TO THE CITIZENS OF THE EIGHTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA [caption title]
1861 · Washington
by Vance, Zebulon Baird
Washington: H. Polkinhor, 1861. 7pp. Dbd. Lightly tanned. Very good. Vance was a Congressman from North Carolina when the Civil War broke out; during the war he would serve as governor of the state, later serving a second, non-consecutive term. In this letter to his constituents, he appeals to their sense of loyalty to the Union, writing: "Upon your vote a nation lives or dies. Certainly then you should examine it closely on both sides, and dismiss every prejudice, every thought of party, and all the smaller passions of men. If disunion is best, if it would afford you more liberty, prosperity, and happiness, then go for disunion and let no fond remembrance of past glories prevent you from sundering all the ties that bind you to Washington's handiwork." (Inventory #: WRCAM53480)