Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume III.djvu/599

 CALIIOUN 593 and reported an address, which after some modification was adopted and signed by 48 senators and representatives. It reiterated the same ground of complaint urged by Mr. Calhoun at the previous session, and proposed the same remedy. The union of the South might bring the North to a pause, a calcula- tion of consequences, and a change of mea- sures; if not, the South would stand justified in resorting to any measure necessary to repel so dangerous a blow, without looking to con- sequences. At the next session, pending the discussion of Clay's compromise scheme, Cal- houn, who had been for some time laboring under severe pulmonary disease, to which was now added disease of the heart, prepared an elaborate written speech, which was read for him (March 4, 1849) by another senator. He declared in this speech his belief from the first that the agitation of the subject of slavery would, if not prevented by some timely and effective measure, end in disunion. It had, however, gone on till the Union was palpably in danger. The question now was, how can the Union be preserved ? The agitation of the slavery question and the many aggressions to which it had given rise was, no doubt, one cause of the existing southern discontent ; but back of that lay another and more potent one. The equilibrium which existed between the two sections of the Union when the constitu- tion was framed had been destroyed, and the South was every day sinking in the scale. Thia had been brought about by federal legis- lation in excluding the South from the common territory, and overburdening her with taxes; to which was to be added a radical change in the character of the federal government, by which it had concentrated all the powers of the system in itself, and had been transformed from a federal republic, as it originally was, into a great national consolidated democracy. That equilibrium could only be restored by an amendment of the constitution. That amend- ment he did not specify in this speech, but from his posthumous treatise " On the Consti- tution and Government of the United States " it would appear to have been the election of two presidents, one from the free, the other from the slave states, each to approve of acts of congress before they could become laws. His speech attracted much attention, and was answered by Webster and Cass. It was on March 13, in some parenthetical replies to the latter, that Calhoun spoke in the senate for the last time. He fell back in his seat exhaust- ed, and was taken to his lodgings and his bed, whence he never rose again. The following is Mr. Webster's estimate of him, delivered in the senate when his death was announced there : " The eloquence of Mr. Calhoun was a part of his intellectual character. It grew out of the qualities of his mind. It was plain, strong, wise, condensed, concise; sometimes impassioned, still always severe. Rejecting ornament, not often seeking illustration, his power consisted in the plainness of his propo- sitions, in the closeness of his logic, and in the earnestness and energy of his manner. No man was more respectful to others; no man carried himself with greater decorum, no man with superior dignity. I have not in public nor in private life known a more assiduous person in the discharge of his duty. He seemed to have no recreation but the pleasure of con- versation with his friends. Out of the cham- bers of congress he was either devoting him- self to the acquisition of knowledge pertaining to the immediate subject of the duty before him, or else he was indulging in those social interviews in which he so much delighted. His colloquial talents were singular and emi- nent. There was a charm in his conversation not often found. He delighted especially in conversation and intercourse with young men. I suppose there has been no man among us who had more winning manners in such an intercourse and such conversation with men comparatively young. I believe one great power of his character in general was his con- versational talent, and that, along with confi- dence in his integrity and reverence for his talents, it largely contributed to make him so endeared an object as he was to the people of his state. He had the basis, the indispu- table basis of all high character, unspotted integrity and honor unimpeached. If he had aspirations, they were high, honorable, and noble ; nothing grovelling, low, or meanly self- ish came near his head or his heart. Firm in his purposes, patriotic and honest as I am sure he was in the principles he espoused and in the measures he defended, I do not believe that, aside from his large regard for that species of distinction that conducted him to eminent sta- tions for the benefit of the republic, he had a selfish motive or a selfish feeling." As a private citizen, Calhoun was highly amiable and ex- emplary, enjoying the devoted love of his own family and dependants, and the entire respect and sincere regard of his neighbors. He had ten children three daughters who died in early infancy, and five sons and two daughters who survived him. His political views were often gloomy ; but in private life he was uni- formly cheerful. He entered into the enjoy- ments of those around him with a sympathy and kindness that endeared him to all. He was fond of promoting innocent mirth, and, though no jester himself, laughed heartily at the jests of others. He was fond of reading, and in his youth devoted much of his leisure to it, but neither his multifarious occupations nor his cast of mind permitted him to be a general reader. He, however, enjoyed good poetry, good novels, and able reviews. He was not wealthy, but his pecuniary means, un- der his excellent management, were amply suf- ficient for the wants of his family. Though not musical, he was fond of Scotch and Irish songs and ballads. He rose early, and devoted his mornings to writing. He walked a great deal