Emancipation Proclamation Copy Auctioned (Signed by Lincoln)

NewsMax ^ | 11/15/05 | AP

[wagglebee]

NEW YORK -- A souvenir copy of the Emancipation Proclamation autographed by Abraham Lincoln sold for $688,000 Tuesday at an auction of American artifacts collected by the late publishing magnate Malcolm Forbes.

The text is believed to be one of about 15 surviving copies of an oversize printing of the proclamation made by a pair of Philadelphians in 1864 to raise money for war relief. The Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves in the Confederate states was issued in 1863.

Christie's auction house declined to identify the buyer but said it was a New York-based dealer. It had estimated that the proclamation would sell for between $600,000 and $800,000.

The document was one of a number of extraordinary items on the auction block Tuesday from the Forbes collection of American historical documents.

Other Civil War documents offered for sale included Julia Ward Howe's original draft of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," which she composed overnight in 1861 after visiting a Union Army camp; an 1865 letter from Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to Gen. George Meade on the eve of Union victory; and a letter that Gen. Robert E. Lee wrote to his son lamenting the death of Lt. Gen. Stonewall Jackson.

"It is a terrible loss," Lee wrote. "I do not know how to replace him. Any victory would be dear at such a cost."

The collection also included a map of Japan carried by the crew of the Enola Gay on its mission to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 and two pages from the speech that Theodore Roosevelt carried in his vest pocket the night he survived an assassination attempt in 1912.

The bullet pierced the manuscript and a metal spectacle case but did not seriously harm Roosevelt, who continued on to an auditorium to address the waiting crowd. Holding up the perforated speech for all to see, Roosevelt exclaimed, "It takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose!"

[wagglebee]

I can't imagine why the Forbes family would want to sell any of this stuff, it can't possibly be because they need the money.

[wagglebee]

Sort of GGG ping.

[billorites]

I love that Roosevelt story!

[billorites]

I'm reminded of a story Woody Allen told in the early days.

About a bullet, a family bullet, that his grandmother had given him.

He always carried that bullet in his breast pocket.

One day, walking in New York City, someone dropped a Bible from the top of the Empire State Building.

Hit him square in the chest.

Were it not for that bullet in his breast pocket, the Bible would have killed dead there on the spot...

[seastay]

Many liberals have said the US constitution not only apples to citizens but to all people of then world so then if 14th amendment ordered slaves to be set free and become citizens then by twisted logic the US Constitution applies to all people; we are responsible to recognize slaves as free world wide, and grant any slave on teh planet citizenship?

Could setting slaves free be twisted to include illegal immigrants whom are forced to come here to work or else claim they will die. Just as pre civil war slaves made the same claim, if they did not work their lives would be threatened, so what is the difference?

The obvious conclusion is that the US constitution should only apply to citizens, but then again how does that explain the anomaly of the 14th amendment which says that non citizens shall be granted citizenship? Was this meant to be only a one time application?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Waggs! As another list-pinger told me the other day, it's "pingworthy". Generally, I only ping TMM topics if they pertain to the Civil War, and this qualifies.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[SunkenCiv]

The obvious conclusion is that the US constitution should only apply to citizens

Hey, wait a minute. What about animal rights? ;')

[Dustbunny]

What a treasure, wonder why they sold it.

[newfarm4000n]

Hey, wait a minute. What about animal rights? ;')

I agree that illegals abuse provisions and it should be instant deportation for illegals .. But do you really believe that stuff like jury trials and free speech are only for citizens ? I mean there should be basic fairness in dealing with issues concerning legal immigrants.

[SunkenCiv]

"But do you really believe that stuff like jury trials and free speech are only for citizens?"

Illegal aliens have a right to free speech and jury trials -- in their countries of origin.

[newfarm4000n]

I said illegals should be deported instantly . I was talking about legal migrants. Like Arnie.

[SunkenCiv]

No you weren't. You were accusing me of believing something.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Other Civil War documents offered for sale included Julia Ward Howe's original draft of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," which she composed overnight in 1861 after visiting a Union Army camp;

If I had the money, this is what I would buy.

[Alexander Rubin]

I'd love to have that too.

[billbears]

Julia Ward Howe's original draft of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," which she composed overnight in 1861 after visiting a Union Army camp

Sort of expensive for cage liner I suppose but my birds only use the very best paper. What, about $10-15 for it? Can't be worth much more than that...

[sheltonmac]

Can't be worth much more than that...

:-)

[4CJ]

2 cents would be too much. I'm constantly amazed by the Lincoln idoloters fawning over his memory and the EP, which was an inducement for the seceded states to rejoin the union, and RETAIN SLAVERY.

Regarding JWH, she was a Socialist loon, and her draft would be assimilated with some Charmin. She had some very unChristian beliefs.