Abstract
The national schism concerning the state of the Union following the Mexican War affected the character and intensity of political debate on the Florida scene no less than it did that of other areas throughout the nation. In Congress, Jefferson Davis and other eminent defenders of the Southern position gained the ardent support of Florida’s Democratic senior Senator, David L. Yulee. In his advocacy of the principle of the concurrent majority, as applied to the bicameral nature of the national legislature, Yulee was dealt a devastating blow by Webster and Clay. By late July of 1850, the proponents of the “Omnibus Bill” were still hopeful, and remained so until Maryland’s James A. Pearce suddenly allowed Yulee’s parliamentary maneuvers to divide the bill. The “ultras” had won a temporary victory, though the final compromise could not be averted.” In the final tabulation, Yulee was joined by his Whig colleagues from Florida, Senator Jackson Morton and Representative Edward C. Cabell, in opposing the California and District of Columbia slave-trade bills and approving the extension of slavery in the new Territories. Morton and Yulee also joined hands in support of the fugitive slave bill, with Cabell absent or not voting in the House.
Recommended Citation
Thompson, Arthur W.
(1952)
"The Railroad Background of the Florida Senatorial Election of 1851,"
Florida Historical Quarterly: Vol. 31:
No.
3, Article 4.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fhq/vol31/iss3/4
