3
" He’d ventured from the White House only to say goodbye to a former friend—Warren Davis of South Carolina, elected twice to Congress, once as an ally, a Jacksonian Democrat, the other as a Nullifier. His enemy, the former vice president John C. Calhoun, had concocted the Nullifier Party, its members actually believing that states could choose what federal laws they wanted to obey. The devil’s work was how he’d described such foolishness. There’d be no country if the Nullifiers had their way—which, he supposed, was their entire intent. Thankfully, the Constitution spoke of a unified government, not a loose league where everyone could do as they pleased. People, not states, were paramount. "
― Steve Berry , The Jefferson Key (Cotton Malone, #7)
4
" He crossed 14th Street and walked south, down Broadway, toward the Strand—four floors of overstock, used, rare, and out-of-print books. He’d chosen the location for the meeting in deference to his adversary, whom he knew loved books. Personally, he despised the things. Never read a novel in his life. Why waste time on lies? Occasionally he did consult a nonfiction volume or two, but he preferred the Internet or simply asking someone. What all the fascination was with words on paper he’d never understand. And why people would hoard the things by the ton, treasuring them as they would a precious metal, made no sense whatsoever. "
― Steve Berry , The Jefferson Key (Cotton Malone, #7)
6
" Frankly, Mr. Hale, your situation is not something the White House cares about one way or the other.” “You should. The first president and the second Congress of this country legally granted us the authority to act, so long as it was directed toward our enemies.” “With one problem,” Davis said. “The legal authority for your letter of marque does not exist. Even if we wanted to honor it, that could prove impossible. There is no written reference in the congressional journals for that session addressing them. Two pages are missing, which I believe you are well aware of. Their location is guarded by Jefferson’s cipher. I read Andrew Jackson’s letter to your great-great-grandfather.” “Am I to assume that if we solve the cipher and find those missing pages, the president will honor the letter?” “You can assume that your legal position will be much stronger since, as of now, you don’t have one. "
― Steve Berry , The Jefferson Key (Cotton Malone, #7)
