Beschreibung:

KENNEDY, John F. Autograph letter signed ("John Kennedy") as Massachusetts Senator to James Aylward, [Newport, ca.1 1 September 1956]. 3 1/3 pages, 8vo (6¼ x 9¼ in.), on U.S. Senate stationery, with original autograph envelope , in fine condition. KENNEDY IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE 1956 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION: "IT IS ALL WATER OVER THE DAM, EXCEPT THAT ON OCCASIONS LIKE THAT YOU COME TO VALUE YOUR FRIENDS" A month after the turbulent 1956 Democratic National Convention, in which Kennedy had placed Adlai Stevenson's name in nomination, Kennedy speaks of his own close race for the Vice-Presidential slot, in a letter to James Aylward, Missouri Democrat: "Many thanks for your letter. I was most appreciative of your help in the delegation. My brother had told me he had talked with you. My good friend Senator Hennings was spreading a good deal of misinformation around that day. I did not vote for the Taft-Hartley Act, and I did not vote for Dixon Yates, and I have supported civil rights legislation in both the House & Senate. However, it is all water over the dam, except that on occasions like that you come to value your friends. I am truly grateful for your support as I am aware of the pressures in other directions that you were under. I hope if you are ever in Washington when the Senate convenes that you will give me a call. Otherwise I shall look forward to seeing you in Kansas City." In September 1956 Kennedy was at Hammersmith Farm in Newport where his wife was recovering from a miscarriage. He had just experienced a turning-point of sorts in his political career. A month earlier, at the Democratic National Convention, Kennedy, alongside Humphrey, Gore and Kefauver, had been a major contender for the vice presidential nomination. Unwilling to make a choice of running mate, Adlai Stevenson threw the choice to the delegates on the floor. Kennedy had captivated the crowd, presenting a film on the history of the Democratic Party on opening night. But his youth, inexperience, religion and wealth worked against him. On August 17, the day of the vote, a frenzy of excitement amongst the delegates contributed to the "great deal of misinformation" Kennedy writes about. On the first ballot, it appeared Kefauver was the clear winner, but the second ballot showed Kennedy the victor in the South and New England. Last-minute shifts in political allegiances, made on the floor while balloting was still going on, pushed the balance back in Kefauver's favor. Although Kennedy lost this race, the convention proved a springboard for his Presidential run, giving him national attention and experience. A week after writing this letter, Kennedy began a speaking tour which, although made in support of Stevenson, provided indispensible experience for his own successful 1960 presidental run.