Robert Hunter

Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter (April 21, 1809 – July 18, 1887) was a Virginian lawyer and politician. He was a U.S. Representative (1837–1843, 1845–1847), Speaker of the House (1839–1841), and U.S. Senator (1847–1861). During the American Civil War he was Confederate States Secretary of State (1861–1862) and then a Confederate Senator (1862–1865). After the war, he served as Treasurer of Virginia (1874–1880), and customs collector in 1885 until his death.

In The Guns of the South, Judah Benjamin, Hunter's successor as Secretary of State, discusses Hunter's 1862 doctrine which was presented to British and French foreign ministers in the hope of obtaining those countries' recognition of the CSA. This is part of a series of quid pro quo accusations between Union and Confederate peace commissioners, regarding how far their respective governments are willing to respect the rights of certain citizens to leave the fold.