Subject: United States Politics

Autograph letter signed by Isaac Myer, a Jewish attorney, author, and amateur constitutional historian, to N. Dubois Miller, dated October 23, 1880. The letter defends Myer's remarks concerning Alexander Hamilton's actions and opinions in reference to the Federal Constitution, citing sources such as Gouverneur Morris's letters and Hamilton's works. Myer discusses Hamilton's alleged favor of incorporating British constitutional principles into the United States government and his belief that the existing Federal Constitution was flawed.

Autograph letter signed by David Levy Yulee, written on February 22, 1853, from Homosassa, Florida, to President Franklin Pierce. Yulee recommends his acquaintance, James F. Pierce, for the position of Purser in the US Navy. The letter is addressed to "To the President." The letter is two pages long, with an integral blank leaf, folded to reveal the address panel.

Eight-page newspaper, *Campaign Dial*, published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 26, 1864. Published by S.E. Cohen, the newspaper strongly endorses Abraham Lincoln for President and Andrew Johnson for Vice-President. The newspaper reflects pro-Lincoln sentiment during the 1864 presidential election and highlights the publisher's stance against slavery.

Front page article from the Charleston Mercury newspaper, published in Charleston, South Carolina on February 1, 1861. The article praises the patriotism of South Carolina Israelites and notes that two Southern senators, Judah P. Benjamin and David Levy Yulee, are Israelites, representing a significant portion of Southern power in the Senate.

This 296-page Congressional Record documents the contested election of Stephen R. Mallory to the United States Senate from Florida in 1851. David Levy Yulee contested the election, resulting in a series of hearings and a final decision by the Senate. The record includes the full documentation of these hearings, culminating in the rejection of Yulee's claim and the confirmation of Mallory. Published August 24, 1852, this document details the legal arguments, political maneuvering, and ultimate outcome of this significant event in early American political history. Yulee's contest is notable given that he was the first Jewish Senator and the first Jew to participate in a contested election for federal office. The document highlights the complexities of Florida election laws, political strategies of the era, and the unique aspects of Yulee and Mallory's backgrounds as West Indies immigrants who entered Florida politics.

Newspaper clipping from the Daily Evening Transcript, published in Boston, Massachusetts on October 6, 1834. The clipping discusses Senators Clay and Calhoun's refusal to accept a Thomas Jefferson statue offered as a gift by Uriah P. Levy, and includes a description of a Jewish funeral.

Envelope addressed to Julius Kahn in Washington, D.C., dated March 12, 1912. The return address indicates the sender may have been associated with Congressional Record and Roosevelt's speech on Canadian Reciprocity and the Tariff. The envelope's contents, a speech delivered to Congress on March 12, 1912, are mentioned in the original description.

This archival collection comprises three excerpted articles from the *Congressional Globe*, a record of debates in the United States Congress. The excerpts feature speeches and statements by David Levy Yulee (February 13, April 15, 1856) and Judah P. Benjamin (February 13, 1856). The articles cover Yulee's stances on various issues debated on the floor of Congress and touch upon the topic of British enlistment. These excerpts were removed from the *Congressional Globe* for the 24th Congress, 1st Session.

A one-page letter written by Arthur Wellington Hart in New York City on February 17, 1860, to Congressman Roger Atkinson Pryor in Washington, D.C. The letter discusses political issues, including the "Black Republicans," John Brown's Raid, and the Massachusetts Republican Beecher, Cheeves School. Hart mentions his relative, Moses Myers of Norfolk, Virginia.

Five-page letter written on August 5, 1853, by James Westcott, Florida's first senator, to his friend Peter Dumont Vroom, Governor of New Jersey. The letter contains significant historical information about Florida politics and accuses David Levy Yulee of political betrayal.

Two-page letter written by Mayer Sulzberger to Simon Muhr on June 22, 1880, on Mayer Sulzberger's letterhead (6th & Chestnut, Philadelphia, PA). The letter contains political commentary, specifically regarding Ulysses S. Grant's bid for a third term as President. It is one of four letters written to Muhr while he was traveling abroad.

Issue of the New York Herald newspaper from February 2, 1860, featuring a report on the opening prayer delivered by Rabbi Morris Raphall at the Thirty-Sixth Congress. This event marked a significant moment in American Jewish history, representing the first time a rabbi delivered an opening prayer before Congress. Published in New York, New York.

Issue of the New-York Daily Tribune newspaper published on May 11, 1843 in New York, New York. The back page includes a column on the Florida election mentioning David Levy Yulee.

First edition of a rare 32-page pamphlet by Benjamin Judah P., vehemently criticizing the policies of Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois. The pamphlet includes numerous quotes from the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Published on May 22, 1859.

Silk broadside. Newark, NJ: G.A. Hull, [1829]. Report of the U.S. Senate Committee on petitions against the transportation of Sunday mails. The broadside discusses the implications of suspending mail service on Sundays, touching upon the separation of church and state and including a reference to the rights of Jews in the United States. Printed on silk, measuring 20 x 16 inches, with a decorative border and woodcut eagle device. The document reflects the ongoing debate in Congress (1810-1830) regarding Sunday mail delivery, sparked by petitions from religious groups. The committee's opinion was that halting mail delivery on Sundays for religious reasons would violate constitutional principles. This broadside is one of only two known to exist.

Congressional Record - KANSAS BILL. SPEECH OF HON. J.P. BENJAMIN, OF LA., DELIVERED IN SENATE OF UNITED STATES ON THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1858. SLAVERY PROTECTED BY THE COMMON LAW OF THE NEW WORLD. GUARANTIED BY CONSTITUTION. VINDICATION OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE U.S. Washington: Gideon. 1858. A brilliant justification of the Dred Scott decision by the Louisiana lawyer and Senator, who also rebuts Stephen Douglas's Popular Sovereignty doctrine, that inhabitants of a territory had the power to vote slavery up or down, as they saw fit. Benjamin argues, "independently of the authority of the [Dred Scott] decision," that the early colonists "brought with them the common law of England as their birthright...I shall not hazard too much in the assertion that slavery was the common law of the thirteen States of the Confederacy at the time they burst the bonds that united them to the mother country." He supports his thesis with much detail, including the early law and custom of England, aspects of the Dred Scott decision, and in colloquy with Senator Fessenden of Maine. Benjamin's theoretical work presaged the escalation of Southern demands for Congress to pass Slave Codes which would prohibit, not merely Congress, but a territorial legislature as well, from restricting slavery in the territories; and require Congress to protect slaveholders from hostile territorial inhabitants should such a legislature fail to do so. This is evidently the only edition of this work. FIRST EDITION. Sabin 4705. LCP 1093. Not in Work, Harv. Law Cat., Singerman, Eberstadt, Decker, Blockson, Marke, BEAL.

This pamphlet contains an excerpt from a speech delivered by Judah P. Benjamin in the United States Senate on May 2, 1856, concerning the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Benjamin, a Louisiana senator, discusses his reasons for joining the Democratic Party and argues against the power of Congress to exclude slavery from the territories. He contends that such power is unconstitutional and has been abused by northern majorities, violating the principle of equality among states. The speech reflects Benjamin's growing concern about the South's position within the Union and his advocacy for Southern Rights. Published circa 1856 in Washington, D.C., this pamphlet is cited in Sabin 4707 and LCP 1098.

This pamphlet contains the text of a speech delivered by Judah P. Benjamin in the United States Senate on May 2, 1856, concerning the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Benjamin, a Louisiana Senator, discusses the Act's implications for slavery and Southern rights, arguing against the power of Congress to exclude slavery from the territories. The speech reflects Benjamin's shift from Whig to Democrat, driven by his belief that the South was becoming a beleaguered minority. Printed in Washington, D.C. in 1856. The pamphlet is 15 pages long.