![]() ![]() "It is, sir, the people's Constitution, the people's government, made for the people, made by the people, and answerable to the people," he said, using words some other orator would paraphrase more famously three decades later. The context: Answering criticism from Hayne, Webster delivered an extended - we're talking days here - critique of nullification and defense of the Union. More broadly, this was just one proxy battle in a larger fight over slavery, the power of the federal government, and Southern states' right to ignore - or nullify - federal laws they didn't like. The topic: Nominally, a push by eastern states to limit the scope and speed of land sales in the western frontier. The speech: Daniel Webster's reply to Robert Hayne during an 1830 Senate debate. Brands's new book, Heirs Of The Founders. But the seismic shifts in political rhetoric, messaging and style came crashing home during the last couple weeks, as I read about the greatest speech in the history of the U.S. ![]() How?Īmerican politics has changed a lot over the past 200 years. ![]() Your purchase helps support NPR programming. Close overlay Buy Featured Book Title Heirs of the Founders Subtitle The Epic Rivalry of Henry Clay, John Calhoun and Daniel Webster, the Second Generation of American Giants Author H. ![]()
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