spent the next three years perfecting and elaborating his argument. As
the basis of his structure he employed a distinction between "a nation"
and "a union." England was a nation--the United States was a union.
Russia, Austria and Turkey were nations--this republic a union of
sovereign states. Prussia was presided over by a king and was a
nation--the United States was a republic and the citizens ruled
themselves. Calhoun distinguished also between sovereignty and
government; sovereignty is a birthright, a natural and inalienable right
vouchsafed by God; government is an artificial right established by law.
Sovereignty is an inexpungable and inherent privilege; government is a
secondary and artificial privilege. When any sovereign State is injured,
it has not only the right but the duty to withdraw from the compact that
has been broken. The popular notion is that this idea of _Secession_ was
originated by Calhoun and was a South Carolina heresy; as a matter of
fact, it was first presented in Congress by Josiah Quincy, and should
be called "A Massachusetts heresy."

In 1811, as one of the results of the purchase of Louisiana by
Jefferson, a bill had been offered providing for the reception of the
State of Orleans into the Union. The people of New Orleans spoke the
French language, lived under the code of Napoleon, were monarchial in
their sympathy, and Quincy opposed the bill, just as many men to-day
would oppose the reception into the Union of the Philippines, the
Hawaiians or the Porto Ricans. Mr. Quincy declared that if Orleans were
admitted, the several States would be freed from the federal bonds and
that "as it will be the right of all States, so it will be the duty of
some, to prepare definitely for separation, amicably if they can,
violently if they must." When the speaker ruled out of order these
remarks, Quincy appealed, and the House of Representatives sustained his
appeal by a vote of fifty-six to fifty-three. Congress, under the lead