Everything about John Slidell totally explained
John Slidell (1793 –
July 26,
1871) was an
American politician, lawyer and businessman. Originally a native of
New York, Slidell moved to
Louisiana as a young man and became a staunch defender of southern rights as a
U.S. Representative and
Senator.
Early life
He was born to the merchant John Slidell and the former Margery Mackenzie, a Scot. He graduated from
Columbia University (then "College") in 1810. In 1835, Slidell married the former Mathilde Deslonde, and they'd three children, Alfred Slidell, Marie Rosine (later comtess de St. Roman), and Matilda (later baronness d'Erlanger).
Merchant, lawyer, politician
Slidell was in the mercantile business in New York before he relocated to New Orleans. He practiced law in New Orleans from 1819-1843. He was the district attorney in New Orleans from 1829-1833. He also served in the state's
House of Representatives. Though he lost an election to the United States House in 1828, he was elected in 1842 and served a term and a half from 1843-1845, as a Democrat. He served as minister plenipotentiary to Mexico from 1845-1846.
Prior to the
Mexican-American War, Slidell was sent to
Mexico, by President
James Knox Polk, to negotiate an agreement whereby the
Rio Grande River would be the southern border of
Texas. He also was instructed to offer, among other alternatives, a maximum of $30 million for
California by
Polk and his administration. With the guidance of General
Zachary Taylor, U.S. troops were stationed at the U.S./Mexico border, ready defend against Mexican attack. The Mexican government rejected Slidell's mission. After Mexican forces attacked at Matamoras the
United States declared war on Mexico on
May 13,
1846.
At the
Democratic Convention in
Charleston, South Carolina, in April 1860, Slidell plotted with "fire-eaters" such as
William Lowndes Yancey of
Alabama to stymie the nomination of the popular Northern Democrat Senator
Stephen A. Douglas of
Illinois.
Civil War
During the
American Civil War John Slidell was one of the two
CSA diplomats involved in the
Trent Affair in November, 1861. After having been appointed the Confederate States of America's commissioner to
France in September, 1861, he ran the blockade from Charleston, South Carolina, with
James Murray Mason of
Virginia. They then set sail from
Havana on the British mail boat steamer
RMS Trent, but were intercepted by the
U.S. Navy while en route and taken into captivity at
Fort Warren in Boston. After the resolution of the
Trent Affair, the two diplomats set sail for Europe on
January 1,
1862.
John Slidell was a brother of
Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, a naval officer who commanded the
USS Somers on which a unique event occurred in 1842 off the coast of Africa during the
Blockade of Africa. In that incident, three crewmen were hanged after being convicted of
mutiny at sea. Mackenzie reversed the order of his middle and last names to honor a maternal uncle.
Another brother, Thomas Slidell, was chief justice of the
Louisiana Supreme Court. He was also the brother-in-law of the American naval Commodore
Matthew C. Perry, who was married to Slidell's sister, Jane. Perry is remembered for opening United States trade with
Japan in 1853.
Later life
Slidell moved to
Paris, France, after the Civil War. He died in
Cowes,
Isle of Wight,
England. He is interred in the Saint-Roman family private cemetery near Paris. He,
Judah P. Benjamin and
A. Dudley Mann were among the high-ranking Confederate officials buried abroad.
Trivia
Further Information
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