Buchanan, James:

$9,000 · Offered by William Reese Company

[AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED, FROM JAMES BUCHANAN TO MAYOR DAVID LYNCH, WITH CANDID OPINIONS FROM BUCHANAN ON DEMOCRATIC RIVALS LEWIS CASS AND STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS, AND EVENTUAL WHIG NOMINEE GEN. WINFIELD ... A remarkable political letter from future president James Buchanan, marked "Private" for Mayor David Lynch of Pittsburgh, whose support Buchanan secured for his potential presidential nomination at the 1852 Democratic Convention. Buchanan concisely conveys to Lynch his assessment of three close rivals for the White House.Buchanan had presidential aspirations as early as 1834 when he was elected to the Senate. He was considered for the 1844 Democratic nomination, which would eventually go to James K. Polk. For his support Buchanan was appointed by Polk as Secretary of State in 1845. Buchanan made a good run at the 1852 nomination, though the nomination and ultimately the presidency went to Franklin Pierce. In this letter, dated just over a month before the Democratic National Convention at Maryland Institute Hall in Baltimore, Buchanan writes candidly about other potential presidential nominees.Of Gen. Lewis Cass, Buchanan writes:"Your review of some matters relating to General Cass contains nothing but facts; & yet should it ever be traced to you from our known friendship & intimacy it will be employed by his friends to injure me....Neither Cass nor his leading friends in Pennsylvania deserve any forbearance at our hands; but he has friends in other States, who, I know, are s

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