A. Stephens ALS with Slave Content "former slaves to go to Liberia"

8pp, measuring 5" x 7.875", Washington, D.C., dated March 20, 1882. Signed twice - "Alexander H Stephens" at the letter's conclusion and "A.H.S." in the postscript. Addressed to a Mr. Baldwin, noting two typos in the previous night's issue of the "Augusta Constitutionalist". Stephens then proposes to hire Baldwin as his private secretary to replace Charles William Seidell, detailing the terms of the job and its salary. The letter has flattened mail folds and light toning throughout. Boldly signed, overall very fine.

Reading in part:

"…Last night I read the article in the Constitutionalist. In it I noticed but two errors… They doubtless verbal whether by me, my sec'y, you or the printers I do not know. The 1866 as printed should be 1867, the time when Linton aided his former slaves to go to Liberia. It was the estate of Gibbons & not Bivens, as published, that he bought the slaves of before the war &c &c. Now as to the other more important point, Mr. Seidell will not return as my Sec'y. I rec'd a letter from him this morning which I think settles that matter…He would be willing to come for a month or two & while he admits that what I pay him is more than he could make in any business at home, yet his family interests require his attention. He cannot be absent more than a month or two at a time. This don't suit me & however much I regret the loss of his services yet I must have a sec'y constantly & always with me. He must as I wrote you board in the house with me & ready at any hour or moment to respond to a call I may make on him. In an engagement of a Sec'y now I want one who will undertake, health permitting, to be with me here or at home or wherever I am until the close of this year if I should live till that time. Someone who will take charge of all my letters, read them, understand them, file them & know & see that they are answered as well as keep up the correction of the proof sheets of my book when it comes…Now my proposition to you was if I recollect exactly, - In case Seidell did not return to pay your board at this hotel & $50 a month in cash besides…I paid Mr. S. $75 a month in cash but this was because of his extraordinary facility with the pen & efficiency as a clerk. I could not possibly give the same amount who did not combine the qualifications of an ordinary clerk with that of shorthand writing…"

With the postscript, "Since this was written, yours of the 18th [illegible] at hand. No reply to that other than what is written." 

Stephens died one year later, on March 4, 1883. In late 1816, the American Colonization Society was established in Washington, D.C., with members including James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Francis Scott Key, Henry Clay, and Daniel Webster, for those who sought to enable blacks to return to Africa. The first settlement in what is now Liberia was established in 1820, and by 1826, 2,638 African Americans had migrated to Liberia.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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