Texas | The first printing of the state's constitution

Texas

Constitution of the Republic of Texas to which is prefixed the Declaration of Independence made in Convention, March 2, 1836. Washington: Printed by Gales and Seaton, 1836

8vo (231 x 141 mm). 24 pages; scattered foxing, repaired marginal tear to final page. In half blue morocco over marbled boards, ruled in gilt, spine lettered gilt; upper hinge cracked, rear hinge and board edges a little rubbed.

Presumably the first printing of the Texas constitution. The constitution was drafted at Washington-on-the-Brazos on 1 March 1836. Of the first printing, Streeter notes, "As Professor [Rupert N.] Richardson shows in his article ["Framing the Constitution of the Republic of Texas"], not only is there no official copy of the Constitution in the papers of the Convention, now lodged in the Texas State Library, 'but we are unable to find even a complete draft of it.' One story is that when the Convention adjourned in some confusion early in the morning of the 17th of March that the secretary 'took it to Nashville, Tennessee, where it was published in one of the papers, from which it was reproduced by a Cincinnati paper, and from the latter copied by the Texas Telegraph of August 3 [i.e. 2].' Dr. Richardson thinks that as Childress and Hamilton left Texas immediately after the adjournment they probably took the secretary's (Kimble) certified copy along with them to Washington 'and naturally had these instruments printed as soon as possible in order to make a better presentation of the Texas cause'" (Streeter). One of the most significant state papers of Texas.

Rare. One copy was offered by Eberstadt in 1963, and following that we can locate only one other copy offered at auction.

REFERENCE

Streeter, Texas 1243; Sabin 94974; Eberstadt 162:184; Richardson, Rupert N., "Framing the Constitution of the Republic of Texas," Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. XXXI, 1928, p. 191-200