Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1828-11-20

A "
upon which the iemPsesI and pillows may beat,
but cannot shake.
''B'r, hOw are We 10 interpose for the purpose
OF srresting the progress OF the evil ct Mr..
IefiersOn saswer this question, Who, in the me.
pots5le re solutions he prepared tor the Kentuc.
~ Legislature. which were adopted almost u.
osnimously by that State in 'oS, ,hus speaks:
hat The several states who formed the Consti-
tuition, beng sovereign. independent. have the
unquestonable right to Judge us Infections.
and That asvLurIcArroS by those sovereign
ties OF all Unauthorized acts done under color
| Of that instrument, IS the ,igAffsl rercdv."
"a notification, then, Of the unsalaorixed
act" within our respective limits, IS the rqgAs
jal remedy
Nov, one word as to the mode by which the
State of South Carolina should ''interaose, Tor
the purpose OF arres,ing the progress of the C.
"" and "nUlliying the unauthorized act"
ms must be lett to The sound discretion ot The
Legislature, 20 Whist manner u sslall exonerA,e
cur c'Iizens from all obligations to laws euScted
under "a deliberate pslpable, and dangerods
exercise OF power not grsnted +" To our trus.
tees, 10 The gusrdlsns Of our rights and liberties
We may VITA undouetng Confidence, devolys
| tlls high trust.
ii know, gentlemen, that various re pedies
have been proposed. which are designed 10
come somewhat shsrt OF an appeal to the resery.
ed sovereignty OF he State; that State Exeg
cses are IN favor with macy intelligent and pa
trotic men, whose opinions are entitled to gsrat
respect. must confess that rrgaid them as
worse than inefficient that they ATE in effec,
| sort OF domestic tariff Of our own enactment,
OF Understandable and injurious operation az .inst
our owa frieods as well as our foes, and heaping
stu greater and aiore aggravated burdens on our
own consumption. TO say nothing Of the legal AS
well as moral risk which we shall run Of redress
ing one lnfraction OF the Constitution by perpe
trsting another.
u must likewise confess, gentlemen, that the
absolute Certainty, il We resort TO exercise on
The products OF the Tariff States, of having this
question not only DECIDED against US in the Fed.
erai Courts, but OF having, in effect, the issue
OF the sosereBnt, Of the State determined BY
these tribunals, form a Conclusive objection T.
gainst their adoption For one, I do not desire
10 see the State OF South Carolina, in her sewer.
eign capacity, ihvoisedi in ptiiul contest With
the sabordinafe officers of The General Govern
ment. Let our Antagonist be a CO equal soysr.
eign, and let US meet him Ola equal grounds.
"Gentlemen, after all, we must come back to
Mr. Jetfefsons plain. practical, aud downright
principle, as our ''rightfui gemedy"-na ,.aLif
eaton ny The State, either IN it's Legislative
capacity, or by Convention of the People, in
their sovereignty, of the "unauthorzed act"
You will naturally ask, what them viii not a
dissolution OF the Union inevitably follow II
say, unhes'tstingly. No, witbou, our opponents
SO will It It's trne. uponts farH being de-
clafed null and void, without our limits, one Of
three courses will be open TO The General Go
Ia nj IN
Dress by leaving as to ourselves, under hope
that solitude will bring repentance and subm,s.
sion, BY an appeal 10 Convention of the States,
tor The purpose 81 obtaining decision on the
Constitutional qutsttonj or by direct coercion
with the bayonet That the amount Of tribnte
which, this State pays, both by her consua ptian
and by the trade ia her staples, is too important
tor the tfst alternative, 10 altogether OBVIOUS.
The next resource, OF ar appeal to Conven.
tionof all tue States, 10, and Ut right, ought to
be, the remedy This privilege rests upon the
org anal principles which entered into the for.
nation OF this Confederacp. We thecsfDfe.
have right to cst for an affirmative decision OF
ti,ree .fourshs OF The States in Convection, as
the only srbltrsiors We can possibly recognize
as having competent power to decide upon the
question, whether the Tariff be constitutional
or not, in the form in VIII n the Sovereign
Stse OF South Carolina submits the issue. III
OF the States should determine this
question in the affirmative, without compro- 1
mise, or any stpulatons for security in future,
/ IT will be as competent then, as it was m 81,
for South Carolina, resting ON her Sovereignty,
10 determine whether she can or cannot belong
to Confederscy, IN which the pgobioitory sys-
TEN is sanctified blythe very Constitution Of the
Union. But OF the issue of this high srbitra.
ton entertain 40 doubt: Ii must resut IA fix
ing and purifying The principles of the Constitu
ton, and rendering perpetual the liberties and
happiness OF tits Peeople. But will our oppo.
nents make this sppe al, when they are 30 fully
IN possession OF the easy and compendous re-
needles of guDpovder and steeli Gentlemen,
on doubtful construction Of the Constitution Of
The United States, IN case where a State
stands upon its sovereignty, | say. that, from
moral and political causes of irresistible efhca.
| cy, the General Government, strong 10 lis legi.
innate functions, il poweress for the purpose
OF oppre ssoa--it Cannot nor would not exercise
any means OF sanguinary coercion; if it could,
then have We assented to most odious despo-
tism, ierocious in its character, and unlimited
in its powers It's true, that a majority in Con-
gres., blinded by prejudice, and iniuriated by
passion, might deem IN appeal to arms as the
last, the only. aud most appropriate mode, of
reinforcing an odious and tyrannical law. Force
is the last law OF tyrants, where men mean to
| be tyrants. But we have nothing to tear from
their troops. Their ieyies would be As harm
Hess a the mercenaries OF the Italian Republcy
marching under the banners of monopoly, they
lwouio be defeated, even before they quit their
lreude zvous. by the public scorr and indigni-