It's tempting to think that politicians of today are uniquely polarizing or make uniquely bizarre claims. 

But consider this guy, . . . Thomas Richmond [1796-1892]. Born in Vermont, he served as a valet in the War of 1812 at the ripe old age of 16. Afterward, he gave his efforts to business. He opened a salt manufacturing facility in Syracuse, then opened a shipping business in Ohio, where he was exposed to and became an ardent supporter of the abolitionist movement. 

From 1837 to 1838, he served in the Ohio Legislature. In 1845, he ran for mayor of Cleveland on the abolitionist Liberty Party ticket. In 1847, he left Cleveland for Chicago, where he continued his business. In addition, he established the Richmond House, an historic Chicago hotel. In 1848, he was among the original founders of the Chicago Board of Trade. And in 1849 he helped organize the Chicago Temperance Savings Association. By 1854, he was one of the most respected men in the blossoming city and Cook County voters elected him the Illinois House of Representatives, where he served from January to February 1855. In 1860,

But something happened. The same year he was elected to the State House, he came into contact with a group of spiritualists who convinced him he had a special gift, an ability unique to him, not to just conduct seances, those would be unnecessary for him  . . . because of his political role, the great and glorious dead of the American Revolution and up through President Lincoln himself wanted to talk to him and for him to share their wisdom with the world. 

In 1870, he published these "letters," in the form of the present book. No pseudonym, even a frontis of himself. He's proud of these communications from the greats of human history. And it turns out, they are chatty indeed, especially about slavery. 

Richmond, Thomas. God Dealing with Slavery. God's Instrumentalities in Emancipating the African Slave in America. Spirit Messages from Franklin, Lincoln, Adams, Jackson, Webster, Penn, and Others. To the Author, Thomas Richmond. Chicago. Religio-Philosophical Publishing House. 1870. 236pp.

A good + copy, bound in cloth with a few spots as shown, and a white smudge on the spine. Text is lightly shaken, some light foxing on the prelims.