Rare Autographs, Manuscripts and Photography
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/7/2016
The sui generis Greeley writes on his New York Tribune letterhead to U.S. Senator William A. Buckingham (former governor of Connecticut) "Very grave misrepresentations of my testimony before your Committee having obtained currency, 1 will thank you to direct your stenographer to furnish me that small portion of it only that relates to or affected Messrs, Eastman and Goring, Assemblymen from Dutchess County." (Harvey Gridley Eastman, a first cousin of Geroge Eastman, Kodak founder and Edward M.Goring.) Since Greeleys penmanship was known for its notorious decipher-ability, and because of the import of this letter, it was dictated
to another. (An employee once fired by Greeley is said to have shown his letter of discharge for years in applying for other jobs. Greeley's penmanship was so illegible that the man represented it as a letter of recommendation.) This letter refers to a Senate committee hearing of the same date January 6, 1872) which, according to newspaper stories also of that same date, was concerned with charges of "malfeasance in the management of the New York Custom House." Among the witnesses was Horace Greeley of the Tribune. 'Greeley stated that the office had been used by the dominant party to oppress a faction of the party ... to coerce electors by promises and threats, ere." 'Ihe import of this affair is enhanced by the fact that the collector's position at the New York Custom House was the highest-paying position in the entire U.S. Civil Service; On the verso is a signed note in the hand of Buckingham directing that Greeley's request be complied with. Letter is one 5x8 page (left edge irregular) in fine condition, A letter worthy of research.
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