"Where is it written in the Constitution, in what article or section is it contained, that you may take children from their parents, and parents from their children, and compel them to fight the battles of any war, in which the folly or the wickedness of government may engage it? . . . Under what concealment has this power lain hidden, which now for the first time comes forth, with an infamous aspect, to trample down and destroy the dearest rights of personal liberty?"
—Representative Daniel Webster, Speech in the House of Representatives, December 1814
The arguments expressed in the excerpt most directly reflect which of the following persistent political conflicts in the United States during the early nineteenth century?
- The debate over the scope of federal authority and the interpretation of constitutional powers.Answer
- BThe belief that the Monroe Doctrine obligated the United States to form defensive military alliances with European powers.
- CThe unified adoption of Alexander Hamilton's financial program by political factions to centralize wartime economic planning.
- DThe widespread transition of the Southern agrarian economy to household-based manufacturing as a result of British maritime blockades.
Answer
The debate over the scope of federal authority and the interpretation of constitutional powers.
The correct answer is correct because Webster's speech challenges the federal government's authority to enact conscription during the War of 1812 by demanding to see where such power is explicitly written in the Constitution. This directly reflects the persistent early republic debate between strict constructionists, who wanted to limit federal authority to explicitly enumerated powers, and loose constructionists, who favored a broader interpretation of federal power.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Political divisions and debates over constitutional interpretation during the War of 1812 era.