Harry Croswell was indicted for seditious libel after an 1802 attack on Thomas Jefferson in his Federalist paper The Wasp. Croswell was defended on appeal by Alexander Hamilton. The last of Hamilton’s works to be published before his death, and regarded as one of his finest speeches. He argued that the freedom of the press consists in publishing the truth, regardless of how it reflects on its subjects. Following Croswell's conviction, New York quickly overturned the old English libel laws based primarily on Hamilton's argument. The case was a pivotal case in the evolution of United States defamation law and First Amendment rights. Sabin 17677; Shaw & Shoemaker 7651; Howes V38.

Octavo, 78, [2] pages. In Good condition. A disbound copy, as usual. Scotch tape along spine, with an additional horizontal piece along both head and tail of spine. Water-stained, with tide mark extending along entire lower and fore edge, most pronounced along first 10 pages. Ex-Library of Congress copy, with their perforated mark at the foot of the title page, page 77, and also with two stamps to verso of title page, both covered in ink and lightly bleeding through title page. Small clip off of rear wrap. Shelved in Case 7.