Speech of the President of the United States [1795 - caption title]

[Philadelphia]: [Francis Childs], 1795. First Edition. Disbound. Good. First Edition. [1]-7, [1 (blank)] pages. Extracted from a bound volume (stab holes evident at the spine) with leaves detached from one another. Inked 1795 above caption title. penciled "JKL 81-43" in lower margin. Signed "Go.: Washington, United States, 8th December, 1795" in type on page 7. First lines: "Fellow Citizens of the Senate, and House of Representatives, I Trust I do not deceive myself, while I indulge the persuasion ..." Disbound. President Washington's State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. He touches on many areas, with the first page devoted almost entirely to the war with various Indian tribes, including the "termination of the long, expensive and distressing war, in which we have been engaged with certain Indians, northwest of the Ohio, [now handled by] a treaty which the commander of our army has concluded, provisionally, with the hostile tribes in that region. In the adjustment of the terms, the satisfaction of the Indians was deemed an object worthy no less of the policy than of the liberality of the United States, as the necessary basis of durable tranquility.--This object, it is believed, has been fully attained.--The articles agreed upon will immediately be laid before the Senate, for their consideration." He touches then on the Creek and Cherokee Indians "who alone of the southern tribes had annoyed our frontier...have lately confirmed their pre-existing treaties with us, and were giving evidence of a sincere disposition to carry them into effect, by the surrender of the prisoners and property they had taken.--But we have to lament, that the fair prospect in this quarter, has been once more clouded by wanton murders,...which have again subjected that frontier to disquietude and danger;..."

Scarce in commerce, with RareBookHub showing only a copy sold at Swann in 2016 (4000 on an estimate of 1500-2500) and Parke Bernett in 1956. Swann auction listing adds a note of only 4 copies in ESTC and none known at auction since 1963.

Our copy is a far superior condition copy to the Swann example, and a fine addition to any Washington collection. His last Presidential speech was printed less than a year later.

LITERATURE:
Evans, American Bibliography, #29739 (attributing publication to [Philadelphia: Francis Childs, 8 December 1795])
English Short Title Catalog, #W3544 (NOTE: We have been unable to confirm ESTC data due to the British cyber attack, although the record number is accurate per Rutgers temporary hosting solution.).