A rarely seen and interesting specimen among 19th-century political pennings, this find elicits an unusual question: ever heard of American President David Atchison? When President-elect Zachary Taylor declined to be inaugurated on the Sabbath in 1849, the nation was, for at least one day, without an acting chief executive. Or was it? Some believe that as President Pro Tempore, Missouri senator David Rice Atchison (1807-1886) filled that void in the presidency, as his office was next in the line of succession to the country’s highest executive appointment. We celebrate that enduring fixture of American political folklore with this signature penned by Atchison himself, “Your obt. servt., D. R. Atchison” (black fountain pen), on this slightly irregular 3.5 x 7.5 off-white slip, which appears to have been clipped from a letter. A few trivial instances of ink migration are evident, yet the piece admits of fine condition. RRAuction COA.
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