Details:

John McLean autographed letter signed (LS), dated February 18, 1825, from the United States Post Office Department in Washington, D.C. Addressed to John West, Esq., of Concord, New Hampshire, the letter concerns a request for employment as an agent of the Post Office Department. Written in a secretarial hand and signed "John McLean" in ink at the conclusion.

McLean writes, in full:

"Your favor of the 28th ult. is recd. At this time the Dept. is not in want of an Agent. Should any thing occur in which your services might be useful, you shall be notified. Accept of my thanks, for the interest which you have manifested in the Dept."

An interesting example of early American federal government correspondence, written during McLean's tenure as Postmaster General under President James Monroe, shortly before the inauguration of John Quincy Adams. McLean would subsequently receive an appointment to the United States Supreme Court, where he would serve for more than three decades.

The letter measures approximately 8 x 9.75 inches. Very good condition with original mailing folds, light age toning, scattered foxing, and minor handling wear. A small tear and area of paper loss are present along the left edge.

John McLean (1785–1861) was an American jurist, politician, and statesman who served as Postmaster General of the United States from 1823 to 1829 and as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1829 until his death in 1861.

McLean began his political career as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio before serving as a justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. Appointed Postmaster General by President James Monroe in 1823, he continued in that position throughout the administration of John Quincy Adams, overseeing the expansion and administration of the nation's growing postal system.

In 1829, President Andrew Jackson appointed McLean to the United States Supreme Court, where he served for 32 years under Chief Justices John Marshall and Roger B. Taney.

McLean is particularly remembered for his forceful dissent in the landmark Dred Scott v. Sandford decision of 1857. Opposing Chief Justice Taney's majority opinion, McLean rejected the Court's conclusions concerning African American citizenship and the constitutional protection of slavery in the territories. His dissent became an important part of the legal and political debate over slavery in the years immediately preceding the Civil War.

A prominent figure in national politics, McLean was also considered as a potential presidential candidate on several occasions, including during the formative years of the Republican Party.

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Includes a full letter of authenticity from JG Autographs, Inc.

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Reference sku: 11700 1419340-1