Message from the President of the United States, to Both Houses of Congress, at the Commencement of the Second Session of the Seventeenth Congress
Printed By Gales & Seaton, 1822. First Edition. Unknown. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Good / No Jacket. Item #L059929
Slight stains, rubbing, browning and/or foxing throughout (chiefly to extremities); small holes at spine edges (disbound); slight wear to head of spines and foredges. 12 pages (including wrappers). Upper wrapper title. At head of title: 1 (in brackets). Text of the message, outlining both foreign and domestic policies and agenda, with emphasis on the former (with reference to the South American wars of independence in particular) and with additional military and naval impetus with regard to the latter. Monroe's remarks in the concluding paragraph have an oddly contemporary ring: 'The United States owe to the world a great example, and, by means thereof, to the cause of liberty and humanity, a generous support ... There is no reason to doubt, that their whole movement will be regulated by a sacred regard to principle ... It has been often charged against free governments, that they have neither the foresight, nor the virtue, to provide, at the proper season, for great emergencies; that their course is improvident and expensive; that war will always find them unprepared, and ... that its terrible warnings will be disregarded and forgotten as soon as peace returns. I have full confidence that this charge, so far as it relates to the United States, will be shewn to be utterly destitute of truth.' Dated December 3, 1822 on upper wrapper ('Printed by order of the Senate of the United States'; upper wrapper) and at foot of page 12. With unidentified holograph ink annotation at head of upper wrapper: 'Clerk's Table' (most likely that belonging to an unidentified congressional clerk); an unique copy in any case. Monroe (1758-1831), American statesman and 5th US President (1817-25); also notable as minister to France (1794), Secretary of State under Madison (1811) and also (briefly) Secretary of War (1814-15); administration best known for the policy of non-colonization of the European powers in the Americas (generally known as the 'Monroe Doctrine', 1823) and for the annexation of Florida (1819).
Price: $395.00