Rare Autographs, Books and Manuscripts
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/7/2017
American politician (1760–1833) who succeeded Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury under Washington and Adams, and went on to serve as governor of Connecticut. LS signed “Oliv: Wolcott,” one page both sides, 8 x 9.75, August 9, 1820. Letter to George Alexander Otis, regarding his translation of Botta's History of the War of American Independence, in part: "It will be in vain hereafter for the advocates of Royalty, Hierarchy and Feudal privileges, to assigned to the founders of our Nation a low rank in the scale of intellect. Learned investigations have at length demonstrated, that the ascendancy of America, in every progressive stage, ought to be ascribed no less to mental energy, than to military prowess. Perhaps the period is not remote, when European Statesmen will generally admit, that it constitutes the chief glory of the British nation, that the sublime doctrines of civil and religious liberty, which were promulgated by Hampden, Sydney, Milton, Locke, Berkley [sic] and other illustrious luminaries of their age, were transplanted, invigorated, and firmly established on this continent, by their contemporaries and associated." In very good to fine condition, with splitting along folds, light overall soiling, and seal-related paper loss to the integral address
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