The Federal Union - It Must Be Preserved -- Number One

The run-up to the Civil War became more fiery as the election of 1856 approached. Northern and Southern voices became more strident, as exhibited in The Federal Union - It Must Be Preserved -- Number One -- by George M. Weston. Mr. Weston's pamphlet says "There will be found appended, extracts from speeches made in Congress during the present session down to the present date (April 26, 1856) by Southern members, in which is avowed the purpose, in certain contingencies, of dissolving the Union and overturning the existing Federal Government...Quotations are only made from those speeches in which the purpose of dissolving the Union in certain contingencies is avowed directly and without circumlocution...The UNION TEST must be applied to all candidates for the Presidency. Every aspirant for that position, must be made to declare explicitly and without qualification, that in any event and under all circumstances, he will at all hazards and with all his official power, uphold the Union and its laws. If any candidate refuses to subscribe to this test, it will be proof conclusive that he is in collusion with Southern traitors...". Then follows six double-column pages of extracts of speeches.

The article is contained in an eight page double-column booklet, without covers, that measures approximately 6 x 9 ½ inches. The pages are unbound. There is some dirt staining on the first and last pages, and chipping along the outer edges of all pages. The pages are tanned, but the text is clear and easily read. The first page also has markings reflecting the prior ownership by the Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio. The overall condition of the item is fair.

The illustrations accompanying this description shows the first page and a typical later page of the article.

George Melville Weston, (1816-1887) was an author who wrote and spoke often about his anti-slavery beliefs.