[Americana] Wortman, Tunis. A Treatise, Concerning Political Enquiry, and the Liberty of the Press

New-York: Printed by George Forman, for the Author, 1800. First edition. 8vo. 296 pp. Three-quarter straight grain burgundy morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, stamped in gilt; all edges trimmed; ownership signature of John Chapman Hunter, Presiding Justice of the court in Fairfax County, Virginia, on title-page and page 3; foxing and dampstaining to text; top of title-page repaired, affecting "A" in title; pencil annotations at rear; contemporary ink scrawl at bottom of final page. Evans 39150; Sabin 105514; Reese, The Federal Hundred 85

First edition of this important work on freedom of speech and the press in the early years of the Republic.

Writing in the wake of the Alien and Sedition Acts, Wortman argues that the premise of the Declaration of Independence that the people have the right to dissolve political bonds implies an "unlimited right" of individuals and society to express political opinions. For Wortman, a society interested in furthering knowledge or truth must leave speech "entirely unshackled." He held that open debate furthered the ability of society to arrive at the wisest course of action. He argued that the effect of the Alien and Sedition Acts was self-defeating, since coercion could not suppress thought, but only its expression, and so would inevitably lead to a lack of faith in the government, which he viewed as a worse consequence than any breach of the peace.

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Darren Winston

SVP, Head of Department, Books and Manuscripts, Philadelphia

Darren Winston, Senior Vice President at Freeman’s, has served as Head of Department for Books & Manuscripts, Philadelphia, since 2018. He has been a trustee of the Rosenbach Museum and Library since 2022, is a member of The Manuscript Society, The Bibliographical Society of America, and Philadelphia’s Philobiblon Club.

Raised in northern New Jersey, Darren moved to New York City in 1988 and began his career there as a bookseller in 1995. He spent the next 18 years selling to private clients and at East Coast book fairs. In 2003 he moved with his young family to Sharon, Connecticut where, in 2009, he opened his own bookshop. Darren Winston, Bookseller offered rare and vintage books, prints, fine art, and more, and hosted over 50 book signings and art shows. He was a trustee and, later, Board President, of the Sharon Historical Society, and for six years a trustee of Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Darren has hosted the radio program "Darren Winston's Book Report" for NPR-affiliate WHDD since 2009, appeared in the 2014 book-themed documentary The Paper Trail, and in 2024 he joined Antiques Roadshow as a books and manuscripts appraiser. From 1999 to 2005, Darren was the buyer and consultant to the Fine and Rare Books Department at Asprey, the British luxury goods company, at its New York headquarters. While there he spearheaded various in-store events including readings by Salman Rushdie and Dominick Dunne.

In 1993, Darren was hired as a Creative Consultant to Columbia Records, where he assisted in the repackaging of their 12-record Aerosmith back catalogue. He later sold his extensive collection of Aerosmith memorabilia, which he began amassing at the age of 14, directly to the band.

Darren now lives on the Main Line, outside Philadelphia, with his wife, two children, and dog. The family travels frequently to his wife's native England and Scotland. When not bookselling, he plays guitar in Pumped, an Aerosmith tribute band. Darren also appears on the top-rated PBS television program Antiques Roadshow.

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[Americana] Wortman, Tunis. A Treatise, Concerning Political Enquiry, and the Liberty of the Press

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