Lot of 4. Kirkland, Charles P. A Letter to the Hon. Benjamin R. Curtis, Late Judge of the Supreme Court of the United states. In Review of his Recently Published Pamphlet on the "Emancipation Proclamation" of the President. New York: Latimer Bros. & Seymour, 1862. 8vo, printed paper wraps, stapled; 21pp. Minor damage to upper right corner, not affecting any text. Surface soil on wraps. Remains of a vertical fold of entire pamphlet. Child, L. Maria. The Right Way the Safe Way, Proved by Emancipation in the British West Indies and Elsewhere. New York: By the author?, 1862, third edition. 12mo, signatures sewn along side, no wraps; 108pp. Surface soil and a couple of damp stains on outer leaves; interior with damp stain inner top corner; scuffing of long edge of last signature. After a study of slavery and its end in the West Indies, Child concluded that immediate emancipation was the "right way" to go, being beneficial for the former slaves, of course, but also for the plantation owners, who had been suffering an immense drain on their bank accounts under slavery. Collamer, Jacob (1791-1865). Speech of Hon. J. Collamer, of Vermont, in the United States Senate, April 24, 1862, on the Bill to Confiscate the Property and Free the Slaves of Rebels. 8vo, no wraps, 16pp. Ex lib with call letters and accession stamp at top of first page. At this point, the bills before Congress revolved around the arguments of Thaddeus Stevens that freeing slaves in the South would cause the collapse of the southern economy, hence hastening the end of the rebellion. One bill prohibited Union Army officers from returning fugitive slaves, and another offered to compensate slave owners who voluntarily freed their slaves. Slaves in the District of Columbia were freed on April 16, just the week before Mr. Collamer's speech. Other later bills prohibited slavery in US territories, and a Second Confiscation Act was passed in July. All leading up to Lincoln's historic executive order on New Year's Day of 1863. But until the 13th Amendment was ratified just after the war, most issues concerning slaves were handled on a state-by-state basis. Bringing us to the fourth item in the lot: Smithers, Nathaniel B. (1818-1896). Speech of Hon. N.B. Smithers, of Delaware, on the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution of the United States Delivered in the House of Representatives, January 11th, 1865. Washington: Lemuel Towers, Printer, 1865. 8vo, no wraps, untrimmed, uncut, 8pp. Some scuffing of long edge, minor toning; old folds. Congress was already debating the 13th Amendment even before the war was over. Part of Smithers' arguments concern whether Congress even had the power to do this, their powers having been called into question in the Dred Scott decision of the Supreme Court. For only the second time in history, the Supreme Court had ruled an act of Congress unconstitutional. Smithers argues that the Constitution contained within it the power to amend itself, therefore, Congress was fully within its rights to change the instrument (which, of course, the states had to ratify) so that its actions could not be deemed unconstitutional.
Lot of 4. Kirkland, Charles P. A Letter to the Hon. Benjamin R. Curtis, Late Judge of the Supreme Court of the United states. In Review of his Recently Published Pamphlet on the "Emancipation Proclamation" of the President. New York: Latimer Bros. & Seymour, 1862. 8vo, printed paper wraps, stapled; 21pp. Minor damage to upper right corner, not affecting any text. Surface soil on wraps. Remains of a vertical fold of entire pamphlet. Child, L. Maria. The Right Way the Safe Way, Proved by Emancipation in the British West Indies and Elsewhere. New York: By the author?, 1862, third edition. 12mo, signatures sewn along side, no wraps; 108pp. Surface soil and a couple of damp stains on outer leaves; interior with damp stain inner top corner; scuffing of long edge of last signature. After a study of slavery and its end in the West Indies, Child concluded that immediate emancipation was the "right way" to go, being beneficial for the former slaves, of course, but also for the plantation owners, who had been suffering an immense drain on their bank accounts under slavery. Collamer, Jacob (1791-1865). Speech of Hon. J. Collamer, of Vermont, in the United States Senate, April 24, 1862, on the Bill to Confiscate the Property and Free the Slaves of Rebels. 8vo, no wraps, 16pp. Ex lib with call letters and accession stamp at top of first page. At this point, the bills before Congress revolved around the arguments of Thaddeus Stevens that freeing slaves in the South would cause the collapse of the southern economy, hence hastening the end of the rebellion. One bill prohibited Union Army officers from returning fugitive slaves, and another offered to compensate slave owners who voluntarily freed their slaves. Slaves in the District of Columbia were freed on April 16, just the week before Mr. Collamer's speech. Other later bills prohibited slavery in US territories, and a Second Confiscation Act was passed in July. All leading up to Lincoln's historic executive order on New Year's Day of 1863. But until the 13th Amendment was ratified just after the war, most issues concerning slaves were handled on a state-by-state basis. Bringing us to the fourth item in the lot: Smithers, Nathaniel B. (1818-1896). Speech of Hon. N.B. Smithers, of Delaware, on the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution of the United States Delivered in the House of Representatives, January 11th, 1865. Washington: Lemuel Towers, Printer, 1865. 8vo, no wraps, untrimmed, uncut, 8pp. Some scuffing of long edge, minor toning; old folds. Congress was already debating the 13th Amendment even before the war was over. Part of Smithers' arguments concern whether Congress even had the power to do this, their powers having been called into question in the Dred Scott decision of the Supreme Court. For only the second time in history, the Supreme Court had ruled an act of Congress unconstitutional. Smithers argues that the Constitution contained within it the power to amend itself, therefore, Congress was fully within its rights to change the instrument (which, of course, the states had to ratify) so that its actions could not be deemed unconstitutional.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
