Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/340

 332 FRANCES PACKARD YOUNG Calhoun gave men such ah impression of seriousness, perhaps even coldness at times, that he rarely had any intimate friends and, as he grew older, withdrew more and more to himself. 137 All the reports of Calhoun's character were not as favorable as those given above, for Gallatin in his CRITICISMS OF letters called him a CALHOUN "smart fellow, one of the first among second rate men, but of lax political principles and a disordinate ambition, not over delicate in the means of satisfying itself." 138 Lyon G. Tyler in his book on the Tylers, writing of the Presi- dential candidates in 1823, accused Calhoun of gaining political glory in the War of 1812, and living on it for the rest of his life. 139 In July, 1824, Calhoun stated his views on the interpretation of the Constitution, in a letter to Robert CALHOUN'S S. Garnett, declaring that the, EXPLANATIONS "one portion of the Constitution which OF His OWN I most admire, is the distribution of POLITICAL VIEWS power between the States and general government This is our invention and I consider it to be the greatest improvement which has been made in the science of government, after the division of power into the legislative, executive and judicial. It is only by this admirable distribution that a great extent of territory with a proportional population and power, can be reconciled with freedom, and consequently, that safety and respectability be given to free States. As much then as I value freedom, in the same degree do I value State rights." Speaking of the interpretation of the Constitution on this point, he said : "I can give but one solution to this interesting question, and that is, it ought to be drawn in the spirit of the instrument itself. Believing that no general and artificial rule can be devised that will not act mischeviously in its application, I am forced to the result that any doubtful portion of the Consti- tution must be construed by itself in reference to the true meaning and intent of the framers of the instrument, and consequently that the constitution must, in each part, be more 137 Mass. Hist. Society Proceed., XVIII, 459, and Series. Schouler's Characterization of Calhoun. 138 Adams, Henry, Life of Albert Gallatin, 599. 139 Tyler, Letters and Times of the Tylers, I, 341.