Essays on Human Rights and Their Political Guaranties

New York: Greeley & McElrath, 1845. First edition. Octavo (7 1/2 x 4 5/8 inches; 190 x 120 mm). 219, [1, blank] pp. With advertisements printed on inside of wrappers and back wrapper. We could find no copies of this first edition on OCLC and only one at auction in the past 40 years, which was not in wrappers.

Original blue printed wrappers. Foxing and toning throughout. Bottom inch of spine chipped and rubbed. A few leaves have been opened rough, not affecting text. Previous owner's signature on title-page. Still a very good copy in original wrappers.

Elisha Powell Hurlbut was a former New York Supreme Court Judge and an individual of much political influence in New York in the mid-1800s.

"He devoted much of his legal understanding to extending what he called 'human rights.' Nothing specifically appeared to push him in a direction to fight for individual rights other than his legal study, where he became more concerned with protecting people's natural rights from an infringing government. In particular, he was most known for his devotion to women's rights. He devoted two chapters in Essays on Human Rights to the rights of women, arguing for their enfranchisement and property rights."

He was friend and influence to Elizabeth Cady Stanton. "Hurlbut inspired Stanton, as evidenced by her citing his work in her seminal piece, 'The Declaration of Sentiments.' Having spent significant time with Hurlbut clearly affected her development as a leader in the women's rights movement. As late as 1876, Stanton was still contacting him, attempting to garner extra copies of Essays on Human Rights... In addition to women, Hurlbut held strong opinions in favor of the abolition of African-American slavery in the southern states. Still, he did not believe in the immediate enfranchisement of freed people. The primary reason Hurlbut left the Democratic Party was his belief in freedom for all blacks." (A Study of the Journal of Elisha P. Hurlbut, American Social Reformer, 1858-1887. Jeffrey Dunnington Virginia Commonwealth University).

The summary of the chapter entitled "Rights of Women" states "The equality of the sexes in the eye of Justice. Rights know no distinction of sex. The rights of woman inferred from her mental constitution. The notion of Marriage being a civil contract refuted. The absurdity and injustice of this idea of the Common Law. Who may contract Marriage. Secondd Marriages. The right of Divorce. The test in cases of divorce should be the moral fitness for marriage of the party complained against. Divorce ought to be total in all cases..."

Sabin 33997. American Imprints 45-3367.

HBS 68783.

$1,500.