History of the United States from the earliest discovery of America to the end of 1902 . 832 educated like Clay and Jackeon, his energy-carried him through Yale College, andthrough a course of legal study at Litch-field, Conn., where stood the only law-school then in America. November, 1811,found him a member of Congress, on firefor war with Britain. Monroes Secretaryof War for seven years from 1817, he wasin 1825 elected Vice-President, and re-elected in 1828. He had meantime turnedan ardent free-trader, and seefing the Northspredominance in the Union steadily in-creasing, had built up a null
History of the United States from the earliest discovery of America to the end of 1902 . 832 educated like Clay and Jackeon, his energy-carried him through Yale College, andthrough a course of legal study at Litch-field, Conn., where stood the only law-school then in America. November, 1811,found him a member of Congress, on firefor war with Britain. Monroes Secretaryof War for seven years from 1817, he wasin 1825 elected Vice-President, and re-elected in 1828. He had meantime turnedan ardent free-trader, and seefing the Northspredominance in the Union steadily in-creasing, had built up a nullification theorybased upon that of the Virginia and Ken-tucky resolutions and the Hartford Conven-tion, and upon the history of the formationof our Constitution. He had worked outto his own satisfaction the untenable viewthat each State had the right, not in theway of revolution but under the Constitu-tion itself—as a contract between partiesthat had no superior referee—to veto na-tional laws upon its own judgment of theirunconstitutionality. On this doctrine South Carolina pres-. John C. a picture by King at the Corcoran Art Gallery^ 1832J THE GREAT NULLIFICATION 73 ently proceeded to act. November 24,1832, the convention of that State passedits nulHfication ordinance, declaring thetariff acts of 1828 and 1832 null, void,and no law, defying Congress to executethem there, and agreeing, upon the firstuse of force for this purpose, to form aseparate government. This was the quintessence of folly evenhad good theory been behind it. Thetone of the proceeding was too hasty andperemptory. The decided turn of publicopinion and of congressiojial action infavor of large reduction in duties wasignored. But the theory appealed to wasclearly wrong, and along with its advo-cates was sure to be reprobated by thenation. A precious opportunity effectivelyto redress the evil complained of was wan-tonly thrown away. Worst of all, froma tactical point of view, South Carolinahad
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