Manuscript document signed “R. B. Hayes,” 1 page, 7.75" x 8.5", Washington, November 10, 1877. In this formal directive, President Hayes instructs the Secretary of State to affix the Seal of the United States to a warrant for the pardon of John H. Cooley and Charles P. Cooley. The body of the document is penned in a clerical hand, with Hayes’s bold ink signature at the conclusion.
The piece is handsomely matted and framed alongside an engraved portrait of Hayes to an overall size of 15" x 21.25". In very good condition, with light toning and expected fold lines. A well-preserved and visually appealing example of executive clemency from the Hayes administration.
Rutherford B. Hayes (October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governor of Ohio. A lawyer and staunch abolitionist, he had defended refugee slaves in court proceedings during the antebellum years. He negotiated the political agreement to end federal support of Reconstruction.
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