Description:

Henry Clay
Lexington, Kentucky, October 5, 1822
Henry Clay Autograph Letter Signed, As Speaker of the House to His Old Rival In Congress, Ex-Forbes
ALS
A legal content autograph letter by Henry Clay, one page, 7.75" x 9.5", Lexington, Kentucky, Oct. 5, 1822, to Langdon Cheves, Esq. former Speaker of the House and President of the Second Bank of the United States at the time of this letter. Boldly penned and in very good condition. Ex. Collection of Steve Forbes.

Clay apprises Cheves of a matter regarding the estate of John H. Piatt, the former owner of the first private bank outside of the East Coast who ironically landed himself in debtor's jail. He then adds that he advised the administrators of the estate to hand the case to Cheves: "…as a gentleman of honor, probity and veracity. How far it may be advisable to accept the Estate held by the Bank…will depend on it…".

Langdon Cheves (1776-1857) was an American politician from South Carolina. A member of Congress from 1810-1815, he played a key role in the home front during the War of 1812 as a "War Hawk." Ironically, Cheves broke with Clay in 1812 over Clay's program of general restrictive economics, and in 1813 Clay went so far as to strip him of all committee assignments. Cheves became President of the Second Bank of the United States in 1815, and it grew with the robust post-war economy before crashing due to the Panic of 1819.

Henry Clay (1777-1852) was one of the most well-known politicians in the early- to mid-nineteenth century landscape. After gaining political experience in the Kentucky state legislature, he later served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives as Congressman from Kentucky and Speaker of the House. He also served as President John Quincy Adams' U.S. Secretary of State between 1825-1829, and represented Kentucky in the U.S. Senate through most of the 1830s-1850s. Clay was also a three times unsuccessful presidential candidate in 1824, 1832, and 1844.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Provenance: Ex. Collection of Steve Forbes.
  • Dimensions: 7.75" x 9.5"
  • Medium: ALS

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