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Joseph Jenkins Roberts

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:4,000.00 - 6,000.00 USD
Joseph Jenkins Roberts

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Auction Date:2018 Jul 11 @ 18:00 (UTC-5 : 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
Mixed-race politician born free in Norfolk, Virginia, who emigrated to Liberia in 1829 and became the nation's first president in 1848 (1809–1876). Significant ALS signed “J. J. Roberts,” three pages on two adjoining sheets, 9 x 11.25, February 8, 1847. Letter to Benjamin Coates, written from Monrovia, Liberia. In part: "By the ‘Liberia Packet’ and ‘Margaret Ann’ I had the honor of receiving your favors…with several packages of newspapers…I regret exceedingly, however, that I have no means of reciprocating your kindness in this respect. Should we live fifty years longer, which, in my case, is very doubtful, I should, no doubt, be able to send you, in exchange, papers and pamphlets published in Liberia…I have communicated to Genl Lewis your wishes in regard to cash sales and quick returns. He will avail himself of every opportunity to make remittances.

The General is a little disappointed in not being able to get his daughter into some good school, and regrets that he has given you so much trouble. He hoped that you would be able to procure, for her, admission into some school taught by some good abolitionist, at least. Your application to Professor Cleveland placed him, I should think, in rather an awkward position. I have no doubt, however, that he regretted much the necessity of having to deny your application. I suppose he found no difficulty in reconciling his denial with his ultra abolition notions: expediency of course. what an accommodating word expediency is getting to be. It settles at once all hard and notty questions.

I am becoming, Sir, more and more convinced of the impracticality of obtaining for the people of Color in the United States equal rights. It cannot be accomplished in the manner proposed by our ultra abolition friends, and they had as well give up the chase. The elevation of the Colored race is to be the work of their own hands; and in a separate community. Then their intercourse with the whites will be reciprocal, each finding it his interest to be civil. The two races, Sir, as you remember I remarked to you in a former occasion, cannot, as forming one community, live together in peace, and on terms of equality. There are deep rooted prejudices on both sides that, in my opinion, can be eradicated in no other way.

The accounts of the Ladies Liberia School Association of your city have been forwarded according to promise. There remains a balance of Fifty dollars, and some cents, in favor of the Association, which I promised to pay over to Mr. Locke as their Agent. I ascertained, however, that Mr. Locke was doing nothing in the way of teaching; and was selling everything he could put his hands on belonging to the Association without orders to that effect. I therefore declined paying it over to him. Will you please pay the amt. to Miss Morris as the Treasurer and charge the same to my acct.?” Roberts goes on to discuss further business transactions in detail. In very good condition, with a few tape repairs to split folds, small areas of paper loss at fold intersections, and seal-related paper loss to the integral address leaf.