A Discourse on the Character and Virtue of General George Washington, Delivered on the Twenty-Second of February 1800, the Day of National Mourning for His Death

Newburyport, MA; Nd(ca.1800): The Press of Angier March. Octavo. 31 pages. Not only one of the more scarce works on Washington's death but one issued on February 22 (his birthday) with much of historical note. The longer subtitle says: Published at the desire of the hearers to whom it is affectionately inscribed. Dana became the fourth President of Dartmouth College. His sermon so moved the people that the printer developed a fleuron which is at the end of the sermon. While much of it has the feel of a genuine hagiography, it does note the importance of his role at the Constitutional Convention which was often neglected in many histories (p. 13-14). There is a small hole at p. 17-18 (and p. 29-30) which does not prevent the text from being easily read. As an enthusiastic minister, he boldly claims George Washington was a Christian though there is no such evidence but rather Washington attributes divine favor to Providence as was typical of the Deists of that generation. He then speaks of the venerable [John] Adams though his Presidency was about to be ended and Jefferson's would begin. A nice example of politics, piety, and selective history. Nicely bound into a binding of 1/4 leather over gray paper covered boards, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, a few spots of foxing to title page. A very nice copy.