Calhoun, Seward, and Webster Your Essay

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Here he is presenting the problem and then he presents a solution when he writes that the North can "do justice by conceding to the South an equal right in the acquired territory, and to do her duty by causing the stipulations relative to fugitive slaves to be faithfully fulfilled" (Calhoun). Calhoun believed that the two opposing sides could retain their beliefs if the North would simply let the South live and operate the way they wanted to, as this was clearly not a violation of the Constitution.

Daniel Webster spoke out against secession because he knew that there would no pleasing anybody with the act. He correctly realizes "we could not sit down here to-day, and draw a line of separation that would satisfy any five men in the country" (Webster). He knew that while the idea of a divided Union might have sounded good, the reality of it simply could not be because while men could agree on some grand notion in words, putting that agreement into action and satisfying everyone was an impossibility. He also considers the reality of some notions such as dividing the Mississippi River. He asked, "Can anybody suppose that this population can be severed, by a line that divides them from the territory of a foreign and alien government, down somewhere, the Lord knows where, upon the lower banks of the Mississippi? What would become of Missouri?" (Webster).
He knew that while secession sounded good to many as an immediate solution to a growing problem, it would never work and anyone looking at the logistics of the circumstances would come to the same conclusion. He understood that many individuals demanding secession were being driven by emotions and that acting on raw emotion never is a good thing. Webster tried to appeal to a greater sense of American identity. He spoke to the patriot in all men when he wrote, "instead of speaking of the possibility or utility of secession, instead of dwelling in these caverns of darkness, instead of groping with those ideas so full of all that is horrid and horrible, let us come out into the light of day; let us enjoy the fresh air of liberty and union" (Webster). Here Webster appeals to logic and common sense when he writes because he knew that secession would only create more problems in the long run while meagerly attempting to solve the initial problem between the North and the South.

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