Rare signed book: The Inaugural Address of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Thirty Second President of the United States. NY: Harbor Press, 1933. Hardcover with slipcase, 5.5 x 9. Signed at the conclusion of the address in blue ink, “Franklin D. Roosevelt.” In very good condition, with moderate toning and staining to pastedowns and front and back free end pages, blocks of toning to half-title page, and all pages fully detached from the covers and partially detached from the binding. The inside pages, including the signed page, are clean and unaffected by any of the flaws.
Roosevelt’s speech on Inauguration Day, March 1933, is particularly memorable for its attack on the psychology of the Great Depression. Less memorable, but more enduring, is the justification that FDR planned to use to expand the power of the federal government to achieve his legislative objectives and thereby ease the effects of the Great Depression. Woven throughout his inaugural address was his plan. He aimed to declare war on the Great Depression and needed all the executive latitude possible in order to wage that war. For in addition to his famous statement "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself," he said, "I shall ask the Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis—broad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe." Truly a scarce volume, the Harbor Press edition, one of 150 produced in this particular format, was taken from a stenographic transcript and thus incorporated the many last-minute changes the president wove into his text. Only a few copies of this privately printed work have made it to auction. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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