Description
The 1878 State Of The Union, signed by President Rutherford B. Hayes.
Octavo, 21pp. Original paper wraps, bound at spine with string. Some toning to covers, beginning to separate at front hinge, but stable. Previously folded along center seam. Previous ownership blind stamp on last page. Housed in custom cloth chemise, lined in blue felt, title in gilt on spine. Signed on the cover: “With Compliments of R.B. Hayes.” A scarce signed presidential document.
The 1878 State of the Union, known as the President’s Annual Message, was delivered on December 2nd, 1878. This was the second State of the Union delivered by President Rutherford B. Hayes. With the Compromise of 1877, where Hayes agreed to formally end the Reconstruction Era in return for the presidency, the State of the Union address of 1878 was more focused on international crisis than the true state of the United States. The most lasting decision by Hayes in 1878, which was addressed in the State of the Union speech, was his recognition of the boundaries of Paraguay, after a long dispute with Argentina. To this day, Paraguay celebrates a national holiday called Laudo Hayes Firm Day, in celebration of this 1878 territorial decision.
