# Texas Ordinance of Secession

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Adopted February 1, 1861; ratified February 23, 1861. This version from a convention-ordered 1861 publication.
No. 1—AN ORDINANCE
To dissolve the union between the State of Texas and the other States, united under the compact styled "The Constitution of the United States of America.
Whereas, The Federal Government has failed to accomplish the purposes of the compact of union between these States, in giving protection either to the persons of our people upon an exposed frontier, or to the property of our citizens; and, whereas, the action of the Northern States of the Union is violative of the compact between the States and the guarantees of the Constitution; and, whereas, the recent developements in Federal affairs, make it evident that the power of the Federal Government is sought to be made a weapon with which to strike down the interest and prosperity of the people of Texas and her sister slaveholding States, instead of permitting it to be, as was intended, our shield against outrage and aggression: therefore,
Section 1. We, the People of the State of Texas, by delegates in Convention assembled, Do declare and ordain, that the ordinance adopted by our convention of delegates, on the fourth day of July, A. D. 1845, and afterwards ratified by us, under which the Republic of Texas was admitted into union with other States and became a party to the compact styled "The ​Constitution of the United States of America," be, and is hereby repealed and annulled; that all the powers, which by said compact were delegated by Texas to the Federal Government, are revoked and resumed; that Texas is of right absolved from all restraints and obligations incurred by said compact, and is a separate sovereign State, and that her citizens and people are absolved from all allegiance to the United States, or the Government thereof.
Sec. 2. This ordinance shall be submitted to the people of Texas for their ratification or rejection by the qualified voters thereof, on the 23rd day of February, 1861, and, unless rejected by a majoriity of the votes cast, shall take effect and be in force on and after the 2nd day of March, A. D. 1861. Provided, that in the Representative district of El Paso, said election may be held on the 18th day of February, 1861.
Adopted in Convention, at Austin City, the first day of February, 1861,
O. M. ROBERTS, President.
| EDWIN WALLER, | GEO. W. CHILTON, |
| L. A. ABERCROMBIE, | ISHAM CHISUM, |
| W. A. ALLEN, | WM. CLARK, Jr., |
| JAMES M. ANDERSON, | J. A. CLAYTON, |
| T. S. ANDERSON, | CHARLES L. CLEVELAND. |
| JAMES R. ARMSTRONG, | A. G. CLOPTON, |
| RICHARD L. ASKEW, | RICHARD COKE, |
| W. S. J. ADAMS, | JAMES E. COOK, |
| WM. C. BATTE, | JON W. DANCY, |
| S. W. BEASLEY, | A. H. DAVIDSON, |
| JOHN BOX, | C. DEEN, |
| H. NEWTON BURDITT, | THOS. J. DEVINE, |
| JAMES M. BURROUGHS, | THOMAS G. DAVENPORT, |
| JOHN I. BURTON, | JAS. J. DIAMOND, |
| S. E. BLACK, | WM. W. DIAMOND, |
| W. T. BLYTHE, | JNO. DONELSON, |
| AMZI BRADSHAW, | JOSEPH H. DUNHAM, |
| R. WEAKLEY BRAHAN, | EDWARD DOUGHERTY, |
| A. S. BROADDUS, | H. H. EDWARDS, |
| JNO. HENRY BROWN, | ELBERT EARLY, |
| ROBERT C. CAMPBELL, | JOHN N. FALL, |
| LEWIS F. CASEY, | DRURY FIELD, |
| WM. CHAMBERS, | JOHN H. FEENEY, |
| T. J. CHAMBERS, | GEORGE FLOURNOY, |
| JOHN GREEN CHAMBERS, | SPENCER FORD, |
| N. B. CHARLTON, | JOHN S. FORD, ​ |
| THOMAS C. FROST, | THOMAS M. McCRAW, |
| AMOS P. GALLOWAY, | WM. GOODLOE MILLER, |
| CHARLES GANAHL, | ALBERT N. MILLS, |
| ROBERT S. GOULD, | THOMAS MOORE, |
| ROBERT GRAHAM, | THOS. C. MOORE, |
| MALCOM D. GRAHAM, | CHARLES de MONTEL, |
| PETER W. GRAY, | B. F. MOSS, |
| JNO. A. GREEN, | JOHN MULLER, |
| JOHN GREGG, | THOS. J. NASH, |
| WM. P. HARDEMAN, | A. NAUENDORF |
| JOHN R. HAYES, | T. C. NEEI |
| PHILEMON T. HERBERT | ALLISON NELSON, |
| A. W. O. HICKS, | JAMES F. NEWSOM, |
| THOS. B. J. HILL, | W. M. NEYLAND, |
| ALFRED M. HOBBY, | E. B. NICHOLS, |
| JOS. L. HOGG, | A. J. NICHOLSON, |
| J. J. HOLT, | E. P. NICHOLSON, |
| JAMES HOOKER, | JAMES M. NORRIS, |
| EDWARD R. HORD, | ALFRED T. OBENCHAIN, |
| RUSSELL HOWARD, | W. B. OCHILTREE, |
| A. CLARK HOYL, | W. S. OLDHAM, |
| THOS. P. HUGHES, | R. J. PALMER, |
| J. W. HUTCHESON, | W. M. PAYNE, |
| JNO. IRELAND, | W. K. PAYNE, |
| THOS. J. JENNINGS, | WILLIAM M. PECK, |
| F. JONES, | W. R. POAG, |
| W. C. KELLY, | ALEXANDER POPE, |
| T. KOESTER, | DAVID Y. PORTIS, |
| C. M. LESUEUR, | D. M. PRENDERGAST, |
| F. W. LATHAM, | WALTER F. PRESTON, |
| PRYOR LEA, | F. P. PRICE, |
| JAMES S. LESTER, | A. T. RAINEY, |
| JOHN LITTLETON, | JOHN H. REAGAN, |
| M. F LOCKE, | C. RECTOR, |
| OLIVER LOFTIN, | P. G. RHOME, |
| THOS. S. LUBBOCK, | E. S. C. RORFRTSON, |
| P. N. LUCKETT, | J. C. ROBERTSON, |
| HENRY A. MALTBY, | J. B. ROBERTSON, |
| JESSE MARSHALL, | WILLIAM P. ROGERS, |
| JAMES M. MAXEY, | JAMES H. ROGERS, |
| LEWIS W. MOORE, | EDWARD M. ROSS, |
| WM. McCRAVEN, | JNO. RUGELEY, |
| WM. McINTOSH, | H. R. RUNNELS, |
| GILCHRIST McKAY, | E. B. SCARBOROUGH, ​ |
| WM. T. SCOTT, | JAMES G. THOMPSON, |
| WILLIAM HEAD SCURRY, | W. S. TODD, |
| JAMES E. SHEPARD, | JAMES WALWORTH, |
| SAM S. SMITH, | R. H. WARD, |
| GIDEON SMITH, | WM. WARREN, |
| JOHN D. STELL, | JAS. C. WATKINS, |
| JOHN G. STEWART, | JOHN A. WHARTON, |
| CHARLES STEWART, | JOSEPH P. WIER, |
| F. S. STOCKDALE, | JNO. A, WILCOX, |
| WM. H. STEWART, | A. P. WILEY, |
| PLEASANT TAYLOR, | BEN WILLIAMS, |
| B. F. TERRY, | JASON WILSON, |
| NATHANIEL TERRY, | PHILIP A. WORK. |
| E. THOMASON. |
Delegates who served only at the adjourned session, and signed the Ordinance on, or after the second day of March:
| D. M. STAPP, | M. J. HALL, |
| JOHN A. CHAMBERS, | WM. NASH, |
| ELI H. BAXTER, | J. L. L. McCALL, |
| WM. A. MONTGOMERY, | WM. A. MATTOX, |
| TIGNAL W. JONES, | JOHN R. HENRY, |
| JAMES W. HENDERSON, | T. J. WORD, |
| CHARLES A. RUSSELL, | WILKINS HUNT, |
| GEORGE H. BAGBY, | JAMES M. HARRISON, |
| NOAH COX, | SAMUEL A. WILSON. |
| R. T. Brownrigg, Secretary, Wm. Dunn Schoolfield, Assistant Secretary, R. W. Lunday, Assistant“ Secretary“ ||
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1930.
This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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