Letters Against The Folly Of Secession

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2004

Lot of 4 Autograph Letters Signed "A C Swartzwelder", 15 pages total, mostly quarto, 1860-61, Ironton, Ohio to Archibald Smith, Frederick County, Virginia. The erudite and insightful letters read in small part: "(12/30/60)...The time seems to have gone by for calm consideration & dispassionate argument. South Carolina with an empty treasury and a military force of not more than 40 thousand effective men appears willing, nay anxious to fight the whole north, tho' she knows the latter can muster a million soldiers...If she really expects matters to come to blows, her conduct is about as sane as old John Brown's...It is hoped that none of her sister states be coaxed and cajoled into such traitorous company...the dissolution of the union will pronounce the doom of the 'peculiar institution'...Louisa got a letter from Dr. John, It was full of southern blood & fire. He evidently considers the election of Lincoln the beginning of abolition rule...(3/9/61)...There will be some difficulty about Virginia money...Please get a draft on a Baltimore discount....I trust you are not as crazy as most of the folks seem to be in Virginia...There is no party in the north that deserves a moment's consideration that proposes in any way to interfere with the chartered rights of the south. Should Lincoln and his advisers attempt such a thing, the men who placed him in power would be the very first to haul him from it...(4/11/61)...It seems to be literally true that everything must give way to the 'nigger'. The south will one day make the discovery that the civilized world has come to the singular conclusion that it can better do without cotton & the 'nigger' than without freedom; for from recent developments it wd seem that it is not the freedom of the negro alone that is in jeopardy in the south...(4/18/61)...We have a report here that Va has seceded, and tho' this may be premature, I have no doubt she will do so. When this occurs I fear mail communications between us will be interfered with. This will be another of the blessings of secession to be added to the rational & delightful sport of brothers cutting each other's throats...". Light toning, VF condition.

Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).