[Sam Houston]. Address of Gen. Sam Houston, at the Union Mass Meeting, Austin, Texas, on the...
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Consign your material to be auctioned alongside these items on Thursday, February 26, 2026 in Dallas, TX. Consignment Deadline for this auction is Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
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Description
[Sam Houston]. Address of Gen. Sam Houston, at the Union Mass Meeting, Austin, Texas, on the 22nd of September, 1860. [Austin]: Publisher unidentified, [circa 1860]. 8vo. 7, [1] pp. Printed self-wrappers, sewn.Houston's anti-secession speech at the Union Mass Meeting in Austin, delivered six weeks before the pivotal presidential election of 1860. On the back of page 7, a political advertisement for the "Union Electoral Ticket," pledged to support the strongest candidates against Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin.
In the leadup to the election, Houston desperately urged Texans to avoid secession. Although no states had yet seceded from the Union, several were poised to withdraw should Lincoln secure the Presidency. Houston saw disunion as an impending disaster, warning the people of Texas:
"When we deny the right of a State to secede, we...are told, 'Let them go out and you can not whip them back.' My friends, there will be no necessity of whipping them back. They will soon whip themselves, and will not be worth whipping back. Deprived of the protection of the Union, of the aegis of the Constitution, they would soon dwindle into petty States, to be again rent in twain by dissensions or through the ambition of selfish chieftains, and would become a prey to foreign powers."
Unfortunately, Houston's words went unheeded. Immediately following Lincoln's victory, South Carolina held a special convention and voted to secede; by February of 1861, six more states, including Texas, had followed, forming the Confederate States of America. Houston, then governor of Texas, refused to swear an oath of loyalty to the Confederacy, leading the Texas legislature to declare his governorship vacant.
Condition: Moderately toned with scattered staining throughout. Minor edgewear, including a few small chips. Spine and gutters professionally repaired with archival tissue.
Reference: Winkler 1347.
Auction Info
2026 February 26 Historical Manuscripts Signature® Auction #6328 (go to Auction Home page)
Bidding Begins Approx.
January
26th
Monday
Auction Dates
February
26th
Thursday
Proxy Bidding Begins Approx.
37 Days
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Signature®: Heritage Live®:After Internet bidding closes, live bidding will take place through www.HA.com/Live. Your secret maximum bid placed prior to the live event will compete against the live bids. To maximize your chances of winning, enter realistic secret maximum bids on our site. Many of our proxy bidders are successful at winning lots in these auctions, and usually below their secret maximum. You can also place last minute bids directly with us by e-mailing Bid@HA.com or calling 1-866-835-3243. (Important note: Due to software and Internet latency, live bids may not register in time, so enter realistic proxy bids.)
Signature® Floor Sessions
Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session. During the live auction event, bidding in person is encouraged, and Heritage Live includes streaming audio and often video during the event.
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