John Calhoun address slavery and the growing disunity in the nation in his 1850 address. He asserts that the Northerners have gained a large population in recent years, and this will result in an imbalance favoring the north in Congress. He supports his claim by providing evidence of this imbalance: Calhoun ponts out that the nation recently admitted five new northern states from territories such as Oregon, Minnesota, and regions of Mexico, while at the same time no new northern states admitted. In addition, Calhoun believes that the national tariffs have only benefitted the north while harmed the south, leading to embittered sectionalism. This sectionalism is portrayed by the difference of ideology between the two groups. One instance which Calhoun points out is that while northern abolitionists want to free the slaves, this freedom in turn would destroy the Southern economy. Calhoun offers a solution to these present issues between the groups: he proclaims that the northerners must make concessions by protection the Southerners rights, accepting slavery, and giving them the oppurtunity to take land and gain representation. By doing so, Calhoun believes that true American democracy will be restored and the Union would flourish.
No comments:
Post a Comment