ORIGINAL BOARDS, UNCUT
AUTHOR’S ALS WITH NEWS ON BOLIVAR & THE REVOLUTION
272. ROBINSON, William Davis. Memoirs of the
Mexican Revolution: Including a Narrative of the Expedition
of General Xavier Mina. With Some Observations on the
Practicability of Opening a Commerce between the Pacific
and Atlantic Oceans, through the Mexican Isthmus in the
Province of Oaxaca, and at the Lake of Nicaragua; and on
the Future Importance of Such Commerce to the Civilized
World, and More Especially to the United States....
Philadelphia: Printed for the Author, Lydia R. Bailey,
Printer, 1820. xxxvi, 396 pp. 8vo, beige original beige
boards, original beige paper backstrip and printed pink
spine label, uncut. Fragile binding with very light shelf
wear, text uniformly browned. Preserved in a beige folding
box with tan leather labels. An exceptional unsophisticated
copy, in the original boards, uncut. Contemporary ink
ownership signature of Josiah Wood. Laid in is a signed
autograph letter (New York, May 3, 1815, 2 pp., folio,
integral address and postal cancel on p. [4]) from author
Robinson to Domingo Garcia Sena (see final paragraph below
for more on the
letter).
First edition of a rare Texas and Latin American
book. Howes R380: "Chief contemporary authority on the
audacious filibustering expedition against Mexico under
Mina, launched with a handful of men, through Texas in
1817. Notable also for its advocacy of a communication
between the Atlantic and Pacific via Nicaragua." Palau
271093. Raines, p. 176: "One of the standard histories of
the Mexican Revolution." Streeter 1080: "Nearly
contemporary account of General Xavier Mina and of his
expedition from Galveston Island." Robinson’s
Memoirs is one of the few contemporary sources for
the Mexican experiences of Samuel Bangs, the first Texas
printer, who accompanied Mina and created the first Texas
imprints during this expedition.
Robinson’s original autographed letter to Domingo
Garcia Sena describes his problems in launching his
revolutionary expedition to South America due to the
proclamation issued by "Marmion" against Simon Bolivar.
Robinson praises Bolivar’s efforts to liberate South
America from Spain. Robinson complains that "this accursed
proclamation" has raised doubts in the minds of his
backers, and says: "Although I believe it only a mementary
burst of faction, and although I know that BOLIVAR cannot
have any other motive than the welfare and Independence of
New Granda Venezuella, yet I cannot persuade my friends to
pursue their operations until get some new intelligence
form Carthagena."
($750-1,500)