Subject: Diplomacy

Pamphlet titled "CORRESPONDENCE of the DEPARTMENT of STATE in RELATION to the BRITISH CONSULS RESIDENT in THE CONFEDERATE STATES." This first edition, published in December 1863, contains diplomatic material from Judah P. Benjamin concerning the delicate relations with Great Britain during the American Civil War.

Booklet containing correspondence between U.S. officials and Swiss authorities regarding the discrimination faced by American Jewish citizens in Switzerland, specifically focusing on the case of S. Muhlhauser, who was denied the right to open a branch office. Includes testimony by Jonas Levy. The documents detail anti-Semitic laws and practices in Switzerland from 1858 to 1860, and the efforts by the U.S. government to address these issues. Published in Washington D.C. by the House of Representatives in 1860. Octavo. 101 pages. Original tan wraps with black lettering on cover (lacking in this copy). This collection includes correspondence between US officials and Theodore S. Fay, Secretary of the US legation in Bern, Switzerland. Fay's 1859 report to the Swiss Federal Council was instrumental in the eventual emancipation of Jews in Switzerland in 1866. The booklet reviews discriminatory Swiss laws and prohibitions against Jews, and details incidents such as the expulsion of an American citizen, Gootmann, due to his Jewish faith. (Singerman No. 1691)

Manuscript legal document from the New York Supreme Court, dated December 27, 1867. The document involves Marcus Otterbourg as the defendant in a case concerning a package delivered to him in Mexico City. The document, approximately two legal-sized pages, is signed by Otterbourg and his attorney, M.D.L. Lane. Accompanying textual material provides biographical information on Marcus Otterbourg (1827-1893), including his appointments as Consul and Minister to Mexico City during a period of significant political upheaval, his time in Mexico City during Lincoln's assassination and the French occupation under Maximilien, and his eventual resignation. The description also references a relevant article: "MARCUS OTTERBOURG, UNITED STATES MINISTER TO MEXICO IN 1867" by Ruth L. Benjamin, published in the *American Jewish Historical Society* publication, No. 32 (1931), pp. 65-98.

A letter dated December 10, 1777, from Jonathan Trumbull to Ezekiel Williams, Commissary of Prisoners, in Lebanon, Connecticut. Trumbull issues orders for the release of John Tully, a prisoner of war, to be escorted by Aaron Isaacs to negotiate the release of John Smith, another prisoner held in New York.

A copy of a letter, possibly created by a secretary, from Judah P. Benjamin to President James Buchanan declining an appointment as minister to Spain. Dated September 7, 1858, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The letter discusses Benjamin's financial considerations and the upcoming Louisiana state legislature's judgment on his public conduct. The letter is written on watermarked stationery featuring a shield surrounded by stars and an embossed crown.

A three-page letter written by prominent Philadelphia attorney Oscar B. Teller to noted Jewish scholar Cyrus Adler on September 13, 1889. The letter discusses historical research on the application of Blue Laws in Pennsylvania regarding Jews, and important Jewish matters in Europe, including Teller's diplomatic efforts and the Baroness Hirsch's failing health. The letter is on Teller's printed letterhead.

A four-page letter written by Oscar Straus, United States Minister to Turkey, to Mayer Sulzberger, a Philadelphia jurist, on November 23, 1898. Straus discusses diplomatic issues, including his involvement in resolving international claims and his attention to the Jewish question. He also mentions the illness of Baroness Hirsch.

Four-page letter written on April 14, 1787, by Samuel Sterett, a Baltimore merchant, to General Mordecai Gist in Charleston, South Carolina. The letter discusses business interests, financial problems in Maryland, figures from the American Revolution and government, and alludes to the first case docketed with the United States Supreme Court. The letter mentions Major David Salisbury Franks' return from confidential negotiations connected with the Treaty of Peace and Commerce.

This document is a portion of the Congressional Record from September 15, 1863, focusing on the "MAJORITY REPORT of the COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS." The report includes Judah P. Benjamin's findings on foreign governmental representatives.

This pamphlet, printed by C. Sherman in 1863, alleges to present intercepted instructions from Judah P. Benjamin, Confederate Secretary of State, to L.Q.C. Lamar, Confederate minister to Russia. The instructions detail resisting any treaty obligating the Confederacy to outlaw the international slave trade. Benjamin argued that this power resided with individual states, not the federal government. The pamphlet includes editorials from the National Intelligencer, a Washington D.C. newspaper, asserting the letters' authenticity and claiming the Confederacy aimed to revive the international slave trade. WorldCat lists numerous copies of this pamphlet. The authenticity of the letters is questionable and may be a hoax.

A collection of photographs from a newspaper file depicting preparations for armistice discussions in Rhodes, Greece on November 1, 1948. The images show Lt. Col. Dan Lohner, Moshe Dyan, Reuven Shiloah, and Seren Harakvirav.

This document is a two-page Royal Appointment signed by Queen Victoria, appointing James Levy Hart as Vice Consul in London for the Republic of Mexico. Dated June 19, 1856, from St. James's Court, London, England. The appointment, issued two years before the full Jewish Emancipation in England, raises questions about the selection of a practicing Jew for this position. The document includes the royal seal and details of Hart's commission from the Mexican President. The document is 7 x 12 1/2 inches.

First edition of Mordecai Manuel Noah's account of his travels and diplomatic missions to England, France, Spain, and the Barbary States between 1813 and 1815. Published in New York by John Miller in 1819, this 8vo volume (pp. vi, [2], 431, [1], xlvii) includes an engraved frontispiece portrait and four engraved plates, one of which is folding. Noah's journey involved efforts to secure the release of American prisoners held by Algerian pirates. The book offers insights into his experiences, diplomatic efforts, and observations of the regions he visited. This copy was exhibited at the Museum of the City of New York's landmark exhibit on Jews of NYC as part of the city's 350th anniversary celebration in 2005.