John C. Calhoun was destined shortly to take rank as the
greatest of sectionalists. Nevertheless, between 1815 and 1820 he
voted for protective tariffs, brought in a great bill for internal
improvements, and won from John Quincy Adams praise for being "above
all sectional...prejudices more than any other statesman of this
union" with whom he "had ever acted."
The differences between the nationalist and state rights schools were,
however, deep-rooted--altogether too fundamental to be obliterated by
even the nationalizing swing of the war period; and in a brief time
the old controversy of Hamilton and Jefferson was renewed on the
former lines. The pull of political tradition and of sectional
interest was too strong to be resisted. In the commercial and
industrial East tradition and interest supported, in general, the
doctrine of broad national powers; and the same was true of the West
and Northwest. The South, however, inclined to limited national
powers, large functions for the States, and such a construction of the
Constitution as would give the benefit of the doubt in all cases to
the States.
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