AND AMERICAN DEMOCRACY SEVENTY YEARS AGO 297 



ciple of nullification. These events were carefully 

 noted by the politicians of South Carolina. The pro- 

 tectionist policy which since the peace of 1815 na d 

 been growing in favour at the North had culminated 

 in 1828 in the so-called "tariff of abominations." 

 This tariff, the result of a wild, helter-skelter scramble 

 of rival interests, deserved its name on many accounts. 

 It discriminated, with especial unfairness, against the 

 Southern people, who were very naturally and properly 

 enraged by it. A new tariff, passed in 1832, modified 

 some of the most objectionable features of the old one, 

 but still failed of justice to the Southerners. Jackson 

 was opposed to the principle of protective tariffs, and 

 from his course with Georgia it might be argued that he 

 would not interfere with extreme measures on the part 

 of the South. During the whole of Jackson's first term 

 there was more or less vague talk about nullification. 

 The subject had a way of obtruding itself upon all sorts 

 of discussions, as in the famous debates on Foote's reso- 

 lutions which lasted over five months in 1830 and called 

 forth Webster's wonderful speech in reply to Hayne. 

 A few weeks after this speech, at a public dinner in 

 commemoration of Jefferson's birthday, after sundry 

 regular toasts had seemed to indicate a drift of senti- 

 ment in approval of nullification, Jackson suddenly 

 arose with a volunteer toast, " Our Federal Union : it 

 must be preserved." It was like a bombshell. Cal- 

 houn was prompt to reply with a toast and speech in 

 behalf of " Liberty, dearer than the Union," but the 

 nullifiers were bitterly disappointed and chagrined. 

 In spite of this warning, South Carolina held a con- 

 vention November 19, 1832, and declared the tariffs 

 of 1828 and 1832 to be null and void in South Caro- 



