PRESIDENT JAMES BUCHANAN - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 03/27/1838 CO-SIGNED BY: SAMUEL McKEAN - HFSID 5236
Price: $4,000.00
JAMES BUCHANAN and SAMUEL McKEAN
A handwritten letter signed by both Pennsylvania Senators, advising petitioners to
submit their recommendation on location of a proposed National Foundry to President
Van Buren, not to the Senate. Framed to an overall size of 36x22.
Autograph Letter Signed: "James Buchanan", as U.S. Senator, 1½ pages, 8x10.
Washington, 1838 March 27. To "James Burnside, James T. Hale & A.G. Curtin
Esquires". Also signed: "Saml McKean". In full: "We have received the memorial which
you have done us the honor to enclose to us, recommending Bellefonte as the Site of the
proposed National Foundry. The Bill which has been reported by the Committee on
Military Affairs of the Senate confers upon the President the power of selecting the Site;
and should it pass at all, we have no doubt it will be in this form. It would be impossible
for Congress to make the selection, on account of the great number of sites
recommended & the variety of interests which exists on the subject. We would, therefore,
recommend that the Memorial, instead of being presented to the Senate, should be
delivered to the President in case the Bill becomes a law. We shall, however, be guided in
our course by your wishes. We do not consider it probable that any such Bill will pass
during the present session. There seems to be a determination in Congress not to adopt
any measure of expenditure at the present moment which can be avoided, whilst we shall
be are obliged to borrow money to meet the wants of the Government." Pennsylvania's
two U.S. Senators (both Democrats) were, from 1833-1839, SAMUEL McKEAN
(1787-1841) and, from 1834-1845, JAMES BUCHANAN (1791-1868). A "Memorial" is a
statement addressed to the government accompanied by a petition signed by its supporters. On
December 5, 1837, President Van Buren, in his State of the Union message, urged the
"creation of a national foundry for cannon, to be common to the service of the army
and navy of the United States". Memorials from all over the country began arriving in
Washington, D.C. to be presented on the floors of the Senate and the House recommending
sites for the national foundry. The bill giving the President the power to select the site was
not passed by the current or next Congress and, from time to time, Buchanan
presented Memorials on the Senate floor. On January 13, 1842, Senator Buchanan (from
the "Journal of the Senate") "presented the memorial of the citizens of the city and county of
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, praying that a site within the limits of their county may be selected as
the site for a national foundry; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs." On
February 7th, he "presented a memorial, signed by numerous citizens of the city and county of
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, praying that the 'Conestoga navigation,' in said county, may be
selected as the site for a national foundry; which was referred to the Committee on Military
Affairs." On January 20, 1845, Buchanan "presented a memorial of citizens of Hollidaysburg, in
Pennsylvania, praying the erection of a national foundry at that place; which was referred to the
Committee on Military Affairs." Forty-four days later, he resigned from the Senate and was
sworn in as President Polk's Secretary of State. On February 1, 1854, it was resolved (from
the "Journal of the Senate") "that the Committee on Military Affairs be instructed to inquire into
the expediency of authorizing the Secretary of War to select a site for a national foundry, at
some suitable place." The national foundry as proposed by President Van Buren in 1837
was never established. Folds, vertical fold touches "e" in James. Lightly creased, lightly soiled
on front page, touching one word. Fine condition. Framed to an overall size of 36½x22¼.
Frame has paint residue at upper left and on biographical plaque.
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