Let us look at the historical facts. This is a delicate and sensitive point, in southern feeling; and of late years it has always been touched, and generally with effect, whenever the object has been to unite the whole South against northern men, or northern measures. To all this, sir, I was disposed most cordially to respond. This episode was used in nineteenth century America as a Biblical justification for slavery. Though Webster made an impassioned argument, the political, social, and economic traditions of New England informed his ideas about the threatened nation. . I said, only, that it was highly wise and useful in legislating for the northwestern country, while it was yet a wilderness, to prohibit the introduction of slaves: and added, that I presumed, in the neighboring state of Kentucky, there was no reflecting and intelligent gentleman, who would doubt, that if the same prohibition had been extended, at the same early period, over that commonwealth, her strength and population would, at this day, have been far greater than they are. Address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural So "The Whole Affair Seems the Work of a Madman", John Brown and the Principle of Nonresistance. Foot calling for the temporary suspension of further land surveying until land already on the market was sold (to effectively stop the introduction of new lands onto the market). Chris has a master's degree in history and teaches at the University of Northern Colorado. . I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. They attack nobody, and menace nobody. We, sir, who oppose the Carolina doctrine, do not deny that the people may, if they choose, throw off any government, when it becomes oppressive and intolerable, and erect a better in its stead. Sir, when the gentleman provokes me to such a conflict, I meet him at the threshold. In our contemplation, Carolina and Ohio are parts of the same country; states, united under the same general government, having interests, common, associated, intermingled. Speech of Senator Robert Y. Hayne of South Carolina, January 19, 1830. Webster-Hayne Debate book. Northern states intended to strengthen the federal government, binding the states in the union under one supreme law, and eradicating the use of slave labor in the rapidly growing nation. Rather, the debate eloquently captured the ideas and ideals of Northern and Southern representatives of the time, highlighting and summarizing the major issues of governance of the era. Tariff of 1816 History & Significance | What was the Tariff of 1816? You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll hopefully stay awake until the end of the lesson. . For one, Hayne and Webster were arguing for the fate of the West and, in particular, whether the North or South would control western development. . Having thus distinctly stated the points in dispute between the gentleman and myself, I proceed to examine them. Explore the Webster-Hayne debate. The measures of the federal government have, it is true, prostrated her interests, and will soon involve the whole South in irretrievable ruin. . Nullification, Webster maintained, was a political absurdity. . Congress could only recommendtheir acts were not of binding force, till the states had adopted and sanctioned them. The people read Webster's speech and marked him as the champion henceforth against all assaults upon the Constitution. Sir, the very chief end, the main design, for which the whole Constitution was framed and adopted, was to establish a government that should not be obliged to act through state agency, or depend on state opinion and state discretion. This is the sum of what I understand from him, to be the South Carolina doctrine; and the doctrine which he maintains. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. . Is it the creature of the state legislatures, or the creature of the people? Speech of Senator Robert Y. Hayne of South Carolina, January 25, 1830. . He must say to his followers [members of the state militia], defend yourselves with your bayonets; and this is warcivil war. The debate, which took place between January 19th and January 27th, 1830, encapsulated the major issues facing the newly founded United States in the 1820s and 1830s; the balance of power between the federal and state governments, the development of the democratic process, and the growing tension between Northern and Southern states. They will also better understand the debate's political context. Webster denied it and, attempting to draw Hayne into a direct confrontation, disparaged slavery and attacked the constitutional scruples of southern nullifiers and their apparent willingness to calculate the Union's value in monetary terms. I am a Unionist, and in this sense a national Republican. I would strengthen the ties that hold us together. . The heated speeches were unplanned and stemmed from the debate over a resolution by Connecticut Senator Samuel A. Can any man believe, sir, that, if twenty-three millions per annum was now levied by direct taxation, or by an apportionment of the same among the states, instead of being raised by an indirect tax, of the severe effect of which few are aware, that the waste and extravagance, the unauthorized imposition of duties, and appropriations of money for unconstitutional objects, would have been tolerated for a single year? To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. In contrasting the state of Ohio with Kentucky, for the purpose of pointing out the superiority of the former, and of attributing that superiority to the existence of slavery, in the one state, and its absence in the other, I thought I could discern the very spirit of the Missouri question[1] intruded into this debate, for objects best known to the gentleman himself. Our Core Document Collection allows students to read history in the words of those who made it. Francis O. J. Smith to Secretary of State Dan Special Message to the House of Representatives, Special Message to Congress on Mexican Relations. A four-speech debate between Daniel Webster of Massachusetts and Robert Hayne of South Carolina, in January 1830. Regional Conflict in America: Debate Over States' Rights. South Carolina nullification was now coming in sight, and a celebrated debate that belongs to the first session exposed its claims and its fallacies to the country. Between January and May 1830, twenty-one of the forty-eight senators delivered a staggering sixty-five speeches on the nature of the Union. . So they could finish selling the lands already surveyed. The militia of the state will be called out to sustain the nullifying act. This is the true constitutional consolidation. This would have been the case even if no positive provision to that effect had been inserted in that instrument. This statement, though strong, is no stronger than the strictest truth will warrant. The gentleman takes alarm at the sound. . South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification 1832 | Crisis, Cause & Issues. I admit that there is an ultimate violent remedy, above the Constitution, and in defiance of the Constitution, which may be resorted to, when a revolution is to be justified. I shrink almost instinctively from a course, however necessary, which may have a tendency to excite sectional feelings, and sectional jealousies. What can I say? After his term as a senator, he served as the Governor of South Carolina. While the debaters argued about slavery, the economy, protection tariffs, and western land, the real implication was the meaning of the United States Constitution. . It is observable enough, that the doctrine for which the honorable gentleman contends, leads him to the necessity of maintaining, not only that this general government is the creature of the states, but that it is the creature of each of the states severally; so that each may assert the power, for itself, of determining whether it acts within the limits of its authority. The states cannot now make war; they cannot contract alliances; they cannot make, each for itself, separate regulations of commerce; they cannot lay imposts; they cannot coin money. The gentleman, indeed, argues that slavery, in the abstract, is no evil. . Religious Views: Letter to the Editor of the Illin Democratic Party Platform 1860 (Douglas Faction), (Northern) Democratic Party Platform Committee. . Sir, we will not stop to inquire whether the black man, as some philosophers have contended, is of an inferior race, nor whether his color and condition are the effects of a curse inflicted for the offences of his ancestors. They had burst forth from arguments about a decision by Connecticut Senator Samuel Foote. The Significance of the Frontier in American Histo South Carolinas Ordinance of Nullification. . This was the man to fire an aristocracy of fellow citizens ready to arm when their interests were in danger, and upon him, it devolved to advance the cause of South Carolina, break down the tariff, and fascinate the Union with the new rattlesnake theories. [2] We deal in no abstractions. Two leading ideas predominated in this reply, and with respect to either Hayne was not only answered but put to silence. The Webster-Hayne debate, which again was just one section of this greater discussion in the Senate, is traditionally considered to have begun when South Carolina senator Robert Y. Hayne stood to argue against Connecticut's proposal, accusing the northeastern states of trying to stall development of the West so that southern agricultural interests couldn't expand. Sir, as to the doctrine that the federal government is the exclusive judge of the extent as well as the limitations of its powers, it seems to be utterly subversive of the sovereignty and independence of the states. On that system, Carolina has no more interest in a canal in Ohio than in Mexico. The gentleman has made an eloquent appeal to our hearts in favor of union. Neither side can be said to have 'won' the debate, but Webster's articulation of the Union solidified for many the role of the federal government. Before his term as a U.S. senator, Hayne had served as a state senator, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, South Carolina's Speaker of the House, and Attorney General of South Carolina. Most are forgettable, to put it charitably. What idea was espoused with the Webster-Hayne debates? Sir, an immense national treasury would be a fund for corruption. The debate was on. . . For all this, there was not the slightest foundation, in anything said or intimated by me. Their own power over their own instrument remains. In The Webster-Hayne Debate, Christopher Childers examines the context of the debate between Daniel Webster of Massachusetts and his Senate colleague Robert S. Hayne of South Carolina in January 1830 . Nor those other words of delusion and folly,liberty first, and union afterwardsbut everywhere, spread all over in characters of living light, blazing on all its ample folds, as they float over the sea and over the land, and in every wind under the whole Heavens, that other sentiment, dear to every true American heartliberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable! Hayne launched his confident javelin at the New England States. . . The idea of a strong federal government The ability of the people to revolt against an unfair government The theory that the states' may vote against unfair laws The role of the president in commanding the government 2 See answers Advertisement holesstanham Answer: Hayne's First Speech (January 19, 1830) Webster's First Reply to Hayne (January 20, 1830) Hayne's Second Speech (January 21, 1830) Webster's Second Reply to Hayne (January 26-27, 1830) This page was last edited on 13 June 2021, at . . . . Compare And Contrast The Tension Between North And South. State governments were in control of their own affairs and expected little intervention from the federal government. But I do not admit that, under the Constitution, and in conformity with it, there is any mode in which a state government, as a member of the Union, can interfere and stop the progress of the general government, by force of her own laws, under any circumstances whatever. Hayne was a great orator, filled with fiery passion and eloquent prose. . If slavery, as it now exists in this country, be an evil, we of the present day found it ready made to our hands. 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He accused them of a desire to check the growth of the West in the interests of protection. It has been said that Hayne was Calhoun's sword and buckler and that he returned to the contest refreshed each morning by nightly communions with the Vice-President, drawing auxiliary supplies from the well-stored arsenal of his powerful and subtle mind. Web hardcover $30.00 paperback $17.00 kindle nook book ibook. These debates transformed into a national crisis when South Carolina threatened . . sir, this is but the old story. The Destiny of America, Speech at the Dedication o An Address. But I do not understand the doctrine now contended for to be that which, for the sake of distinctness, we may call the right of revolution. . Those who would confine the federal government strictly within the limits prescribed by the Constitutionwho would preserve to the states and the people all powers not expressly delegatedwho would make this a federal and not a national Unionand who, administering the government in a spirit of equal justice, would make it a blessing and not a curse. a. an explanation of natural events that is well supported by scientific evidence b. a set of rules for ethical conduct during an experiment c. a statement that describes how natural events happen d. a possible answer to a scientific question No hanging over the abyss of disunion, no weighing of the chances, no doubting as to what the Constitution was worth, no placing of liberty before Union, but "liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable." . Ostend Manifesto of 1854 Overview & Purpose | What was the Ostend Manifesto? Foote Idea To Limit The Sale Of Public Lands In The West To New Settlers. In all the efforts that have been made by South Carolina to resist the unconstitutional laws which Congress has extended over them, she has kept steadily in view the preservation of the Union, by the only means by which she believes it can be long preserveda firm, manly, and steady resistance against usurpation. Correspondence Between Anthony Butler and Presiden State of the Union Address Part II (1846). As sovereign states, each state could individually interpret the Constitution and even leave the Union altogether. Most assuredly, I need not say I differ with him, altogether and most widely, on that point. Who, then, Mr. President, are the true friends of the Union? That's what was happening out West. . Connecticut and other northeastern states were worried about the pace of growth and wanted to slow this down. It is worth noting that in the course of the debate, on the very floor of the Senate, both Hayne and Webster raised the specter of civil war 30 years before it commenced. Religion and the Pure Principles of Morality: The American Anti-Slavery Society, Declaration of Sent Constitution of the American Anti-Slavery Society, Appeal to the Christian Women of the South, Protest in Illinois Legislature on Slavery. The Webster-Hayne debate was a famous debate in the United States between Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts and Senator Robert Y. Hayne of South Carolina.It happened on January 19-27, 1830. She has worked as a university writing consultant for over three years. ", What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?. God grant that on my vision never may be opened what lies behind. I supposed, that on this point, no two gentlemen in the Senate could entertain different opinions. . Speech on Assuming Office of the President. [was] fixed, forever, the character of the population in the vast regions Northwest of the Ohio, by excluding from them involuntary servitude. South Carolinas Declaration of the Causes of Sece Distribution of the Slave Population by State. We had no other general government. What followed, the Webster Hayne debate, was one of the most famous exchanges in Senate history. He was a lawyer turned congressional representative who eventually worked his way to the office of U.S. Secretary of State. But to remove all doubt it is expressly declared, by the 10th article of the amendment of the Constitution, that the powers not delegated to the states, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.. Rachel Venter is a recent graduate of Metropolitan State University of Denver. Webster rose the next day in his seat to make his reply. It is to state, and to defend, what I conceive to be the true principles of the Constitution under which we are here assembled. The specific issue that sparked the Webster-Hayne debate was a proposal by the state of Connecticut which said that the federal government should halt its surveying of land west of the Mississippi and focus on selling the land it had already surveyed to private citizens. During his first years in Congress, Webster railed against President James Madison 's war policies, invoking a states' rights argument to oppose a conscription bill that went down to defeat.. It was about protectionist tariffs.The speeches between Webster and Hayne themselves were not planned. . Broadside Advertisement for Runaway Slave, Forcing Slavery Down the Throat of a Free-Soiler, Free & Slave-holding States and Territories. It would enable Congress and the Executive to exercise a control over states, as well as over great interests in the country, nay, even over corporations and individualsutterly destructive of the purity, and fatal to the duration of our institutions. The Hayne-Webster Debate was an unplanned series of speeches in the Senate, during which Robert Hayne of South Carolina interpreted the Constitution as little more than a treaty between sovereign states, and Daniel Webster expressed the concept of the United States as one nation. In many respects, his speech betrays the mentality of Massachusetts conservatives seeking to regain national leadership and advance their particular ideas about the nation. . Correct answers: 2 question: Which of the following is the best definition of a hypothesis? Well, you're not alone. That led into a debate on the economy, in which Webster attacked the institution of slavery and Hayne labeled the policy of protectionist tariffs as the consolidation of a strong central government, which he called the greatest of evils. The debates between daniel webster of massachusetts and robert hayne of south carolina gave. In 1830, the federal government collected few taxes and had two primary sources of revenue. It was plenary then, and never having been surrendered, must be plenary now. If this is to become one great consolidated government, swallowing up the rights of the states, and the liberties of the citizen, riding and ruling over the plundered ploughman, and beggared yeomanry,[8] the Union will not be worth preserving. . The people were not satisfied with it, and undertook to establish a better. Webster-Hayne Debate 1830, an unplanned series of speeches in the Senate, during which Robert Hayne of South Carolina interpreted the Constitution as little more than a treaty between sovereign states, and Daniel Webster expressed the concept of the United States as one nation. Assuredly not. It has always been regarded as a matter of domestic policy, left with the states themselves, and with which the federal government had nothing to do. . . . Our notion of things is entirely different. I'm imagining that your answer is probably 'I do.' . The scene depicted in the painting is Webster concluding his debate with Senator Robert Y. Hayne of South Carolina. Perhaps a quotation from a speech in Parliament in 1803 of Lord Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry (17691822) during a debate over the conduct of British officials in India. . I feel like its a lifeline. Webster replied to his speech the next day and left not a shred of the charge, baseless as it was. The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions Add Song of the Spinners from the Lowell Offering. . . He tells us, we have heard much, of late, about consolidation; that it is the rallying word for all who are endeavoring to weaken the Union by adding to the power of the states. But consolidation, says the gentleman, was the very object for which the Union was formed; and in support of that opinion, he read a passage from the address of the president of the Convention[3] to Congress (which he assumes to be authority on his side of the question.) My life upon it, sir, they would not. Union, of itself, is considered by the disciples of this school as hardly a good. [Its leader] would have a knot before him, which he could not untie. When they shall become dissatisfied with this distribution, they can alter it. But his calm, unperturbed manner reassured them in an instant. Record of the Organization and Proceedings of The Massachusetts Lawmakers Investigate Working Condit State (Colonial) Legislatures>Massachusetts State Legislature. They cherish no deep and fixed regard for it, flowing from a thorough conviction of its absolute and vital necessity to our welfare. Consolidation!that perpetual cry, both of terror and delusionconsolidation! . Sir, there does not exist, on the face of the whole earth, a population so poor, so wretched, so vile, so loathsome, so utterly destitute of all the comforts, conveniences, and decencies of life, as the unfortunate blacks of Philadelphia, and New York, and Boston. . This seemed like an Eastern spasm of jealousy at the progress of the West. Webster realized that if the social, political, and economic elite of Massachusetts and the Northeast were to once again lay claim to national leadership, he had to justify New England's previous history of sectionalism within a framework of nationalistic progression. All of these contentious topics were touched upon in Webster and Hayne's nine day long debate. The taxes paid by foreign nations to export American cotton, for example, generated lots of money for the government. It was of a partizan and censorious character and drew nearly all the chief senators out. Webster's speech aroused the latent spirit of patriotism. Sir, I deprecate and deplore this tone of thinking and acting. Tariff of Abominations of 1828 | What was the Significance of the Tariff of Abominations? The Northwest Ordinance. Such interference has never been supposed to be within the power of government; nor has it been, in any way, attempted. . I understand the honorable gentleman from South Carolina to maintain, that it is a right of the state legislatures to interfere, whenever, in their judgment, this government transcends its constitutional limits, and to arrest the operation of its laws. They significantly declare, that it is time to calculate the value of the Union; and their aim seems to be to enumerate, and to magnify all the evils, real and imaginary, which the government under the Union produces.