James A. Garfield - Document Signed as President (Exceptionally Rare)

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James A. Garfield - Document Signed as President (Exceptionally Rare):
$9995.00

James A. Garfield - Document Signed as President
An exceptionally rare document signed by Garfield less than one month before his assassination.
Garfield\'s signature is arguably one of the largest, cleanest, and boldest signatures found on any of his Presidential Document Signed (DS) as President, \"James A. Garfield\", one page, 8’’ x 10’’, June 6, 1881, Washington D.C. Extremely rare document issued from the Executive Mansion, suspending John T. Gibson from his postmaster position at Huntington in the county of Cabell and State of West Virginia. Beautifully signed at the conclusion in bold black ink by President Garfield. In Very Good condition, with tape-repaired separations to horizontal folds, a few small stains, and mirroring to the signature at the bottom from being folded before the ink was dry.The statute cited allowed the president to suspend any civil officer, with the exception of judges, while Congress was in recess. A special session of the 47th US Congress had ended on May 20 and Garfield was shot on July 2, leaving him just over a month to utilize this ability. Although the Senate Executive Journal notes that Garfield suspended Gibson “for cause” (5 March 1881, p. 61), it appears that the President’s motive was political. Gibson, a Huntington, West Virginia newspaper editor, was an avowed Stalwart Republican, while Garfield was a member of the “Half-Breeds,” who advocated civil service reform, a move strongly resisted by the conservative stalwarts. In 1880 a group of Republicans denounced Gibson’s newspaper, the Huntington Commercial, accusing him of favoring “the opposition candidates, and does not advocate those of its own party, nor even its principle … saying, ‘We do not recognize it as a Republican organ, and that we will not support it by subscription or otherwise, and that we suggest that all good Republicans thus rebuke treason.’” The resolutions were endorsed by most of the Republican Clubs of Huntington, and Cabell County, West Virginia (Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 June 1880, p.2).Originally appointed by Ulysses S. Grant in 1875, Gibson continued his tenure throughout the administration of Rutherford B. Hayes—another advocate for civil service reform. However, it appears that the incoming Garfield Administration made him nervous for his job, especially after local Republicans denounced him. In early May 1881 Gibson called on President Garfield at the White House. The visit apparently did not impress Garfield and he suspended Gibson. Garfield replaced the disloyal Gibson with Judson Spofford, a Vermont veteran of the Civil War who served from 1862 until he was gravely wounded at Petersburg on 26 March 1865. Following the war he moved to West Virginia where he became an active Republican. In 1880 Spofford, an enthusiastic supporter of Garfield and Blaine, attended the Republican National Convention as a delegate. Garfield rewarded Spofford for his loyalty with the post of Postmaster for Huntington, a position that he continued into the administration of Chester Arthur, who succeeded Garfield after his death in September 1881.Shot on July 2, 1881, Garfield died on September 19, only 200 days into his term. With the exception of William Henry Harrison, Garfield’s term in office was the shortest of any president. Because of Garfield’s brief tenure in the White House his presidential documents are exceedingly scarce, with this particular example elevated by its immaculately penned signature.

Content in Full

Executive Mansion,
Washington D.C., June 6th, 1881You are hereby suspended from the office of Postmaster at Huntington in the county of Cabell and State of West Virginia, in accordance with the terms of the 1768th section of the Revised Statutes of the United States.[signed] James A. Garfield

Features

Document Signed (DS) by James A. Garfield as President
June 6, 1881
One page, 8\'\' x 10\'\'
President Garfield’s signature is large and bold, so much so in fact, that the document shows burn through from the ink (ink transference) during a previous folding.
In Very Good condition, with tape-repaired separations to horizontal folds, a few small stains, and mirroring to the signature at the bottom from being folded before the ink was dry

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