Observations on Certain Documents Contained in No, V & VI of "The History of the United States, for the Year 1796." In Which the Charge of Speculation Against Alexander Hamilton, Late Secretary of the Treasury, Is Fully Refuted

HAMILTON, Alexander

Edité par Printed for John Fenno, by John Bioren, Philadelphia, 1797

A propos de cet article

Octavo, measuring about 5 5/8" x 7 3/4", untrimmed. 37, [blank], lvii. Bound in somewhat later plain brown wraps over side-sewn binding. A previous bookseller's description, laid in, suspects that the wraps may be contemporary; we think they are mid-19th century. Wraps torn and frayed, with much of the backstrip missing, and the covers partly flapping, though intact. Inked inscription to the front cover (more on that below). Mild, but evident dampstaining; un-foxed. Altogether a very good copy. The consequential "Reynolds pamphlet," in which Hamilton was compelled to admit to a scandalous affair with one Maria Reynolds. Reynolds was more or less estranged from her abusive husband, James, but once the affair was discovered, James Reynolds blackmailed Hamilton into sending him hush money. In 1797, the gossip journalist James T. Callender published some relevant documents without the full context, which seemed to implicate Hamilton (who was then Secretary of the Treasury and had further national political ambitions at the time) and James Reynolds as co-conspirators in some kind of illicit financial scheme. Hamilton's only way to put this scandal to bed was to admit to the affair, so that the general public understood that the money he had paid out in repentance for his personal impropriety was not, in fact, any kind of financial one. Sabin and Evans state that the pamphlet was "bought up and destroyed" by Hamilton's family. Evans adds: "[.] it is not included in the edition of his works publisbed in 1810, or in the one authorized by the Congress in 1850." It was reprinted in 1800 "by his political enemies" (Howes). Provenance: The inscription on the front cover reads: "John Pennington, Esq., With the respects of his friend John McAllister." There were three generations of John McAllisters who were all prominent antiquarians in Philadelphia, from the beginning through the end of the 19th century. An autograph comparision clearly shows that this is the hand of John McAllister Jr. (1786-1877), the middle generation, who was a well-known numismatist and collector of early Americans coins and bills, as well as books and documents. We could not easily discover anything about John Pennington, Esq., but one suspects he was a Philadelphia lawyer and a contemporary of McAllister's. Rare, especially untrimmed and without elaborate sophistications. In fact, no binding is noted by any of the reference books we consulted, and we cannot locate any copies in contemporary wraps in the auction record. It is distinctly possible that it was issued--in haste--without covers. Thus the retention of the original side-sewn binding and the untrimmed edges make this about as unsophisticated and original copy one could hope to obtain, unlike most copies we've encountered, usually trimmed and bound in later leather with gilt, etc. Evans 32222; Sabin 29969; Howes H120; Ford 64.

N° de réf. du vendeur 13663

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Observations on Certain Documents Contained in No, V & VI of "The History of the United States, for the Year 1796." In Which the Charge of Speculation Against Alexander Hamilton, Late Secretary of the Treasury, Is Fully Refuted
• Éditeur: Printed for John Fenno, by John Bioren, Philadelphia
• Date de parution: 1797
• Reliure: Sewn binding
• Édition: First Edition.
• État de l'article: Very good
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • American History