[PeaRidge]

I can understand your frustration because you continue to misunderstand the point.

You quoted declarations of war, some from proclamations and some from speeches.

But that is not the point.

All those that you quoted were a function of an act of Congress.

You understand that, don't you?

There was no act of the Confederate Congress declaring war.

That is the point.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Ah, then we're back to the semantic difference between "AN ACT Recognizing the existence of War between the United States and the Confederate States," which most certainly was passed by the confederate congress, and phrasing like "An Act Declaring that war exists between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain" or "An Act providing for the Prosecution of the existing War between the United States and the Republic of Mexico." and beginning with the phrase "Whereas, by the act of the Republic of Mexico, a state of war exists between that Government and the United States."

Is there a difference between "recognizing that a state of war exists" and "declaring that a state of war exists"? What is the magical wording that all of the US declarations of war share that make them official, but which makes the confederate act something else entirely?

[BroJoeK]

PeaRidge to Bubba Ho-Tep: "There was no act of the Confederate Congress declaring war."

This is an act of the Confederate Congress.
It does "recognize" war with the United States.
It authorizes acts of war against the United States.

This and several other acts of the Confederate Congress authorized war and war-powers to the Confederate government.

So there is no practical, legal or logical distinction to be drawn between Confederate actions and any other formal Declaration of War.

And here's the important point: the United States made no invasions, assaults or attacks on the Confederacy -- no Confederate soldiers were killed in battle with any United States military force -- until after the Confederacy first started, then formally declaration of war on the United States, on May 6, 1861.