Today

In 1782 John C. Calhoun, one of the great orators of the period, was born. A senator from South Carolina he opposed the compromise of 1850 in a famous speech which, oddly enough, was not delivered by him; he was too ill at the time. Instead the 42 page long speech was read by Senator James Murray Mason of Virginia. You can read the speech at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mcc:@field%28DOCID+@lit%28mcc/009%29%29