RELATIONS BETWEEN THE MEN

CLAY-WEBSTER RELATIONS

Webster opposed war with Britain, while Clay secured the declaration of war. Webster believed that war would “warrant the region’s [North] secession from the Union.” The contrarian criticized Madison’s Administration, which prohibited British trade and proclaimed the Non-Intercourse Act to lift American shipping embargos, which directed Webster to conclude that they started war with Britain and lacked the initiative to wage it. Clay attempted to appease Webster’s anger by appointing him to the Hose Foreign Relations Committee, as Clay believed that Webster was a threatening opponent.

WEBSTER-CALHOUN RELATIONS

The 1828 tariff, which was supported by Webster, ignited the fuse for economic problems in the South. Calhoun’s intense feelings about this tariff prompted him to write anonymous essays, such as The South Carolina Exposition and Protest, which condemned the unfavorable policies. These essays provided a foundation for his theory of nullification, which held that a state legislature may “nullify federal law by blocking its enforcement.” Webster (and Clay as well) believed that Calhoun’s theory was ill-conceived.

CLAY-CALHOUN RELATIONS

Clay and Calhoun worked together to implement the American System, a plan which called for infrastructure enhancement, protective tariffs, and essentially “advance a national program of material progress, fiscal control, and industrial encouragement.” The American System was founded upon the Second Bank of the US, a financial institution that controlled the currency supply and credit. The system ultimately founded the Whig party.