WRITINGS OF SAl\-C HOUSTON, 18,l6
474
3 John Slidell (1793-July 29, 1871), was born, reared and educated in New York City. He graduated from Columbia College (now Columbia University) in 1810, studied law, was admitted to the bar, and practised his profession in New York City until 1819, when he removt!d to New Orleans, Louisiana, and practised law in that city from 1819 to 1835. Justin H. Smith, The Wa1· with Mexico, I, 91, says of him that "he was a pleasant agreeable man, an able lawyer, and an excellent Spanish scholar." In the South he became one of the master spirits of the Democratic party, and as a strong State-Rights Democrat was elected to the Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1843, till his resignation on November 10, 1845. President Polk sent him as a special envoy to Mexico in 1845, but that government refused to receive him; he was then offered the mission to Central America, but 1·efused it. Soon he was elected United States senator from Louisiana to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Pierre Soule, and was reelected and served from December 5, 1853, to February 4, 1861. The Confederate Government selected him and James M. Mason of Virginia, as commissioners to go to England and try to secure Great Britain's recognition of the Confederate States as an independent nation. While going on this mission, he was taken from the British mail ship T1·ent, sailing from Havana to England, on November 8, 1861, and was confined in the Federal prison at Fort Warren, Boston Harbor. Finally, he was released and sailed for England on January 1, 1862. He died in Cowes, Isle of Wight, July 29, 1871. See Justin H. Smith, Ou1· Wa1· with Mexico, I and II, vassim.; E. Channing, History of the United States, V, 553, VI, 350-354, 362-365. Biogmphical Di1·ectory of the Ain1.erican Congress (1928), p. 1531. Dictionary of American Biography, XVII, 209-210. .
To JOHN HEMPHILL1
Washington, 28 Apl. 1846 My Dear Judge, I have to thank you for the useful, and im- portant information which you had the kindness, to send me. I would have acknowledged the favor long since, were it not that I am so busy. Miller too, never got my letter, written to him, previous to my leaving home, to come on, by all means. If he had received it, he would have come on, I am satisfied. I will not pretend to give you anything of a political character here. You would have to be here to understand matters. The times are big with events! The Democracy are practically in a minority. Men are leading off for the Presidency. There are at least three gentlemen who have their eyes on the White House, [Lewis] Cass, [John C.] Calhoun & [William] Allen. 2 It may be •that all are not for 48, but two are certainly. Others fancy, that they have a glimmering of future lights. This is a most unfor- tunate state of things. I see what is going on, but take no part,
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