John Slidell

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John Slidell
Junior Senator, Louisiana
In office December 5, 1853 – February 4, 1861
Preceded by	Pierre Soulé
Succeeded by	William P. Kellogg
Born	1793 New York City, New York, USA
Died	July 26, 1871 Cowes, Isle of Wight, England
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mathilde Deslonde Slidell
Profession	Politician, Lawyer, Merchant

John Slidell (1793 – July 26, 1871), a native of New York City, moved to Louisiana and became a U.S. representative and a U.S. senator from that state in the mid-nineteenth century.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Merchant, lawyer, politician 3 Civil War 4 Later life 5 Trivia 6 Reference

[edit] 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 had three children, Alfred Slidell, Marie Rosine (later comtess de St. Roman), and Matilda (later baronness d'Erlanger).

[edit] 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 one term from 1843-1845. He was 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. With the guidance of General Zachary Taylor, U.S. troops were stationed at the U.S./Mexico border, ready to attack upon orders. The Mexican government rejected Slidell's mission, and 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.

[edit] 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 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 an uncle to 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.

[edit] 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.

Slidell 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.

The city of Slidell in St. Tammany Parish is named in his honor.

[edit] Trivia

• His brother-in-law was P.G.T. Beauregard.
• His nephews were Ranald Slidell Mackenzie and Alexander Slidell MacKenzie (Civil War).

[edit] Reference

• "John Slidell", A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography, Vol. 2 (1988), pp. 746-747
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Preceded by Edward Douglass White Sr.	United States Representative for the 1st Congressional District of Louisiana 1843 – 1845	Succeeded by Emile La Sére
Preceded by Pierre Soulé	United States Senator (Class 3) from Louisiana December 5, 1853 – February 4, 1861 Served alongside: Judah P. Benjamin	Succeeded by William P. Kellogg(a)
(a) Because of Louisiana's secession, the Senate seat was vacant for seven years before Kellogg succeeded Slidell.

This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.