Speech of Hon. J. P. Benjamin, of Louisiana, on the Right of Secession Delivered in the Senate of the United States, Dec. 31, 1860

This powerful speech delivered by Louisiana Senator Judah Benjamin, just weeks before the start of the Civil War, argues in favor of states' right to secede from the Union. Benjamin defends the legitimacy of secession and warns of the dire consequences of attempting to suppress it. This speech is a fascinating look into the legal and political justifications for secession and an important window into the tensions that led to the Civil War.

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