CalTaz9.html

John C. Calhoun to Littleton Waller Tazewell, August 25, 1827, page 9

statute book; and altho' among

the oldest, it ought not to

be considered to late

to enquire, by what authority

Congress adopted it, and

how far it can be reconciled

with the sovereignty of the

States, as to their reserved

rights? On both points,

I would be much gratified

with your views. I know of

no one more competent

to a thorough investigation

of them. If the provision

in question be really incon-

sistent with the Constitution,

the application of the remedy

against geographical despotism

becomes at least simple,

to whatever new dangers

the country may be thereby exposed;

none of which can, I am

confident, be more urgent

than that, which now threatens us. He indeed must be ignorant, who does not see, that when a great local interest combines in an extensive country to absorb all of the benefits, and to throw off all of the burden of supporting the government, that dissolution, or tyranny is approaching, and that the approach will be with an accelerated velocity [sic] by ["reason of" canceled] profligate politicians seizing on ["such" canceled and "means so" interlined] powerful "means" canceled] to gain, or retain power. Yours sincerely, J.C. Calhoun.

The Cause of the U.S. Civil War