Final answer:
John C. Calhoun's argument about slavery was that northern workers experienced worse conditions than southern slaves, who were provided with necessities by their masters. He, along with others like James Henry Hammond, used the mudsill theory to support their claims, suggesting that slavery was beneficial for Southern society and helped civilize African Americans, while providing white southerners with greater opportunities for advancement compared to northern laborers.
Step-by-step explanation:
John C. Calhoun argued that northern workers were held "under a much more stringent and cruel bondage, and in conditions of far greater...suffering than our negro slaves." Contrasting the conditions of workers in the North with those of slaves in the South, Calhoun and other southern proponents of slavery like James Henry Hammond, who supported the so-called mudsill theory, suggested that slaves were better off. They highlighted that slaves did not have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter, as these were provided by their masters, and that the system allowed Southern whites to advance and enjoy the fruits of civilization unlike northern wage laborers.
From a Southern perspective, proponents of slavery believed that they were providing a paternalistic care that northern employers did not provide to their workers, who suffered from low wages and poor living conditions. Whereas, defenders of slavery in the South insisted that the institution allowed whites to prosper and maintained order. Furthermore, slavery was seen as an institution that elevated both African Americans and white society, with the belief that it offered greater liberty and equality for whites and helped in the civilization process for blacks.