Hayden Daniels

He points out that this law was completely constitutional in how it was passed.

Congress has explicit authority to levy tariffs under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution.

It passed through both houses of Congress.

It was signed by the president.

It wasn't flagged for judicial review.

Therefore, this is a totally constitutional law and the states as signatories of the constitution have to have to follow it.

That's, that's the deal.

Um, and if they don't, if any, if any state can just kind of pick and choose which laws it wants to follow.

there's no real point of having a country.

Yes, it was absolutely adamant about that, that if South Carolina continues on this path, we are going to use federal force to enforce constitutionally passed laws.

Well, he gives a proclamation to,

basically laying out his argument about why nullification is illegitimate, begins mobilizing troops.

The troops are basically ready to go.

But at the last second, he's able to get a compromise with Henry Clay in the Senate to lower the tariff rates

But he was absolutely ready to just go into the state if South Carolina didn't back down.

And South Carolina did back down after that compromise tariff in 1833.

But as you said, it very easily could have become a civil war.

In contrast, you had Buchanan in 1860, before the Civil War.

He does nothing but hesitate when it comes to the secession crisis in 1860, and it does spiral out of control.

So you really just see the...