Subject: Secession

This 16-page pamphlet, "An Appeal for the Union," is a pro-Union speech delivered by Robert J. Walker in 1856. It advocates for the election of James Buchanan, arguing that the Republican Party's platform poses a threat to the Union. The pamphlet was sent as a free frank by U.S. Senator David Levy Yulee and addressed to Charles Augustus Davis, a New York merchant and bank official. The pamphlet's significance is heightened by Yulee's handwritten address and signature, representing an important pro-slavery document published five years before the Civil War.

This 15-page pamphlet contains a speech delivered by Robert J. Walker on September 30, 1856, advocating for the preservation of the Union while also expressing pro-Southern Rights sentiments. Sent as a "free frank" by Senator David Levy Yulee to Miss Lilly Arden in Putnam County, New York, this document offers insight into the political climate preceding the American Civil War and highlights the relationship between these two prominent senators.

Speech delivered by Judah P. Benjamin, Democratic Senator from Louisiana, on the floor of the United States Senate on May 22, 1860. Benjamin responds to a speech by Stephen A. Douglas, arguing against legislation restricting slavery in new states and territories. He cites the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision (1857), which ruled that enslaved people were not citizens and that the federal government could not interfere with states' rights regarding slavery. Benjamin criticizes Douglas's perceived inconsistency on the issue of slavery, highlighting the political divisions within the Democratic Party leading up to the Charleston Convention and the Southern secession from the Union. [np, nd. 1860]

This congressional record contains the speech delivered by Judah P. Benjamin, Senator from Louisiana, in the United States Senate on May 22, 1860. Benjamin's speech directly responds to Stephen A. Douglas's arguments on popular sovereignty and vehemently opposes any limitations on slavery in new states and territories. He cites the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision to support his position. This document is a key artifact of the escalating tensions leading to the Civil War, reflecting the deep divisions within the Democratic Party and the Southern states' determination to protect slavery.

This book contains ten sermons delivered during a period of national crisis in the early months of 1861, following Abraham Lincoln's election and the secession of South Carolina but before the attack on Fort Sumter. The sermons represent diverse viewpoints on the issues of slavery and national unity, with contributions from clergymen in both the soon-to-be Confederate States and Union States. Notably, the collection includes the controversial sermon "Bible View of Slavery" by Morris Jacob Raphall, offering a pro-slavery interpretation of scripture. Other prominent contributors include James Henley Thornwell, Benjamin Morgan Palmer, Robert Lewis Dabney, Robert Jefferson Breckinridge, Henry Jackson Van Dyke, and Thomas Lewis. The compilation provides a valuable snapshot of religious and political thought during a pivotal moment in American history.

Letter written by A. F. Brugess from Salem, South Carolina, on January 10, 1861, to an individual known only as "Pink." The letter details the intense political climate in South Carolina in the early days of the Civil War, including the secession of South Carolina and the formation of volunteer militias. Brugess describes his own participation in the Butler Minute Men, and mentions a Jewish man, Jacobs, who donated a flag to the company.

A one-page letter, dated March 6, 1855, from David Levy Yulee, President of the Florida Railroad, to Jas. E. Broome, Chairman. This is a secretarial copy of the letter. The letter discusses the Florida Railroad, its construction, and related matters. The letter is geographically relevant to Jacksonville, Florida, United States.

Two-page letter written on Confederate States of America, War Department stationery from Judah P. Benjamin, Secretary of War, to John J. Pettus, Governor of Mississippi, requesting troops under the recently passed act of the Confederate Congress. Although the letter bears a printed date of 1861, the '1' has been crossed out and replaced with a '2', making the most likely date February 1, 1862. This letter is significant in the context of Mississippi's secession from the Union and the early days of the American Civil War.

A three-page manuscript folio listing forty-nine Confederate Army officers, including their names, ranks, dates of commission, and original entry into service dates. The document is titled "All offices on this list are Graduate of the Military Academy [West Point] except those to whose name this mark (x) is offered." Notable officers listed include A.C. Myers (the highest-ranking Jewish officer in the Confederate Army), James Longstreet, and Stephen D. Lee. The manuscript also notes that it was "Sent into the Senate 28 Jany 1861," followed by additional lists of officers. Seven officers have an 'appoint'd' notation suggesting a time continuum and potential acceptance of South Carolina commissions after resigning from the U.S. Army. This document was likely drafted shortly after Lincoln's election in November 1860 under the South Carolina Adjutant General, authorized by Governor Pickens to enlist volunteers for a state army. The document is in fine condition. The description includes background information about the South Carolina secession convention in Columbia and Charleston in December 1860.

A print depicting Judah P. Benjamin, a prominent figure in the Confederate States of America. The print is part of a larger book or document, as it is described as a page excerpt. The print includes an engraved picture of Benjamin, identifying him as a confidant of Jefferson Davis and Secretary of State. The date of the print is approximately 1864.

This pamphlet reprints a speech delivered by Judah P. Benjamin in the U.S. Senate on May 8, 1860. The speech addresses Jefferson Davis's resolutions concerning slavery in the territories. Benjamin argues for the constitutionality of the resolutions and refutes Stephen Douglas's Popular Sovereignty doctrine. Published by Murphy & Co. of Baltimore, this 8-page pamphlet is significant for its contribution to the escalating tensions leading to the division of the Democratic Party and the secession crisis.