John C. Calhoun

An Aggressive Defense of Slavery - 1837

Microsoft Word Version

from "Slavery a Positive Good," February 6, 1837

The subject [of slavery] is beyond the jurisdiction of Congress — they have no right to touch it in any shape or form, or to make it the subject of deliberation or discussion. . . .

Abolition and the Union cannot coexist. As the friend of the Union I openly proclaim it, — and the sooner it is known the better.

We of the South will not, cannot, surrender our institutions.

I hold it [slavery] to be a good . . . Never before has the black race of Central Africa, from the dawn of history to the present day, attained a condition so civilized and so improved, not only physically, but morally and intellectually.

I hold then, that there never has yet existed a wealthy and civilized society in which one portion of the community did not, in point of fact, live on the labor of the other.

Compare his [the black slave in the American South] condition with the tenants of the poor houses in the more civilized portions of Europe — look at the sick, and the old and infirm slave, on one hand, in the midst of his family and friends, under the kind superintending care of his master and mistress, and compare it with the forlorn and wretched condition of the pauper in the poorhouse.

There is and always has been in an advanced stage of wealth and civilization, a conflict between labor and capital. The condition of society in the South exempts us from the disorders and dangers resulting from this conflict; and which explains why it is that the political condition of the slaveholding States has been so much more stable and quiet than that of the North. . . .

Jurisdiction -

Congress -

Deliberation -

Abolition -

Coexist -

Union -

Proclaim -

Institution -

Attain -

Morally -

Portion -

Infirm -

Midst -

Superintending -

Forlorn -

Wretched -

Pauper -

Capital -

Exempt -

Stable -

Short definitions of vocabulary words

earn domain miserable organization togetherness

fraction looking over middle not changing poor person

end Legislative branch sad spiritual wealth

be peaceful except weak declare

Long Definitions for Word Bank

1. ______________ - A social arrangement or system that develops over time
2. ______________ - Achieve or attain
3. ______________ - Area of authority
4. ______________ - Careful discussion of all sides of a question or issue
5. ______________ - Extremely bad, miserable, contemptible
6. ______________ - Live together peacefully
7. ______________ - Looking over
8. ______________ - Middle
9. ______________ - Not easily changed
10. ______________ - Part
11. ______________ - Poor person
12. ______________ - Private owners of factories and machinery (wealth producing property)
13. ______________ - Referring to the spirit or the soul
14. ______________ - Sad and lonely
15. ______________ - The ending or elimination of slavery
16. ______________ - The legislative branch of the US Federal Government
17. ______________ - The unity of the United States under the constitution
18. ______________ - To announce, to proudly declare
19. ______________ - To release or deliver from, to make an exception for
20. ______________ - Weak, feeble

John C. Calhoun

An Aggressive Defense of Slavery

Across 5 Careful discussion of all sides of a question or issue 6 Something that threatens safety 11 Work (or those who work for a living) 12 Sad and lonely 14 Not easily changed 15 Earliest beginnings 16 To announce, to proudly declare 20 Referring to the spirit or the soul 21 Private owners of factories and machinery (wealth producing property) 23 Live together peacefully 24 Referring to the body or the body's health 26 Made better 28 The ending or elimination of slavery 29 A social arrangement or system that develops over time 30 The legislative branch of the US Federal Government 31 Achieve

Down 1 Looking over 2 Extremely bad, miserable, contemptible 3 Weak, feeble 4 Middle 7 Large continental peninsula containing France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Scandinavia, the Balkans, and Russia with Great Britain and Ireland as nearby islands 8 Area of authority 9 To give up 10 Poor person 13 Referring to the mind or the intelligence 17 Well developed 18 The way things are 19 Referring to law and government 22 To release or deliver from, to make an exception for 24 Part 25 Occupant 27The unity of the United States under the constitution

jurisdiction Congress deliberation abolition

proclaim institution attain morally

portion infirm midst superintending forlorn

wretched pauper Capital exempt stable

intellect advanced surrender tenant Europe

Labor Union Coexist condition

political danger improved physically dawn

	Nouns		Verbs		Adjectives		Adverbs
1.	Jurisdiction	1.	coexist	1.	infirm	1.	morally
2.	Congress	2.	proclaim	2.	superintending	2.	physically
3.	deliberation	3.	attain	3.	forlorn
4.	Abolition	4.	surrender	4.	wretched
5.	Union	5.	exempt	5.	stable
6.	institution			6.	advanced
7.	portion			7.	political
8.	midst			8.	improved
9.	pauper			9.
10.	capital
11.	intellect
12.	tenant
13.	condition
14.	danger
15.	Europe
16.	dawn
17.	Labor
	xxxxxxxxxxxxxx		xxxxxxxxxxxxxx		xxxxxxxxxxxxxx		xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

jurisdiction	-Area of authority	Capital	-Private owners of factories and machinery (wealth producing property)
Congress	-The legislative branch of the US Federal Government	exempt	-To release or deliver from, to make an exception for
deliberation	-Careful discussion of all sides of a question or issue	stable	-Not easily changed
abolition	-The ending or elimination of slavery	intellect	-Referring to the mind or the intelligence
coexist	-Live together peacefully	advanced	-Well developed
Union	-The unity of the United States under the constitution	surrender	-To give up
proclaim	-To announce, to proudly declare	tenant	-Occupant
institution	-A social arrangement or system that develops over time	condition	-The way things are
attain	-Achieve	political	-Referring to law and government
morally	-Referring to the spirit or the soul	danger	-Something that threatens safety
portion	-Part	improved	-Made better
infirm	-Weak, feeble	physically	-Referring to the body or the body’s health
midst	-Middle	Europe	-Large continental peninsula containing France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Scandinavia, the Balkans, and Russia with Great Britain and Ireland as nearby islands
superintending	-Looking over	dawn	-Earliest beginnings
forlorn	-Sad and lonely	Labor	-Work (or those who work for a living)
wretched	-Extremely bad, miserable, contemptible	pauper		-Poor person

	Nouns		Verbs		Adjectives		Adverbs
1.	Jurisdiction	1.	coexist	1.	infirm	1.	morally
2.	Congress	2.	proclaim	2.	superintending	2.	physically
3.	deliberation	3.	attain	3.	forlorn
4.	Abolition