ORATION ON THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF GILBERT MOTIER DE LAFAYETTE...

Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1835. First Edition. Pamphlet. Some light pencil markings to text, rather even browning to pages. Slight loss of paper at the spine. Near Fine and scarce. Original printed blue wrappers; 94 pages. INSCRIBED and SIGNED on the front blue wrapper: "Revd. William Hawley/from/J. Q. Adams." Adams had written "Joseph" which is crossed out with "William," possibly in another hand, written above it. Hawley was the second Rector of St. John's Church in Washington, D.C., a church where every president since James Madison has attended services. It was in the news recently when Donald Trump stood in front of it holding a Bible upside down. Hawley baptized and married African Americans of all legal statuses when he led the Church from 1817 to 1845. He also performed the marriage for John Quincy Adams's son John. Books inscribed by Adams are quite uncommon. THIS TITLE IS MOST OFTEN FOUND SIGNED ON A PRESENTATION SLIP PASTED OR TIPPED INTO THE BOOK RATHER THAN IN THE ACTUAL BOOK AS IT IS HERE. THAT, OF COURSE, DOES NOT EQUATE TO A SIGNED BOOK BUT RATHER TO AN AUTOGRAPH ADDED TO THE BOOK.

The first child of a president to become a president, the first president to be a published poet, and the first president to be photographed, Adams was certainly one of our most intelligent presidents and one of the greatest humanitarians to hold that office. He is perhaps best known for two accomplishments outside his term: the authorship of the Monroe Doctrine as secretary of state and his heroic, successful argument before the Supreme Court to free the Amistad slaves.