its unpopularity was a factor in the demise of the Federalists who made no further nominations for President.

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