The Jackson Plan for Dealing With Nullifiers and Insurrectionists – RedState

The Riot Six scandal continues to grow, with interviews with the FBI set to be scheduled for the six members of Congress who made the video encouraging members of the military to refuse any “unlawful orders” from President Trump, although lawmakers are unable to specify a single example of such an “unlawful order” having ever been issued.

Apparently, Democrats once again looked ahead to January 6, 2021, when they condemned a so-called Republican “insurrection.” It’s amazing how much projection continues to happen.

Nevertheless, it is a serious matter in American history. But this is not unprecedented. Another president who faced a similar situation was Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States.

As you may know, many political commentators have compared President Jackson’s foreign policy to that of President Trump. But perhaps there is more to this comparison?

SEE ALSO: Trump is a Jacksonian president – ​​and Reagan could have been too

In the 1830s, President Jackson faced two specific but overlapping domestic enemies within his own Democratic Party. They were: 1) the Nullifiers, that is, Southern Democrats committed to protecting slavery and strongly opposed to high tariffs, who promoted the idea that a state could “undo” the actions of the federal government on these (and potentially other) issues; and 2) insurrectionists, that is, Southern Democrats who were so angry about the above issues that they were willing to leave the Union because of these issues, or commit violence.

Jackson, although himself a slave owner from the southern state of Tennessee, was opposed to both groups, as he was a Union strongman and he was not intransigent on tariffs.

Today we see these same two groups overlap among Democrats. For example, on the issue of illegal aliens, Democrats are prioritizing fighting and even reversing the Trump administration’s constitutionally and legally valid border crackdown. Some Democratic-led states and cities claim they will refuse to enforce federal measures against illegal immigrants, some Democratic judges block federal measures to deport illegals, and some ordinary Democratic citizens – including a Democratic congresswoman – actually attack ICE agents who try to arrest illegals.

And now we can see that there are modern day Democratic insurgents as well.

So how did Andrew Jackson deal with the nullifiers and insurrectionists of his era?

Throughout his eight years in office, Jackson significantly reinvigorated the presidency and its powers. He fought his opponents with a combination of (usually) open, relentless, and fierce political warfare, but he also mixed it with legislative compromise, attempts to obscure his actions, and, occasionally, threats of force.

After South Carolina passed a nullification law opposing the federal tariff, Jackson wrote:

…our social compact, in express terms, declares that the laws of the United States, its Constitution, and the treaties made thereunder, are the supreme law of the land, and, for greater certainty, adds “that the judges of every State shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.” »… I consider, therefore, that the power of nullifying a law of the United States, assumed by a State, is inconsistent with the existence of the Union, expressly contradicted by the letter of the Constitution, unauthorized by its spirit, inconsistent with all the principles on which it was founded, and destructive of the great object for which it was formed.

Jackson also asked Congress for authorization to send troops to South Carolina to enforce the law. At the same time, he urged Congress to reduce the tariff rates it had passed just months earlier. “On March 1, 1833, Congress sent the president two companion bills. One reduced tariffs on many goods. The other, commonly known as the Force Bill, authorized the president to use the armed forces to enforce federal laws.” South Carolina eventually reversed course.

In opposition to the National Bank, Jackson expressed his belief that the courts did not necessarily have the final word on constitutionality:

Congress, the Executive, and the Court must each be guided by their own views on the Constitution. Every public officer who takes an oath to support the Constitution swears that he will support it as he understands it, and not as it is understood by others. It is as much a matter for the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the President to decide the constitutionality of any bill or resolution which may be presented to them for adoption or approval as it is for the supreme judges when it may be submitted to them for judicial decision. The opinion of judges has no more authority over Congress than the opinion of Congress has over judges, and on this point the President is independent of both. The authority of the Supreme Court, therefore, must not be permitted to control Congress or the Executive when they act in the exercise of their legislative functions, but must have only such influence as the force of their reasoning merits.

So, based on his philosophy, Jackson may not have been willing to honor all court decisions that were unfavorable to him. Although the common (false) perception that Jackson ignored a contrary Supreme Court ruling is not accurate – that Court decision overturned a Georgia state court decision and did not involve federal power.

And when individual cancelers threatened actual violence, Andrew Jackson was very vocal. He warned:

Tell the Nullifiers for me that they can speak and write resolutions as they please. But if a drop of blood is shed there in defiance of the laws of the United States, I will hang the first man I can lay my hands on from the first tree I find.

Cheerful language from an emotional president, don’t you think? This reminds me of someone.

Editor’s note: Do you like RedState’s conservative reporting that attacks the radical left and woke media? Support our work so we can continue to bring you the truth.

Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHTT to benefit from 60% off your VIP subscription!