[Presidential] [Lincoln, Abraham] Seward, William H. Printed Circular Letter

(Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, ca. September 22-26, 1862). Printed diplomatic circular letter, signed and dated in type, William H. Seward, September 22, 1862. One sheet only (of two), excised from a bifolium (lacking the printed Emancipation found on pp. 3/4); wear along edges; residue on upper verso, from when likely mounted. 13 1/8 x 8 1/4 in. (333 x 209 mm). Eberstadt 3

"In the judgement of the President the time has come for setting forth the great fact distinctly for the serious consideration of the people in those States, and for giving them to understand that if they will persist in forcing upon the country a choice between the dissolution of this necessary and beneficent Government or a relinquishment of the protection of slavery, it is the Union, and not slavery, that must be maintained and preserved. With this view the President has issued a proclamation in which he gives notice that slavery will be no longer recognized in any State which shall be found in armed rebellion on the first of January next."

William H. Seward's circular letter transmitting the official State Department printing of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, issued to United States diplomats and consular officers abroad to inform them of the issuance of the historic document that transformed the Civil War. Lincoln began drafting the Emancipation in July, 1862, and shortly after read it to his entire cabinet, who agreed to delay its release until a major Union military victory. That victory came at the Battle of Antietam, and Lincoln subsequently issued the Preliminary Emancipation on September 22, which stipulated that if the Confederate states did not end hostilities and rejoin the Union by January 1, 1863, all slaves in rebellious states would be freed.

The issuance of the Emancipation had important implications for the United States's foreign policy, as it signaled to the French and English governments to not recognize the Confederate government. As United States Minister in London, Charles Francis Adams, wrote to Seward on October 10, 1862, the effect of the Proclamation was “to draw the line with greater distinctness between those persons really friendly to the United States and the remainder of the community, and to test the extent of the genuine anti-slavery feeling left in this country.”

Rare, only six other copies of the transmittal letter (with the attached Proclamation) are known.

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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.

Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, Including Americana

[Presidential] [Lincoln, Abraham] Seward, William H. Printed Circular Letter

Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, Including Americana

[Presidential] [Lincoln, Abraham] Seward, William H. Printed Circular Letter

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