75

James A. Garfield

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:40,000.00 - 50,000.00 USD
James A. Garfield

Bidding Over

The auction is over for this lot.
The auctioneer wasn't accepting online bids for this lot.

Contact the auctioneer for information on the auction results.

Search for other lots to bid on...
Auction Date:2018 Feb 07 @ 18:00 (UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT)
Location:236 Commercial St., Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Extremely rare ALS as president, signed “J. A. Garfield,” two pages, 4.25 x 6.75, Executive Mansion letterhead, June 3, 1881. Letter to influential Philadelphia banker Wharton Barker, in full: "Since you were here, I have seen some people from Philadelphia who say there will be a great deal dissatisfaction if more people are brought into the Philad’a offices from other parts of the state—This, in connection with my embarrassment in reference to the names already sent to the Senate—leads me to think we had not better go in the direction named at least for the present. I will delay at any rate until Windom returns." In fine condition, with an area of old tape residue to the upper left corner of the second page, and partial splitting to one fold. Provenance: The Malcolm S. Forbes Collection of American Historical Documents, Christie's, March 27, 2002.

Barker had been the first person to back Garfield for the presidency at the 1880 Republican National Convention, and successfully canvassed the delegates for the votes that won him the party’s nomination; he also aided Garfield in crafting policy on international trade. More than any other singular figure, Barker was responsible for Garfield’s becoming president. In this letter, the chief executive takes a cautious position in the distribution of appointments, citing “embarrassment in reference to the names already sent to the Senate.” This is surely a reference to his monumental patronage battle with New York Senator Roscoe Conkling.

The leader of the Stalwart Republicans, Conkling had compromised to support Garfield’s nomination and election as president, expecting to be repaid with patronage positions for his own supporters. President Garfield first alienated the senator when he named William Windom, mentioned here, as Treasury Secretary on March 7th, rather than the Conkling-approved Levi P. Morton. When President Garfield submitted a list of further nominations to the Senate soon after, he complied with many of Conkling’s recommendations but named William Robertson, one of Conkling’s foes, as Collector of the Port of New York. Enraged, Conkling tried to rally his fellow senators to approve the appointments of his friends, but deny Robertson the lucrative job. Garfield responded by withdrawing all nominations except for Robertson’s, elevating the conflict from a minor squabble to a political war. Popular support swelled in Garfield’s favor, and Conkling resigned from the Senate in mid-May in protest. By spurning Conkling, Garfield solidified and expanded the power of the executive branch.

At the time of this letter, a minor background player was the deranged office seeker-turned-assassin Charles Guiteau, who had convinced himself that he was responsible for Garfield’s election and was owed an appointment as an ambassador. Guiteau was among the scores of unqualified job seekers who continually showed up at Garfield’s White House only to be continually denied—on May 14th, Secretary of State James G. Blaine plainly told Guiteau to leave and never come back. On the morning of July 2, 1881, the frustrated Guiteau shot President Garfield as he entered the Baltimore and Potomac Railway station, famously proclaiming ‘I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts!’ as the police dragged him away. Guiteau later claimed that his despair over not receiving a government job reached its breaking point with Conkling’s resignation, and that he was inspired to remove Garfield from office in order to reunite the Republican Party.

Because of Guiteau’s devilish feat, Garfield’s autograph as president is of the utmost rarity—this is the very first autograph letter as president by Garfield we have offered. It is also an extraordinary example, written to his key supporter on the topic of patronage appointments—the very subject that ultimately influenced his tragic demise.