Details:

Official 30-page congressional printing titled “Message from the President of the United States, Transmitting a Correspondence Between the Department of War and the Governors of the States of Massachusetts & Connecticut, Upon the Subject of the Militia of Those States,” printed in Washington by A. & G. Way, Printers, 1812. Issued during the opening months of the War of 1812, the publication opens with President James Madison’s printed message to the Senate and House of Representatives, dated November 6, 1812, transmitting the correspondence between the War Department and the governors of Massachusetts and Connecticut concerning the militia of those states.

The pamphlet preserves the complete official correspondence addressing one of the central constitutional controversies of the War of 1812 - the authority of the federal government to call state militia into national service. Following the declaration of war against Great Britain, the governors of Massachusetts and Connecticut challenged the Madison administration’s interpretation of federal power, arguing that the militia could not be placed under national command except under constitutionally specified circumstances. Madison forwarded this correspondence to Congress as the administration sought to justify its position and secure cooperation from the New England states during the conflict.

Good condition. Complete 30-page stitched pamphlet with expected age toning, scattered foxing, moderate edge wear, small losses and chipping to the margins.

James Madison (1751-1836), the fourth President of the United States and principal architect of the U.S. Constitution, led the nation through the War of 1812, often called America’s “Second War of Independence.” Publications documenting the constitutional disputes between the Madison administration and the New England governors are important primary sources for understanding the political divisions, states’ rights debates, and military challenges faced by the young republic during the war.

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Reference sku: 11669 1416935-1