PRESIDENT MARTIN VAN BUREN - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 09/13/1819 - HFSID 36131

MARTIN VAN BUREN. ALS: "M.V. Buren", 1½p, 8x9¼ (front and verso). [Albany, N.Y.], 1819 September 13. Integral leaf addressed by Van Buren to: "William Thompson Jr./Geneva", postmarked Albany, Sept. 14. In part: "You will be so good as to make for me to the Inspectors of Court my grateful acknowledgments for their favour in overestimating the little service it was in my power to render them & to express to them my high praise of the patriotism which activated [them]...We shall succeed triumphantly in the ensuing campaign-Indeed a success here is considered certain by us & I believe more than feared by our adversary...." Democratic-Republican Martin Van Buren served as New York State Senator from 1813-1820. In 1815, with the support of the state legislature, he was appointed Attorney General of New York. In 1817, DeWitt Clinton became Governor of New York. At first, Van Buren supported Governor Clinton's policies, but he soon came into disagreement with the Governor on questions of public patronage, splitting the Democratic-Republican party. Those against Clinton were known as the Bucktails; Van Buren was their legislative leader. On July 7, 1819, two months before this letter, Attorney General Van Buren was removed by Governor Clinton as Attorney General. In this letter, Van Buren talks about the Bucktails' campaign against the Clintonians. Fragile and worn. 2x1-inch paper loss at left center edge of first page removing one word from text and blank portion of integral address leaf. Tiny holes, stains and tanning on address leaf. Stains on both pages of letter. Folds, vertical fold touches "V".