Difference between revisions of "Nathaniel Macon"
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"The people suspect something is not right when free discussion is feared by government. They know that truth is not afraid of investigation." -Nathaniel Macon | "The people suspect something is not right when free discussion is feared by government. They know that truth is not afraid of investigation." -Nathaniel Macon | ||
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"Some people think borrowing five or six millions a trifling thing. We may leave it for our children to pay. This is unjust. If we contract a debt we ought to pay it, and not leave it to your children. What should we think of a father who would run in debt and leave it for his children to pay?" -Macon | "Some people think borrowing five or six millions a trifling thing. We may leave it for our children to pay. This is unjust. If we contract a debt we ought to pay it, and not leave it to your children. What should we think of a father who would run in debt and leave it for his children to pay?" -Macon | ||
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"His integrity, his indefatigable attention to business, and his long experience give him a weight of character and consideration which few men of superior minds ever acquire." -[[John Quincy Adams]] on Macon | "His integrity, his indefatigable attention to business, and his long experience give him a weight of character and consideration which few men of superior minds ever acquire." -[[John Quincy Adams]] on Macon | ||
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"The attempt to govern too much has produced every civil war that ever has been, and will, probably, every one that ever may be." -Macon | "The attempt to govern too much has produced every civil war that ever has been, and will, probably, every one that ever may be." -Macon | ||
Revision as of 19:56, August 4, 2019
Nathaniel Macon (1758–1837) was an American statesman from North Carolina. He held office in a variety of roles, first in the North Carolina state legislature, then in the U.S. House of Representatives, and later in the U.S. Senate. He served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1801 to 1807 and as President pro tempore of the Senate from 1826 to 1827.
Macon was a marked advocate of states' rights and decentralized government, aligning with the Anti-Federalists during the passage of the Constitution, and later joining the Jeffersonian Republicans. His opposition to a strong protective tariff and to federal interference with slavery, and his support for the doctrines of nullification and secession, made him an important transitional figure between Thomas Jefferson and John C. Calhoun, who was greatly influenced by Macon's views.
Quotes
"The people suspect something is not right when free discussion is feared by government. They know that truth is not afraid of investigation." -Nathaniel Macon
"Some people think borrowing five or six millions a trifling thing. We may leave it for our children to pay. This is unjust. If we contract a debt we ought to pay it, and not leave it to your children. What should we think of a father who would run in debt and leave it for his children to pay?" -Macon
"His integrity, his indefatigable attention to business, and his long experience give him a weight of character and consideration which few men of superior minds ever acquire." -John Quincy Adams on Macon
"The attempt to govern too much has produced every civil war that ever has been, and will, probably, every one that ever may be." -Macon
External links
- Profile at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Nathaniel Macon, Encyclopædia Britannica
- Nathaniel Macon, Encyclopedia.com