The Conscript; A Tale of the Empire

Small 8vo. Green textured blind-embossed cloth with gilt spine lettering. 400pp, (4pp ads). Very good. Text block tight and nice, with mildest edgewear only; boards quite attractive, with lightly-shellacked spine slightly chipped at head/foot and bearing hand-lettered paper shelf label near foot. First American edition of "Dieu et Diable," originally published in French in 1852. Front pastedown bears pencilled non-authorial gift inscription to "Mrs Wm. B. Allison / Presented by / a Friend." Tipped-in ad among front matter plugs "Memoirs of James Gordon Bennett and His Times" and another at rear on bright yellow stock advertises "Frank Leslie's Portfolio of Fancy Needlework." From the collection of William B. Allison (1829-1908), the powerful Iowa Republican who, as U.S. senator from that state (1873-1908), was one of the "big four" who controlled the Senate; as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee for most of those years, he championed tariff legislation and co-authored the Bland-Allison Act of 1878; as member of the Senate Finance Committee he was often courted by U.S. presidents to hold cabinet positions. Early 20th century bookplate on front pastedown records "This book is part of Allison Memorial Collection Gift of Mrs. Jennie A. Brayton" and until deaccessioned was part of Allison's non-circulating collection at his hometown public library across the street from his Dubuque residence. Notes Leland L. Sage in his 1956 biography "William Boyd Allison: A Study in Practical Politics," Allison owned "hundreds of books on government, economics, history, banking, finance, and the tariff. An omnivorous reader, Allison doubtless read most of these volumes, if only for relaxation from the strain that accompanied his efforts to solve the many problems facing the Nation.".