[American Revolution] (Livingston, Philip). The Other Side of the Question: Or, A Defence of the Liberties of North-America. In Answer to a Late Friendly Address to All Reasonable Americans, on the Subject of our Political Confusions. By a Citizen

New-York: Printed by James Rivington, 1774. First edition. 8vo. 29, (1) pp.; lacking ad leaf at rear. 19th-century three-quarter crimson morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, stamped in gilt, remnants of library call number at bottom of spine and front boards, extremities and boards rubbed, spine ends lightly worn; all edges trimmed; abrasion on front paste-down from removed label; foxing to text; wear along center of title-page, presumably from a removed ink stamp. Adams, American Independence 128; Evans 13381; Howes L-398 ("aa"); Sabin 41634; ESTC W21592

Scarce first edition of Philip Livingston's powerful defense of American colonial rights, written in response to Loyalist Thomas Bradbury Chandler's Friendly Address to all Reasonable Americans (1774), which defended Great Britain's Coercive Acts. Livingston's pamphlet "invoked both historical precedent and Lockean political theory to defend colonial opposition to parliamentary taxation" (American National Biography, Vol. 13, p. 772). Livingston goes on to defend the actions of the Boston Tea Party insurgents, and using "ironic ridicule" (Bailyn, Pamphlets of the American Revolution, p. 8), counters Chandler's more conciliatory argument. Livingston ends his treatise with an impassioned plea, "Great are the difficulties we labour under, and many are the obstacles we must surmount. For the road to freedom and virtue, is not strewed with flowers, but sprinkled with thorns. Perhaps our fortitude is not equal to the talk, if so, we deserve the consequences. But remember, that the mother-country must suffer with her colonies: remember, that a Non-Importation has once procured a redress of our grievances. Remember that Concord is the parent of success. Remember, that the worst which can possibly befal (sic) us, even at the last, is that very slavery which we must now resist or submit to..."

Born into one of New York's leading families, Philip Livingston (1716-78) was educated at Yale, and made his fortune in trade and land speculation. He became a leading conservative patriot in New York during the imperial crisis with Great Britain, served as a representative in the Stamp Act Congress, in both the first and second Continental Congresses, and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. "An exemplar of conservative patriotism in Revolutionary America", he was "a conscientious leader, possessed of an aristocrat's sense of social responsibility, he accepted republicanism without embracing its democratic implications." (ANB, p. 772)

Very scarce. According to RBH, this is only the fourth copy to come to auction since 1991.

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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.

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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.

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Printed and Manuscript Americana

[American Revolution] (Livingston, Philip). The Other Side of the Question: Or, A Defence of the Liberties of North-America. In Answer to a Late Friendly Address to All Reasonable Americans, on the Subject of our Political Confusions. By a Citizen

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[American Revolution] (Livingston, Philip). The Other Side of the Question: Or, A Defence of the Liberties of North-America. In Answer to a Late Friendly Address to All Reasonable Americans, on the Subject of our Political Confusions. By a Citizen