[FLT-bird]

DoodleDawg:

Nonsense. You have offered your completely bogus, unsupported claim that their actions were constitutional, despite the fact that the constitution clearly prohibited them, by offering some lame explanation that "treaties madde them constitutional." That is completely false. Treaties cannot override the constitution, not even the Confederate one.

You say its bogus. Maybe it even is. However if both the President and the Congress went along with it then it would be done regardless of the actual constitutional niceties....as we both know. They'd hardly be the only government in North America to have trampled on their constitution in order to do what they thought necessary to win.

Did they give their approval? If so, when?

1864. and in anticipation of your next tiresome gambit, feel free to look it up for yourself.

It would be proof that the court existed and that Davis and his congress had not ignored their constitution in that area, and would provide evidence that Davis might not be willing to ignore his constitution in other areas.

As we both know, exigencies of war had not provided the opportunity for them to do that yet. It rated as a lower priority than defending the country. Was it unconstitutional? Possibly. So what? If the political power structure went along with it then it would be done.

PS. Whatever happened to "let's both agree that each of us thinks the other an idiot and there is nothing to be gained from further discussion"? You just can't help yourself can you?

[DoodleDawg]

However if both the President and the Congress went along with it then it would be done regardless of the actual constitutional niceties....as we both know.

Yes, the Confederate contempt for their constitution is well established. And without the third branch of government to act as a check and balance on the other two branches they may have gotten away with it.

They'd hardly be the only government in North America to have trampled on their constitution in order to do what they thought necessary to win.

Only one I'm aware of.

As we both know, exigencies of war had not provided the opportunity for them to do that yet.

Davis and the Confederate congress had the time to confirm four Secretaries of State, though they had nobody to carry on diplomatic relations with. They confirmed five Secretaries of War, though Davis ran things on his own. Six Attorney Generals, though they didn't have a judiciary. Three Treasury secretaries, a Navy secretary, and a Postmaster general, all appointed and none required by the constitution. They kept Davis's revolving door of a cabinet stocked but not the third branch of government. Exigencies of war had nothing to do with it. Contempt for the rule of law did.

Was it unconstitutional? Possibly. So what?

Would you cut Lincoln the same slack?

You just can't help yourself can you?

My opinion hasn't changed. And as I said it's hard to sit by when you post such ridiculous crap.

[BroJoeK]

DoodleDawg: "That is completely false.
Treaties cannot override the constitution, not even the Confederate one."

FLT-bird: "You say its bogus.
Maybe it even is.
However if both the President and the Congress went along with it then it would be done regardless of the actual constitutional niceties....as we both know.
They'd hardly be the only government in North America to have trampled on their constitution in order to do what they thought necessary to win."

Lost Causers' accusations that, "Lincoln trampled the Constitution" are nonsense but what's even more so is their eagerness to excuse Confederates for the same acts.

What's up with that?

DoodleDawg on Confederate Congress' alleged approval of Kenner's mission: "Did they give their approval? If so, when?"

FLT-bird: "1864. and in anticipation of your next tiresome gambit, feel free to look it up for yourself."

Any claims that FLT-bird might have to legitimacy disappears with comments like that -- "look it up yourself".
The fact is that FLT-bird simply misremembers what he thinks he read "somewhere" at some time, and now is too much the coward to admit he's wrong on this detail.

The Kenner Mission:

"...Kenner suggested that Davis tell both governments [France & Britain] that the Confederacy would abolish slavery.
No timeframe was discussed, and Kenner originally floated the idea of presenting the plan to the Confederate Congress.
Davis asked Kenner not to do so and rejected the idea outright, thinking that the situation was not yet desperate enough to warrant such a move, but in late 1864 he sent for Kenner and told him to put the plan in motion.
Kenner was given credentials and set out on a secret mission to Europe in January 1865."

Kenner's mission to France & Britain was totally a last-ditch act of cynical desperation.
Had Davis done it in January 1862, he could have won the war, but in January 1865 it was far too little, too late.