Senator John Slidell announced his resignation from the Senate on February 4, 1861 after his state, Louisiana, issued a declaration that it was seceding from the United States. His full speech can be found here beginning on page 215. The speech began, as the other resignation speeches had, with a reading of the state’s announcement of secession. Slidell next discussed the legality of secession and predicted that if the United States tried to assert authority over Louisiana it would be successfully resisted by force. He denounced attempts to paint the secession movement as a conspiracy to lead the South astray for political reasons. Slidell explained why Louisiana was leaving the United States, which he identified as the election of Abraham Lincoln. Here is Slidell’s entire discussion of the rationale for secession.
Note: Feature illustration of Senator Slidell was published in Harper”s Weekly on March 27, 1858.
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This is a good article and excellent primary evidence piece.
The content of Slidell’s speech makes it all the more ironic that it was he who was deputed by Duncan F. Kenner to have the interview with British Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, in March of 1865, wherein he put to the PM several times in unmistakable manner that the Confederacy was willing to abolish slavery in exchange for recognition and intervention from Britain and France.
Also, there is strong evidence that one reason that Slidell and his colleague, Mason, were ordered to be arrested on the high seas by the USS San Jancinto commander, Captain Wilkes, by President Lincoln is that they were conveying the message to both Lord Palmerston and Napoleon III of France that the Confederacy was willing to abolish slavery in an Emancipationist manner in exchange for recognition and intervention from Great Britain and France.
Correction: It was James Mason whom met with Palmerston as I scribe above. Slidell met with Napoleon III on 5th of March, 1865, re. the Duncan F. Kenner Mission.
Thereat, while clearly hesitant at that stage of the war when it was clear the Union would prevail, the Emperor informed Slidell that France would recognise the Confederacy on the condition that Britain did so first.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009311427&view=1up&seq=341
I couldn’t help but put this link to this art. about Slidell in Paris with Napoleon III.
It’s an older art., but just check out all those cited letters and other references!!
Since it’s open access, anyone can open and save a PDF copy.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1835937
I also don’t mind saying that this kind of thing is what makes the Reconstruction Era THE best webpage about the Civil War/War Between The States today; great history builds up together!
Thanks