ADDRESS DELIVERED BEFORE the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies, at Chapel Hill; N.C. June 20, 1832

Fourth edition. 21 cm. 23 pp. Original printed front wrapper, lacks rear wrapper. "With his recognized speaking ability, Gaston was invariably called upon to deliver commencement addresses by colleges and universities far and wide. One of his most outstanding orations he gave in June 1832 at the University of North Carolina, where he entreated his audience to uphold the Constitution and to preserve the Union. He condemned the institution of slavery and insisted upon its abolition, although at the time of his death [1844] he owned 200 slaves. He stated his anti-nullification position so emphatically that his address went through five printings." (NCPedia online). See DAB for an account of Gaston, who became a member of the state supreme court of N.C. in 1833, after some debate as to whether he, as a Catholic, was eligible for the position. This address includes a laudatory note dated 1832 from John Marshall.