Search Results: Authors starting with V from David M. Lesser, Fine Antiquarian Books LLC

[np, 1863. 16pp, stitched, caption title as issued. Light toning. Very Good. "U.L.A.' at head of title. This attack on Vallandigham was printed by the Union League of America during his run for Governor of Ohio in 1863. Arrested in early 1863 on Lincoln's orders and banished to the Confederacy, he fled to Canada and from there campaigned for election. The pamphlet demonstrates that he favored secession, sought to thwart the Union war effort at every turn, opposed raising volunteers, objected to an oath of allegiance, favored returning fugitive slaves "to disloyal masters." In all respects "He was down on the government. He thought the rebels should invade the North. He was against enlistments." Sabin 59405. Not in LCP, Bartlett, Nevins.

New York: Printed at the Standard Office, 1832. 35pp, Disbound, trimmed closely on a couple of leaves but no text loss. Double columns, light wear. Good+. Also printed in Albany during the same year. Resolutions and meetings at Tammany Hall and Albany express New York Democrats' outrage at the rejection by the Senate of Jackson's nomination of Martin Van Buren as Ambassador to England. Clay and Webster charged that, as Secretary of State, Van Buren "had sacrificed the honor of the United States by repudiating the position of the previous administration against Britain in the controversy over the West Indian trade...In the end the nomination failed on the casting vote of the Vice President," John C. Calhoun. Peterson The Great Triumvirate 203. The Resolutions denounce the three. "Let no wolf in sheep's clothing be permitted to appear to night- no man with New York and Van Buren on his LIPS, and CALHOUN and NULLIFICATION in his heart." Wise & Cronin 115. Sabin 100676. AI 16924 [5]. Not in Eberstadt, Decker.

np, 1848. 16pp, caption title (as issued), stitched, light tan. Very Good. This document mocks Van Buren's alleged transformation, from leader of the national Democratic Party to Free Soil antislavery candidate for President in 1848. Until rejected by the Democrats, and seduced by the allurements of the presidency, Van Buren had been the mouthpiece of extremist pro-slavery Southerners. His convenient turnabout is mere hypocrisy. Free Soil material is significant because it presages the dissolution of the Democratic Party and then the Union. Wise & Cronin 65. LCP 5117. Not in Sabin, Miles, Dumond, Work.

[Washington, 1837. Elephant folio broadside printed in seven columns. 18-1/2" x 24-1/2." Light foxing, light wear, Good+. Dated and signed in type at the end: "Washington 4th September, 1837. M. Van Buren." A rare broadside printing of Van Buren's Address, devoted entirely to the catastrophic Panic of 1837, which he calls "the revulsion through which we have just passed." Issues of bank failures, specie payments, the question of a National Bank and other political reforms are reviewed in the first six months of Van Buren's single term as President. OCLC 81170968 [2- AAS, Brown] as of February 2024. Not in American Imprints.

[Philadelphia: William Rice, Printer, 1856. 8pp, disbound. Light scattered foxing, else Good+ to Very Good. Van Buren throws his support to Buchanan in the 1856 campaign. He decides to swallow Kansas-Nebraska, emphasizing that Popular Sovereignty can restrict slavery as well as extend it. He believes (mistakenly) that Buchanan will fairly execute the will of the people of Kansas. Van Buren's view of Popular Sovereignty as an anti-slavery tactic was correct theoretically but dreadfully wrong; from the Doctrine's application during the Pierce administration, he should have known better. During his long career Van Buren metamorphosed from a national Democrat into an anti-slavery Free Soiler in 1848; here he tests Regular Democratic waters again. FIRST EDITION. LCP 10697. Sabin 98425n. Wise & Cronin 10. 628 NUC 0028453 [11].

New York: H.R. Robinson, 1839. Lithograph broadside, oblong 17" x 13-3/4." Uncolored. Signed in lower left with monogram 'H.D.' [Henry Dacre?]. Light foxing, else Very Good. With finely dressed men and women in the background, an angry Mrs. DeWitt Clinton snubs President Van Buren, who says, "Stay, Madam, I would beg some words with you." Mrs. Clinton's companion inquiries of her, "Mrs. C - - - why did you not speak to him when he look'd so very Pleasant?" She responds, "I! Speak to the . . . who persecuted my husband to the day of his Death!" "Mrs. Clinton's refusal to speak to Van Buren at Saratoga, on the grounds that he had allegedly dissuaded former President Jackson from visiting her, was widely reported in the New York press" [Reilly]. Reilly 1839-3. Weitenkampf 59. OCLC 299944676 [1- DLC], 1136519800 [1- AAS] as of December 2023. Not located at web sites of NYPL or NYHS.

Albany: Printed by Thurlow Weed, 1840. 24pp. Disbound without wrappers, bit of minor corner wear, else Very Good. This pamphlet was printed in response to an inquiry from Greer W. Davis of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. A prominent and long-lived member of the Missouri Bar, Davis was "the last of the territorial lawyers," working up to his death in 1878. [III Houck, A History of Missouri 24, 32-33. Chicago: 1908]. Deciding whether to support Van Buren's re-election to the presidency, he asks New York's Secretary of State for Van Buren's voting record in the 1821 New York Constitutional Convention. If he favored "universal suffrage, elections of justices of the peace by the people, and opposed to free negroes voting," then Davis can support Van Buren with a clear conscience. "I live in that part of Missouri where Van Buren principles prevail, and it is my desire to procure that kind of testimony that cannot be refuted." The Journal excerpts printed here provide insight into the early Van Buren, who… Read More

Albany: Packard and Van Benthuysen, 1832. 47, [1 blank] pp. Stitched, untrimmed, uncut. Generously margined. Early leaves foxed, else Very Good. At head of title, 'Albany Argus Extra.' Resolutions and meetings at Tammany Hall and Albany express New York Democrats' outrage at the Senate's rejection of President Jackson's nomination of Martin Van Buren as Ambassador to England. Clay and Webster charged that, as Secretary of State, Van Buren "had sacrificed the honor of the United States by repudiating the position of the previous administration against Britain in the controversy over the West Indian trade...In the end the nomination failed on the casting vote of the Vice President," John C. Calhoun. Peterson, The Great Triumvirate 203. The Resolutions denounce the three. "Let no wolf in sheep's clothing be permitted to appear to night- no man with New York and Van Buren on his LIPS, and CALHOUN and NULLIFICATION in his heart." Wise & Cronin 115. Sabin 100676. AI 16924 [5].

[Washington, 1848. 8pp, caption title (as issued). Folded folio leaf, untrimmed. Rubberstamp at blank upper margin. Good+. Supposedly angered at his Party's failure to nominate him as its candidate in 1844, Van Buren bolted to the new Free Soil Party in 1848, a precursor of the Republicans. This document exposes Van Buren's doughface past: Until now, "no man had been more obsequious to the South, or more subservient to slavery, than Martin Van Buren." The record is reviewed, in exquisite detail, to show Van Buren's support of slavery. His convenient turnabout is mere hypocrisy. Free Soil material is significant because it presages the dissolution of the Democratic Party, the rise of the Republicans, and the crisis of the Union. FIRST EDITION. Wise & Cronin 113. Not in Dumond or Work.

New York: Printed by J. Seymour, 1820. 178pp. Disbound, light blindstamp and rubberstamp on title page. Good+. Ownership signature of Wm. Green, dated 1845, and marginalia in his hand. Burr's close friend-- his defender as 'Aristides', his second at the Hamilton duel, and now a Judge of the New York Supreme Court -- is charged with having used his judicial office improperly to obtain a bank charter which would personally benefit him. Pages 173-178 consist of an essay, 'To the Public,' signed in type by Johnston Verplanck, Charles King, and James Hamilton. The Address "deplores the secrecy of the Committee's deliberations, challenges its integrity, and asserts that this compilation of speeches and arguments before the Committee has been prepared to inform the public of the truth of the case" [Cohen]. Cohen Supp. 14674.51. Sabin 98534.

Albany, 1801. Folio printed Broadside, 9" x 16." Mildly toned, lightly worn, old mailing folds, two tabs on blank verso from prior mounting. Addressed in ink on blank verso: "Mr. Benjamin Warren | Augusta." Very Good. The broadside is signed in type by nearly forty worthy Federalists who urge the election of Lieutenant-Governor Stephen Van Rensselaer to replace John Jay, who had become New York's second Governor after resigning as the first Chief Justice of the United States. Van R is praised for his private and public character, his integrity and patriotism. "At a time when personal animosity and party spirit prevail, we have a peculiar pride and satisfaction in recommending to your support a man distinguished for his disinterestedness and moderation." Our research does not disclose any other copies of this unusual imprint. Not in American Imprints, Sabin, Eberstadt, or on OCLC or the online sites of AAS, NYPL, NYHS, Harvard, Yale as of May 2023.

Urbana [Ohio], 1838. Large folio leaf, folded to 8" x 12-1/2". [4] pp. Manuscript letter on first page, two center blanks, addressed on final page with postal stamp "Urbana O. Jun. 14" and wax seal remnant. Very Good. Ohio Whigs gathered at a major convention on July 4, 1838, in Massillon. Mid-term elections were approaching during Democratic President Martin Van Buren's presidency. "The Whigs had a splendid celebration at Massillon on the 4th inst. They were honored with the presence of Gen. Harrison and the Hon. Thomas Ewing, both of whom addressed the citizens that day. The Vanites also, had a celebration at that place on the same day... The Massillon Gazette states that the Whigs outnumbered the Locos about two to one. It is said that there were from 8000 to 10,000 persons present at the celebrations." [Huron Reflector, Norwalk, Ohio, July 24, 1838, page 2.] Joseph Vance [1786-1852], an Ohio Whig, was its 13th Governor [1836-1838] and the first Whig to hold that position. His service during… Read More

Washington: Globe Office, 1840. 14, [2 blank] pp, double columns, disbound. Scattered foxing, Good+.

[Boston, 1813. 22pp. Disbound and lightly foxed. Clipped presentation inscription by Vans. Good+. President Washington had appointed Vans Consul to France; he lived there from 1794-1799 and then, departing for America, placed $450,000 in securities in trust with John and Richard Codman, merchants at Paris. Claiming they embezzled the funds, he won a judgment against them; however, under Massachusetts law their deaths barred him from satisfying his claim against their executors. He documents his claims and the Codmans' fraud. Cohen 14288. OCLC 270735691 [3- AAS, Yale, Chicago Hist. Mus.] [as of August 2016].

New York, 1796. 8-1/2" x 13" printed broadside, completed in manuscript [manuscript additions indicated by parentheses]. "584" written in blank left margin. Light tanning, old horizontal folds [repairs to several short closed tears at blank outer margin]. Very Good. Signed boldly by Mayor Varick at the end. This rare imprint, specially designed for Varick's mayoralty during 1796, granted a tavern-keeping license to John Ruthven, an inhabitant of the Lower West Side's Third Ward and a turner by trade. "Whereas the said John Ruthven on the Day of the Date hereof hath obtained a Licence to keep an Inn or Tavern for retailing strong or spirituous Liquors in his Dwelling-House, in the said City, from the Date of the said Licence until the first Day of March next," promises, upon pain of forfeiting his recognizance of fifty dollars, that he shall not "keep a disorderly inn or Tavern, or suffer or permit any Cock-fighting, Gaming, or Playing with Cards or Dice, or keep any Billiard-Table, or other… Read More

Philadelphia, 1851. Bound in modern plain wrappers. 19, [1] pp. Light wear and spotting. Cut at page 11 of "the first hose carriage in the United States." Good+. A detailed discussion of the development of apparatus and associations to combat fire in Philadelphia, with an attractive rendering of the "Original Hose Carriage" and a description of it. Vaux emphasizes the philosophic significance of voluntary associations in the Hose Company's development. "To protect the property of the inhabitants against fire, became an important object, and the public mind was sensitive on the subject. The government formed by the opinions of the colonists, was prevented from all action not expressly prohibited. Too much government had made them Exiles-- the people were to be free, and with that freedom came self-reliance, and that begot individual associations for numerous purposes. It was among the first Americanisms. Voluntary Associations were the creatures of free opinions, among free men, upon free soil."… Read More

Philadelphia: Parke, 1817. v, [1 blank], [1], [1 blank], 136 pp, with frontis of the 1757 Indian Peace Medal with Benezet's facsimile autograph. Untrimmed, uncut, in original publisher's printed paper over boards [spine and joint wear]. Very Good. First edition of the life of the great Quaker anti-slavery crusader and pamphleteer, by one of Philadelphia's most active early 19th century reformers. LCP 10738. Sabin 98704.

[Philadelphia, 1800. 21, [1 blank] pp, disbound. A few light fox spots, Very Good. Evans incorrectly dated this item as 1798; the printed date '28th April, 1800' appears on page 19. Verdier claims that his certificates of registered debt, owed by the United States to him, "were erroneously paid to Robert Morris." Verdier was awarded the certificates for services rendered in the Revolution as a Captain in Colonel Armand's legion. The Committee, examining the supporting documentation printed here, concludes that Verdier is correct and that Morris ought not to have converted the certificates. Moreover, "the United States should seek their remedy upon the bond executed for their indemnity by the said Robert Morris." Morris vigorously proclaims his lack of culpability. Evans 38842. ESTC 21896 [7].

[Rutland, 1795. [493-544] pp. Caption title [as issued], printed in double columns, disbound. Tanned, scattered foxing. Good+. Includes "At a moment when the eyes of all Europe are directed to the Diet of Ratisbon, a sketch of the German Constitution, and of its military forces, cannot be unacceptable to the generality of our readers;" "Memoir of the Chinese Trade" by Mr. Brunel; A Comparison of the Conduct of the Ancient Jews, and of the Anti-federalists in the United States of America" by Dr. Franklin; "Moral Dissertations (Continued from p. 459) by Dr. Beattie; & more.

Windsor: Printed by George Hough and Alden Spooner, Printers to the General Assembly of Said State, 1787. Folio. 171, [1 blank] pp [pp 101-104 misnumbered 102-105, as issued]. Toned, lightly foxed, trimmed closely but not affecting text. Faint rubberstamp on blank portion of page 171. Good+ in later legal buckram. Original endpapers, which have contemporary ownership signatures and notes of George Denison, are retained. The Statutes are preceded by the Constitution of Vermont, dated July 4, 1786, its second printing. This volume prints the Act requiring that "the Constitution of Vermont...shall be forever considered, held and maintained, as part of the laws of this State." Moreover, all subjects of the USA shall "be equally entitled to the privileges of law and justice with the citizens of this State." FIRST EDITION. Evans 20827. McCorison 136. II Harv. Law Cat. 839. Tower Collection 902.