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Rutherford B. Hayes Autograph Letter Signed...
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Description
Following her Death, Rutherford B. Hayes Writes to Justice Harlan Paying Tribute to Wife Lucy Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes Autograph Letter Signed ("Rutherford
B. Hayes"). Two pages of a bifolium, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches;
Spiegel Grove [Fremont, OH]; July 8, 1889.Hayes, writing from his estate in Spiegel Grove post-Presidency, thanks Justice John Marshall Harlan for his condolences following the death of his wife, Lucy. In full:
"My Dear Justice Harlan:
Your very kind words about Mrs. Hayes do tend to lift the burden. There are many consolations I cannot help in the midst of all thinking of how she would have shrunk from the eulogiums which are so frequent now. She would have said 'when people speak of me as a saint I feel that I am a shame. I know that I am a weak and miserable sinner. The only merit I can claim is that I do want to treat every human being, and all of God's creatures as I would want to be trusted in their place. I do love to make others happy.' She always said 'Don't have a funeral sermon preached over me. They feel bound to praise the dead - they would give me virtues which don't belong to me.'
No one not with her at all times can know how many sided she was.
She touched life at so many points.
My affectionate regards to Mrs. Harlan.
Sincerely,
Rutherford B. Hayes."
Lucy Hayes passed away in 1889, leaving behind her husband of 37 years and their eight children. Her marriage to Rutherford B. Hayes was widely regarded as collaborative and deeply affectionate, marked by mutual respect and encouragement. Her death was a profound loss for him, as intimated in the present letter to Justice Harlan. John Marshall Harlan was appointed to the Supreme Court by Hayes in 1877 as a progressive and is best known for his dissents in Civil Right cases, most notably Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), where the court upheld racial segregation under the doctrine of "separate but equal."
Condition: Fine. Minor toning and a few light stains; flattened horizontal folds and minor creasing.
Auction Info
2026 June 19 The John H. Freund Americana Collection Signature® Auction #6331 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
June, 2026
19th
Friday
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