No, it’s not a new wrinkle in executive branch paranoia about the reach of the pro-Israel lobby. ("Grant was on to them! But Lincoln was up for reelection. He needed Ohio, and the Jews wanted an obscure reference to national rights that the lobby could use 150 years later!")
No, what I’m referring to is this:
MEDIA ALERT
May 27, 2009
National Archives Celebrates Homecoming of Long-Lost Lincoln Letter – TOMORROWWHAT: A ceremony at which a donor will present to the National Archives an original letter written by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. This letter, in President Lincoln’s own hand on Executive Mansion letterhead, was originally part of the Records of the U.S. Treasury. At some point in time prior to when the records came to the National Archives, half of the letter containing the substance of President Lincoln’s letter was torn from the volume and ended up in private hands. The donor, who is a private collector, is giving this letter to the National Archives.
With the exception of the half that remained in a volume at the National Archives, the contents of the letter have not been available to scholars or the general public. This will be the first time that the letter will be available to the media.
WHO: Acting Archivist of the United States Adrienne Thomas
Director of Access Programs for the National Archives, James Hastings
Donor of the letter
National Archives experts will be available to answer questions
I have been authroized to reveal that the mysterious, unnamed donor of the letter is … Jewish! (His name will be released tomorrow, per National Archives protocol.)
Not only that, but he brought the letter in for examination earlier this month when he happened to be in town attending the AIPAC national policy conference, Not only that, but he actually shlepped the letter to the archives in one of those cute little AIPAC conference totes.
Anyway, more tomorrow (the donor’s name, the letter’s content.)
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