Description:

19th Century Society
New York, February 16, 1835
Jacksonian Society in NY: 1835 Letter to Texas Emissary Henry M. Morfit from Sister
ALS
A lengthy ALS from socialite Caroline Campbell to her brother-in-law Henry Mason Morfit (1793-1865). 3pp, measuring 7.75" x 10", dated February 16, 1835, New York. Within, Caroline describes the various people she met at balls during the New York season, such as Mayor Cornelius Lawrence, in addition to referencing other social aspects contemporary to Jacksonian society. Exhibits moderate tearing along left side crease, with uneven age toning and darkened soiling throughout. Else, good condition with interesting contents. Please see accompanying images for further information on contents. Accompanied by a full, 6p typed transcript.

Excerpts include:

"The Military Ball was a very brilliant assembly… The Mayor was a guest, and as the gentleman I went with was a high military character we had the old interval in the dance stood by me, and talked with me. I told him how much we Jackson folks were interested in his election, and you would have been amused to hear me entering upon politics. Mr. Lawrence is not so gentlemanly in appearance as he is in his manners and conversation, he told me he knew you, very well, by reputation." (Top of p. 2)

"There is great speculation in property here at this period. Mr. Hardy says if there is war it will fall very low and then will be the time to buy." (Middle of p. 3)

Henry M. Morfit was born in Norfolk, VA where he studied law and was admitted to the bar. On November 20, 1817 he was married to Catherine Campbell (1801-1893) in Washington, D.C. During the summer of 1836 he was notably sent by President Andrew Jackson to investigate the condition of the new Republic of Texas. His report, written in a series of ten letters, was submitted to Congress by the President on December 21, 1836. Within, Morfit was favorable to Texas but advised against immediate recognition of the republic, chiefly because of the threat of a new Mexican invasion.

Jacksonian democracy was a 19th-century political philosophy in the United States that expanded suffrage to most white men over the age of 21 and restructured a number of federal institutions, from 1829 to 1854. Jacksonians generally promoted the strength of the presidency and the executive branch, while at the same time seeking to broaden the public's participation in government. Broadly speaking, Jackson's style of democracy was built on ideas of expanded suffrage, Manifest Destiny, strict constructionism, and an opposition to banking monopolies. Those who benefited from these ideals often did so at the expense of non-white groups, however, with the period being marked with forced democratic expansion and displacement of Native Americans.

This lot 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.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 7.75" x 10"
  • Medium: ALS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

June 26, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000