Ulysses S. Grant - Autograph Letter Signed - Uses a Tactic from Abraham Lincoln

Description: ULYSSES S. GRANT. Autograph Letter Signed “U. S. Grant” and Autograph Postscript Signed “U. S. G.” to Mr. Madison Y. Johnson. The letter was initially owned by Malcolm Forbes, the wealthy publisher and business leader, and auctioned off at the Christie’s Forbes Auction on November 15, 2005. GRANT TRIES TO CANCEL THE VOTE OF A DEMOCRATIC FRIEND BEFORE THE 1880 ELECTION About to leave on a trip that will keep him away past Election Day, Grant makes a light-hearted pitch to a staunch Democratic Party friend to sit out the election so that their missing votes will balance out in favor of their respective parties. Taking a page out of Abraham Lincoln's folksy playbook, Grant recounts the story of "a man of accredited veracity, [who] asserted that his horse was seventeen feet high. Of course it was understood that that he meant hands. But being a man of firmness as well as veracity he stuck to it that the horse was seventeen feet high...In the same way some men have, in a passion, or an excitement, announced that they would never vote other than a democratic ticket....In such cases it is humane to relieve such persons from the performance of a humiliating act, without a violation of their pledge. Now I want to vote the republican ticket as a conscientious duty. I will have to travel a thousand miles, and retrace my steps to do so. Now what I propose is to pair off with you at the approaching election...". The letter contains two pages. The letter size is quarto and it is in good condition with the ink very faded (in-person the ink is more legible; the scanned image is not a very good representation of the actual letter). The letter was sent on September 24, 1880 from Galena, Illinois. The letter reads in full: "OFFICE OF W. R. & L. A. ROWLEY, REAL ESTATE, LAW AND LOANS. Galena, Ill., Sept. 24th 1880 My Dear Mr. Johnson, I have been anxious to see you for several days. As I leave tomorrow morning, and may not meet you, I leave this with Gen. Rowley who please say yes or no to as you may decide. You know it is said that once, a man of accredited veracity, asserted that his horse was seventeen feet high. Of course it was understood that he meant hands. But being a man of firmness as well as veracity he stuck to it that the horse was seventeen feet high though it was through inadvertency that he had said so. It would have been cruelty to have had every man coming along to have enquired of him enquiring how tall his horse was, and make him repeat his falsehood. In the same way some men have, in a passion, or in an excitement, have announced that they would never vote other than a democratic ticket. Their consciences, in their cooler moments, might might trouble them for their rash determination. But their firmness keeps them to their rash resolution. In such cases it is humane to relieve such persons from the performance of the humiliating act, without a violation of their pledge. Now I want to vote the republican ticket as a conscientious duty. I will have to travel a thousand miles, and retrace my steps, to do so. Now what I propose is to pair off with you at the approaching election. Will you do it. You will oblige me very much if you say yes. Yours very truly, U. S. Grant P. S. This agreement is not to deprive you of the privilege of voting for such republicans on the general ticket as you may desire to vote for. U. S. G.".

Price: 4000 USD

Location: Spartanburg, South Carolina

End Time: 2024-03-12T22:31:56.000Z

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