Answer
Vice president John C Calhoun claimed that the states had the right to nullify a federal law like this one
Step-by-step explanation
State of rights are the political powers held for the state governments rather than the federal government according to the United States Constitution, reflecting especially the enumerated powers of Congress and the Tenth Amendment.
The tariff was passed for the purposes of protecting industries in the United states .It stopped competition from countries who were producing goods at lower prices like Great Britain.