“SACRIFICING HIS PRIVATE REPUTATION TO PRESERVE HIS PUBLIC HONOR”: SCARCE SECOND EDITION OF HAMILTON’S FAMED ‘REYNOLDS’ PAMPHLET

HAMILTON, Alexander. Observations on Certain Documents Contained in No. V & VI of “The History of the United States for the Year 1796,” in which the Charge of Speculation against Alexander Hamilton, Late Secretary of the Treasury is Fully Refuted. Philadelphia: Printed [by William Duane] Pro Bono Publico, 1800. Octavo, period style full tree calf gilt, red morocco spine label, marbled endpapers.

Second edition of notorious ‘Reynolds’ pamphlet—Alexander Hamilton’s frank confession of his long affair with Maria Reynolds and blackmail by her husband—written to assert Hamilton’s innocence against charges of illegal speculation, this scarce edition published by his political enemies at the height of fierce conflict between Federalists and anti-Federalists.

In 1797 Alexander Hamilton finally decided to publicly confront charges ignited by his affair with Maria Reynolds, whose husband James Reynolds had been paid by Hamilton to keep the affair secret. In 1792, the same year Reynolds blackmailed Hamilton, Reynolds and Jacob Clingman were arrested in a case involving the Treasury. Clingman then hinted to former Speaker of the House Muhlenberg that Reynolds had proof that “Hamilton had advanced him money to be used for speculation” (Kline 279). That accusation exploded into an attack on Hamilton, fueled by articles written by James Callender that ultimately appeared in his History of the United States for 1796 (1797). “Hamilton could not have been stupid enough to pay hush money for sex, Callender argued, so the money paid to Reynolds had to involve illicit speculation.” Deciding to break his long public silence, Hamilton “holed up in a Philadelphia boarding house,” producing what is known as ‘the Reynolds pamphlet,’ and sacrificing “his private reputation to preserve his public honor.” Yet the Republican anti-Federalist press seized on Hamilton’s frank confession—causing many, including Jefferson, to speculate “that Hamilton’s ‘willingness to plead guilty to adultery seems rather to have strengthened than weakened the suspicions that he was in truth guilty of the speculations… Henceforth Hamilton would be viewed as the oversexed treasury secretary” (Chenow, 530-35). The cost to Hamilton was extreme and the initial 1797 edition was “bought up by Hamilton’s family and destroyed” (Sabin 29969). “It is not included in the edition of his Works published in 1810, or in the one authorized by the Congress in 1850” (Evans 82222). This scarce second edition was “printed at the Aurora-office by the political enemies of Hamilton” (Ford 65). Containing “37 pages of personal confessions, supplemented by 58 pages of letters and affidavits” (Chernow, 533). Evans 37571. Ford 65. Howes 120. Sabin 29970. See Sowerby 3515; Harvard Law Catalogue, 857. OCLC lists 49 copies.

Text generally fresh with lightest scattered foxing. Beautifully bound.