LAD #13: John Calhoun's Speech

John Calhoun addressed the Senate in 1850, regarding slavery as the issue disrupting the nation from being united. He believes that sectionalism is increasing, and that the issue of slavery will disrupt the union and create a disunion. He wanted to unite the North and the South, as well as political parties, and to strengthen the union and prevent it's collapse. There was an imbalance of power; the North seemed to be more powerful than the South. The North had a larger population and a greater number of states, and therefore had a greater number of representatives and power in the federal government. On the contrary, the South had a smaller population and less states, and had less influence in the federal government. Disputes arose when the North showed it's disapproval of slavery to the South because it had a greater voice in the government. Calhoun believed that the only way to preserve the union was to for the North to give the South their rights in the new territory, return all runaway slaves to the South, and to stop their disapproval of slavery. This would create an equal North and South, and although the North wouldn't agree, the threat of succession would decrease.