AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED to His Son Discussing the Attempted Assassination of President Andrew Jackson

Washington DC, 23 February 1835. Letter. Creases, small tape repair, chipping to edges, small hole at center above red wax seal with no loss of text. Very Good. Superb two-page AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED "John Tyler" to his son on one integral 15-3/4" x 9-7/8" sheet of stationery folded to make four 7-7/8" x 9-7/8" pages with one page serving as the Free Frank envelope SIGNED "J. Tyler." Addressed to "My Son" (Robert Tyler), he encourages Robert about making a public speech in order to graduate, discusses the recent assassination attempt against President Andrew Jackson, and concludes with remarks about personal and professional success. In part: "I am sorry to learn through your last letter that you entertained difficulties about graduating in consequence of the necessity which it would impose on you to make a speech publickly.... The undivided honor is certainly calculated to render it the more distinguished-- It affords you also an opportunity for a more elaborate essay.... I hope therefore that you will attempt no compromise with the Professors but press forward to the full and complete discharge of the whole task.... It seems that charges are afloat against Poindexter [Jackson's political foe, Senator George Poindexter of Mississippi] of having had some connection with Lawrence the man who attempted to assassinate the President and that the President had procured criminating affidavits from three persons-- Poindexter brought the thing before the Senate and a Committee of five was appointed to investigate it-- If true he deserves to be hung-- if false his accusers would disgrace the gallows-- Being on the Committee it would be improper in me to express an opinion in advance-- but it is sufficiently mortifying to find such a spirit prevailing in the highest places.... [The committee concluded there was no connection between Poindexter and Lawrence.] I am glad to find you so much opposed to being in debt-- Your speculations about my future success are mere speculations-- Every man should aspire to attain eminence-- The great end of existence should be to curb that passions and never to render ourselves up to this influence-- This is the true philosophy-- and after all happiness is more frequently the inmate of the cottage than the palace." SIGNED "Yr Father, John Tyler." With transcription and a newspaper clipping of Robert Tyler's obituary from 1877.

John Tyler was the tenth president of the United States and the first vice president to succeed to the presidency upon the death of William Henry Harrison who died 31 days after taking office. He was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives in November 1861. When he died the following year, Jefferson Davis held a lavish funeral, draping a Confederate flag over Tyler's coffin. To this day, Tyler remains the only U.S. president not to be buried beneath the American flag. Amazingly, he has a grandson who is still alive.