John Fenton
Sergeant
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2019
- Location
- retired traveling
Jefferson Davis was not the first choice of many delegates at the Southern constitutional convention, which met at Montgomery, Alabama, on the 4th of February 1861 . A dozen delegates at the Confederate Congress quickly wrote a provisional constitution and proclaimed Davis as provisional president of the Confederate States of America, with Alexander Stephens as vice president. this was a compromise.
In this election there seems to have been little of intrigue or political scheming. "The qualifications of Davis, Cobb, and Toombs were quietly canvassed, but the differ- ences were not so pressed as to cause delay of action or any ill feeling. Some deputies favored Cobb, some Toombs, but Davis received unanimous and cordial support."" The choice of Davis was warranted by many considerations [none mention a TRR]. A long and honorable career in the public service as representative, senator, and cabinet member had given him the necessary training for the presidency. He had, moreover, won merited fame in the war with Mexico and as secretary of war under Pierce had further increased his knowledge of military tactics and organization. It was natural, also, that t-he South should look to this conservative successor of Calhoun in the defense of slavery and the sovereignty of the State as their leader during the uncertain times that lay before them.
As the sessions of the Confederate Congress were closed to the public and secrecy strictly maintained as to the most of its pro- ceedings, while no records were kept of its debates, the account of any of its activities must necessarily be based upon fragmentary sources.
Davis’ appointment was largely political; he was a compromise candidate chosen to appease both the moderate and radical factions in the Congress. Davis, however, did not want the job. He had hoped for a military command.
After privately considering William Yancey, Howell Cobb, Robert Toombs, Alexander Stephens, and Robert Barnwell Rhett for President of the Confederate States of America, the Convention settles on Jefferson Davis. They select Alexander Stephens, both pro-Union and a friend of Abraham Lincoln, as vice-president . Davis and Stephens each received 6 votes.
"Stephens thought that Toombs would have been the choice of th-e Con- gress had a misunderstanding not arisen in the Georgia delegation. Stephens, WTar between the States, II, 329-331. See a:,so Pollard, Life of Jeffcrso-n Davis and Secret History of the Con fe0!rrcy , 61, who states that R. M. T. Hunter was slated for the presidency, with Jefferson Davis as secretary of war. A further discussion is given in Dodd's Jeffrcson Davis, 216-222, andl in Phillips' Life of Robert Too0nbs, 22-226. 4"He was selected because the opponelnts of secession and the conserva- tive Virginians could unite upon him." Dodd, 226.
Yet Davis probably preferred a high military commission to the position of executive. He says that he took what he considered "adequate precautions" to prevent his selection by the Montgomery assembly;" while Mrs. Davis notes that the sudden news of his nomination so deeply pained him that he spoke of it "as a man might speak of a sentence of death." His acceptance of the place, however, was not long delayed and he soon appeared before Congress to take the oath of office.
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/jefferson-davis-and-abraham-lincoln-dueling-inaugural-addresses
http://blueandgraytrail.com/event/Convention_of_Seceding_States
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/jefferson-davis
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/30237274.pdf?refreqid=excelsior:1a6e88da12b41639361a978b73b02a8e
Davis and Stephens ran unopposed in the permanent elections.
In this election there seems to have been little of intrigue or political scheming. "The qualifications of Davis, Cobb, and Toombs were quietly canvassed, but the differ- ences were not so pressed as to cause delay of action or any ill feeling. Some deputies favored Cobb, some Toombs, but Davis received unanimous and cordial support."" The choice of Davis was warranted by many considerations [none mention a TRR]. A long and honorable career in the public service as representative, senator, and cabinet member had given him the necessary training for the presidency. He had, moreover, won merited fame in the war with Mexico and as secretary of war under Pierce had further increased his knowledge of military tactics and organization. It was natural, also, that t-he South should look to this conservative successor of Calhoun in the defense of slavery and the sovereignty of the State as their leader during the uncertain times that lay before them.
As the sessions of the Confederate Congress were closed to the public and secrecy strictly maintained as to the most of its pro- ceedings, while no records were kept of its debates, the account of any of its activities must necessarily be based upon fragmentary sources.
Davis’ appointment was largely political; he was a compromise candidate chosen to appease both the moderate and radical factions in the Congress. Davis, however, did not want the job. He had hoped for a military command.
After privately considering William Yancey, Howell Cobb, Robert Toombs, Alexander Stephens, and Robert Barnwell Rhett for President of the Confederate States of America, the Convention settles on Jefferson Davis. They select Alexander Stephens, both pro-Union and a friend of Abraham Lincoln, as vice-president . Davis and Stephens each received 6 votes.
"Stephens thought that Toombs would have been the choice of th-e Con- gress had a misunderstanding not arisen in the Georgia delegation. Stephens, WTar between the States, II, 329-331. See a:,so Pollard, Life of Jeffcrso-n Davis and Secret History of the Con fe0!rrcy , 61, who states that R. M. T. Hunter was slated for the presidency, with Jefferson Davis as secretary of war. A further discussion is given in Dodd's Jeffrcson Davis, 216-222, andl in Phillips' Life of Robert Too0nbs, 22-226. 4"He was selected because the opponelnts of secession and the conserva- tive Virginians could unite upon him." Dodd, 226.
Yet Davis probably preferred a high military commission to the position of executive. He says that he took what he considered "adequate precautions" to prevent his selection by the Montgomery assembly;" while Mrs. Davis notes that the sudden news of his nomination so deeply pained him that he spoke of it "as a man might speak of a sentence of death." His acceptance of the place, however, was not long delayed and he soon appeared before Congress to take the oath of office.
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/jefferson-davis-and-abraham-lincoln-dueling-inaugural-addresses
http://blueandgraytrail.com/event/Convention_of_Seceding_States
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/jefferson-davis
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/30237274.pdf?refreqid=excelsior:1a6e88da12b41639361a978b73b02a8e
Davis and Stephens ran unopposed in the permanent elections.