Clinton, DeWitt

Description

Autograph ID: 4757
Condition: Very good, slight seal tear oif no consequence, slight mount remnants on address leaf
Description: “(1769-1828) US Senator 1802-03, Mayor of New York City 1803-07, 1810, 1811, 1813, 1814-15. While Mayor, he organized the Historical Society of New York in 1804 and was its president. He also helped re-organize the American Academy of the Fine Arts in 1808 and was its president 1813-17. He was Regent of the University of New York 1808-25. In 1812, Clinton ran for President of the United States as candidate of both the Federalist Party and a small group of anti-war Democratic-Republicans. In a close election, he was defeated by President Madison; Clinton received 89 electoral votes to James Madison’s 128, the strongest showing of any Federalist candidate for the Presidency since 1800, and the change of the votes of one or two states would have given Clinton the victory. He was a member of the Erie Canal Commission 1810-24, among its first members, appointed in 1810, who projected and surveyed the route to be taken. After 1816, he became the driving force during the construction of the canal. When the Canal was finished in 1825, Governor Clinton opened it, sailing in the packet boat “Seneca Chief” along the Canal into Buffalo. After sailing from the mouth of Lake Erie to New York City he emptied 2 casks of water from Lake Erie into New York Harbor, celebrating the 1st connection of waters from East to West. The Canal was an immense success, carrying huge amounts of passenger and freight traffic, providing cheap transportation from the Atlantic to the West, drawing traffic to New York State and New York City, which became the most important state and city in America. 6th New York Governor 1817-21, 1825-28. Clinton was the leader of New York’s People’s Party and was a major rival of Martin van Buren, state attorney general during Clinton’s governorship. He was the nephew of George Clinton. Numerous towns, counties and schools in the eastern United States are named for him.

2-¼pp LS (folded 10 x 8 sheet with address leaf) as Governor, Albany, March 4, 1825 (John Quincy Adams’ inauguration day), to the President of the Senate, Message to the State Senate concerning a problem with appointments of certain judges for Franklin County, and selection of a First Judge for the County. Governor Clinton notes the “…subject is not without difficulties and as it is very desirable that it should be definitively arranged, these judges have with great propriety agreed to resign their commissions with a view to that object.” He proceeds to re-nominate one as First Judge and another as Judge. With integral address leaf.”
Type: Letter