ALS signed “A. Hamilton,” one page, 7.25 x 5, no date, but noted 1795 in a notation at the top which has been crossed out. Letter to an unidentified recipient. In full: “I can do nothing better for you than send to you the enclosed which after perusal[?] you will find & forward. You may if you please personally show it in confidence to Mr. Anthony who is a director.” Moderate intersecting folds, wrinkling under signature from mounting remnants on reverse, scattered toning, and several repairs to separations on reverse, otherwise very good condition.
The year 1795 (presumably the period in which this correspondence was created) turned out to be a tumultuous one for Hamilton, and one that ended his political career. Only a year earlier he had become embroiled in an extramarital affair with Maria Reynolds, a relationship that damaged his reputation and prevented him from rising further in politics. Reynolds' husband blackmailed Hamilton for money, though he was content to permit sexual liaisons between Hamilton and his wife. When James Reynolds was arrested for counterfeiting, he contacted several prominent Jeffersonian Republicans, most notably James Monroe. When they visited Hamilton with their suspicions of malfeasance, he stressed his innocence, while admitting to his affair with Reynolds. Hamilton was forced to publish a confession and In 1795 resigned as Secretary of the Treasury…but that did not remove him from public life. With the resumption of his law practice, he remained close to Washington as an adviser and friend. Hamilton is believed to have influenced Washington in the composition of his Farewell Address. How interesting that in all that was occurring, discretion would be an underlying theme of the here-offered letter! Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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