Calhoun's Exposition was Lex Luthor to the Jackson Proclamation's Superman. Batman to his Joker. Wolverine to his Magneto.

Get the picture?

If Jackson and Calhoun were actually superheroes/villains, then the "Exposition and Protest" would be Calhoun's secret weapon. And it was actually a secret for a while.

Calhoun wrote this document, which laid out the entire reason for nullifying the Tariff of Abominations, without even letting Jackson know. Talk about backstabbing—at the time, he was running for the office of Jackson's VP, for Pete's sake.

Anyway, Calhoun sympathized with South Carolina's position on the new tariff, so he decided to write up this document, laying out the rationale for disobeying federal law. First, he said that Congress could not authorize an extension of federal power, and this tariff was an extension of federal power. Ergo, the tariff was unconstitutional. It also violated the Constitution by favoring one region (the north) over another and wasn't really necessary to keep the government running. He explained that this tariff would destroy the economy of the south and divest all the states of their rights.

Then Calhoun laid out why nullification was a legitimate political act. (Check out our "Kentucky and Virginian Resolutions" section for where Calhoun found his justifications.) Basically, Calhoun argued that the Constitution was an agreement between the states, so the states had the right to decide if a law was Constitutional. If they decided it wasn't, they then had the authority to nullify it within their state limits. Q.E.D.

The exposition didn't have the force of law—it was a statement of principles—although thousands of copies were printed and handed out among the southern states. It was just the opening shot; the real battle began when South Carolina issued its Ordinance of Nullification. But Calhoun was the catalyst for what followed.

Both Calhoun's Exposition and Jackson's Proclamation were equally adamant in their views of state vs. federal sovereignty, respectively. Jackson used more exclamation points, however, and that's gotta count for something.