A Resolution from the Florida General Assembly, 1859


This is a very interesting document.  It was introduced in the Florida Senate on December 19, 1859, by Mr. W. J. Keitt, Chairman of the Joint Select Committee, which apparently had jurisdiction over relations with the Federal Government.
The resolution is remarkable for its aggressive language regarding the possibility of a future Republican President being elected.  Although the Harpers Ferry raid in October is not directly mentioned, there is little doubt that those events influenced the language here.  The next day (Dec. 20) the text was modified into the form below, and passed by the Senate, unanimously.  When originally posted, there was some doubt about when or if it had been passed by the Florida House, but an email from Mr. Peter Di Croce pointed me to the appropriate evidence for that.  I promptly gathered up Mr. Di Croce's evidence and put it in a safe place on my laptop to make the necessary corrections, and then just as promptly forgot about it until mid-March of 2026, for which I massively apologize.

The publisher would like to thank Sarah Pioggia for posting the original document in the Facebook group Civil War Truth.




Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Florida in General Assembly convened, That in view of our national affairs the time for argument has passed, the time for action arrived; and that Florida as one of the Southern States abides the destiny of her sisters, extends her warmest assurance of co-operation in any course their united wisdom may devise.

Resolved, That in the event of the election of a President by a Northern party, opposed to slavery as it exists in the Southern States, it will be the duty of the Southern States to prevent his inauguration, or to take some means in common to protect themselves, and as one of the Southern States, Florida hereby pledges herself to do her duty.

Resolved, That to give effect to this assured co-operation the Governor be and he is hereby authorized upon the call of any of our Slaveholding States, and particularly those bordering on the free States to take any and all steps necessary for the maintenance of their rights and to convene the Legislature in extraordinary Session, should the necessity occur.

Resolved, That the Governor be requested to forward a copy of these resolutions, to our Representative and Senators in Congress, and to the Governors of all the Southern States.



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Source:  A Journal of Proceedings of the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the State of Florida, at an adjourned session, pp. 207--208 (passage by the House) and p. 214 (notice to the House of passage by the Senate).

 Date added to website: January, 2023.

Corrected version posted on March 19, 2026