Mr. Webster was on his way to Washington when he heard of the prompt and decisive action of the President. At Philadelphia he met Mr. Clay, who told him that he had a plan for settling the difficulty by gradually reducing the tariff, and for levying duties "without regard to protection or encouragement of any branch of domestic industry." When Mr. Clay brought in his bill, it was not so strong as the one he had submitted to Mr. Webster a short time before, but yet Mr. Webster could not think of taking any step at such a time that would look like concession. The first thing to be done was to enforce the existing laws and sustain the administration by suitable legislation. There was to be no surrender of constitutional power. At the opening of the session the President asked Congress for the power to use the land and naval forces if necessary to enforce the laws. The committee to which the message was referred reported what is known as the "Force Bill," which granted the President the powers asked for. Some of the senators doubted that the President had such "daring effrontery" as to ask for such power. Mr. Webster said, "I will tell you gentlemen that the President _has_ had the 'daring effrontery' to ask for these powers, no matter how high may be the offence." President Jackson had used very strong language against the leaders of Nullification, and this made many of the (Southern) administration senators hostile to the measures of the "Force Bill." When it was found that the President had called for the assistance of Mr. Webster, Mr. Calhoun became very uneasy, and at once sought for Mr. Clay, who promised to bring in his bill for reducing the tariff. On the 8th of February, Mr. Clay introduced the measure and claimed that its purpose was to save the tariff, which he considered to be in imminent danger. Mr. Webster, as was expected, opposed the bill and introduced a series of resolutions. On the two following days he was prevented from addressing the Senate on his resolutions because of the discussion of the "Force Bill," when Mr. Calhoun took the opportunity to expound the theory and practice of Nullification. The speech was in Mr. Calhoun's very best style of close, logical argument, with but little that made for eloquence. Calhoun was a master of logical method, and such was his skill in dovetailing together the elements of his speculations that he was a powerful antagonist. He had waited until most of the senators in opposition had spoken and then broke upon them and tore their arguments into shreds. It was an able supplement to the speech of Hayne and was likely to produce quite as much alarm, unless its position could be turned. Here were sown the seeds of secession which grew into that frightful civil war. By establishing the principle of the Union as but a confederacy of States the right of secession was assured.