Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/310

 302 FRANCES PACKARD YOUNG and without agriculture neither of the others can subsist. When taken separately, entirely and permanently, they perish.'* As opposed to the sectional reasons for tariff, this argu- ment might be called tariff nationalism. Calhoun spoke in favor of national aid for internal im- provements, as earnestly as he did for NEED FOR tariff. Without adequate means of com- INTERNAL munication, no country could advance in IMPROVEMENTS national prosperity. The extent of terri- tory which the United States occupied exposed them "to the greatest of all calamities next to the loss of liberty and to that in its consequences disunion. We are great, and rapidly I was about to say fearfully growing. This is our pride and our danger; our weakness and our strength. Little does he deserve to be entrusted with the liber- ties of the people, who does not raise his mind to these truths." 7 In 1812 the nation had been hindered by not being able to move troops quickly from place to place. Was she to be caught like that again ? During his term in Congress, Calhoun served as chairman of the Committee of Foreign Relations. 8 CHARACTERIZA- Elijah H. Mills, a Federalist, wrote of TIONS OF Calhoun in 1823 : CALHOUN AS A "He came into Congress very young CONGRESSMAN and took a decided part in favor of the late war, and of all the measures con- nected with it. He is ardent, persevering, industrious and temperate, of great activity and quickness of perception, and rapidity of utterance. . . . His private character is esti- mable and exemplary, and his devotion to his official duties is regular and severe." 9 Tcllhoun, J. C. Works, II, 163-6. 7 Calhoun, J. C. Works, II, 186. Speech on Bill to set aside bank dividends and bonus for internal improve- ments. 8 Hunt, G. John C. Calhoun, aa. Calhoun at first occupied second place on the committee, but when the chair- man, Gen. P. B. Porter, retired from Congress, Calhoun was made chairman, 9 Mass. Hist. Society Proceed. XIX, 37, 1881-2. Letters of Elijah H. Mills. After the first sentence the characterization belongs to the time when Calhoun was Secretary, but might well be applied to his Congressional career also. (Representative from Massachusetts in 1816.)