First edition of the correspondence between George Washington and the American Jewish communities, 1796

George Washington

Collection of the Speeches of the President of the United States to Both Houses. At the Opening of every Session, With Their Answers. Also, The Addresses to the President, With His Answers, From the Time of His Election: With an Appendix, Containing the Circular Letter of General Washington to the Governors of the several States, and his Farewell Orders, To the Armies of America, and the Answer. Dedicated to the Citizens of the United States of America. Boston: Manning and Loring for Solomon Cotton, July, 1796

8vo (172 x 100 mm), first edition; 282 pp., with 1-page publisher’s ad at rear; intermittent foxing (heavier on pp. 71-97, 168-182, 276-282.), even light browning, repaired tear in the title page with no loss to text. Modern calf-backed marbled paper boards.

Catalogue Note

"to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance"

This historic volume reflects the first appearance in book form of the correspondence between George Washington, the first President of the United States, and the various American Jewish communities of the day. Characteristically, American Jews chose not to unite and dispatch one letter to congratulate Washington upon his inauguration. The congregation in Savannah sent its own letter, and the communities of Philadelphia, New York, Charleston and Richmond sent one jointly. In response to the good wishes expressed in the latter letter, Washington reciprocated: “May the same temporal and eternal blessings which you implore for me, rest upon your Congregations.”

The Jews of Newport declined to sign the letters sent by the other congregations. This may have been because the citizenry of Rhode Island was divided as to whether or not to join the new union and the state’s Jews may have been hesitant to make a public statement on the matter by writing to the newly elected President. Nonetheless, when Washington visited Newport in 1790, Moses Seixas, the warden of the congregation, addressed him on its behalf. Washington replied: “For happily the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving on all occasions their effectual support… May the children of the stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants.”

This volume, “Collection of the Speeches,” contains the correspondence exchanged between President Washington and the Jewish community of Newport and the communities of Philadelphia, Charleston, New York and Richmond. (It also contains a second letter penned by Moses Seixas, this one in his capacity as the master of a local Masonic lodge.) The letters continued to be cited by Jews and their advocates throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to demonstrate that Washington, the most influential and highly revered of all the founding fathers, had fully sanctioned their inclusion in the American nation.

Provenance

John Allen - his signature on the dedication page (p. iii) – ink collection stamp on front free endpaper

Literature

Singerman 102.