Cavalry

[Union_Buff]

Jefferson Davis

Don't worry about the title in the Ballot Box forum - that's a tiny slip up.

I was just reading "The Civil War: Strange & Fascinating Facts" by Burke Davis. I read in that book, a prominent Confederate general voted for Davis to become U.S. President, which did not happen as we know. Do you think, if that had happened, would the Civil War have been averted entirely?

 

[Bonny Blue Flag]

I think it would end up being the pre-qual to presidencies like Johnson--supporting an unpopular war, or like Nixon's--using presidential power to force issues that were unpopular, not to mention illegal.

--BBF

 

[Glorybound]

I'm a little confused by the question, but I voted "no" because I think the Southern slave interests and power-brokers had their minds made up about secession way before Jeff Davis was in the picture. I'm assuming that you mean had Jeff Davis become US president?




Lee

 

[Union_Buff]

I'm a little confused by the question, but I voted "no" because I think the Southern slave interests and power-brokers had their minds made up about secession way before Jeff Davis was in the picture. I'm assuming that you mean had Jeff Davis become US president?




Lee

Yeah I did - I've changed the question now ^^

 

[johan_steele]

Davis was in the running during t he 1860 Democratic convention w/ many prominant Democrats, North & South supporting him. There was a lot of backroom dealing... and less than a year later he was President of the CS w/out the hassle of a real election.

 

[captainrlm]

Wasn't it Benjamin Butler who supported him as President? Granted, that's a prominent Union general, not Confederate general, but I believe he supported Davis.

As to the question, I believe it would have postponed war at least until a non-Southern supporter was elected President. I know there were fire-eaters who were pushing for secession before the election (Ruffin & Yancey I believe, maybe Rhett as well) but I'm not sure even they could haved justified it or gotten any kind of support for it had a Southerner like Davis been elected.