How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #4
The Constitution of the United States, then, forms a government, not a league, and whether it be formed by compact between the States, or in any other manner, its character is the same. It is a government in which all the people are represented, which operates directly on the people individually, not upon the States; they retained all the power they did not grant. (27)
Jackson's Democratic Party was a champion of states' rights. He states in the Proclamation that states have an absolute right to resist laws which are oppressive and clearly constitutional. So why is he fighting with South Carolina about their right to nullify a federal law? Well, he thought they had taken things too far. States' rights were one thing; states claiming the power to decide whether a law is unconstitutional is another. And secession from the Union? Fuhgeddaboutit.
Quote #5
May the Great Ruler of nations grant that the signal blessings with which he has favored ours may not, by the madness of party or personal ambition, be disregarded and lost. (37)
What better way than to de-legitimize someone's arguments than by questioning their motivations for making them? These aren't states' rights matters, Jackson implies, they're just some personal ax to grind on the part of the South Carolina convention leaders. How many times did we see this strategy in the 2016 election? Too many to count. Don't address the issues, just attack the party that brought them up.