[Lee, Richard Henry]:

$17,500 · Offered by William Reese Company · No longer available

OBSERVATIONS LEADING TO A FAIR EXAMINATION OF THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, PROPOSED BY THE LATE CONVENTION; AND TO SEVERAL ESSENTIAL AND NECESSARY ALTERATIONS IN IT. IN A NUMBER OF LETTERS FROM THE ... A fundamentally important early critique of the just-drafted Constitution. "The Letters of a Federal Farmer was, to the anti-Federalists what The Federalist was to the supporters of the Constitution" - Ford. The author fears that the proposed federal government will degenerate into bureaucracy, or eventually into an aristocracy. He instead favors strong individual states, joined in a loose federation to work together on foreign affairs, defense, and coinage. He also opposes the Constitution over the absence of a Bill of Rights, and feels the people are underrepresented in the House. The work takes the form of five letters, written on consecutive days in October 1787, just a few weeks after the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention. Though not positively attributed to Richard Henry Lee, the work is frequently attributed to him. Lee was a leading anti-Federalist, and his Letters "became a sort of textbook for the opposition" (DAB). He is perhaps best known for motioning the Lee Resolution, the formal assertion passed by the Second Continental Congress which declared the American colonies free and independent states. Despite his ardor in splitting from Great Britain, his support did not extend to the Constitution; indeed, there was no greater political figure, except possibly P

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.