(First Party System) Samuel LYMAN (1749-1802) Federalist Representative from Massachusetts 1794-1800. Fine content A.L.S. “S. Lyman” 1p. legal folio with integral address leaf, Philadelphia, 20 Jan. 1800 to Thomas Dwight in Boston poking fun at the maiden speech of Virginian John Randolph (1773-1833) who had entered the House the previous year. Lyman writes in part “…the enclosed Paper [not present] contains Randolph’s Speech; called his Maiden speech, and like young maidens of yore, he has committed folly in Israel — he is a young man of very good natural & acquired talents, but like some of the young Virgins of the ancient Dominion, he has taken a premature leap from his voice & countenance, you would judge, that he was a very young female of about eighteen…” The late 1790s were the scene of terrible political strife between Federalists like Lyman and Jeffersonian Republicans like Randolph.

Partial fold separations, uneven toning, light soiling, else very good.

(EXA 1804) $200