Litchfield enquirer., 1830-03-18
No. 4O.-WHoLE No. 196.

l eac" With power to decide for itself; and none with authority to bind any body else. and this constitutional law the only bond "f their Union? What is such state of things, but mere connexion during pleas- ure, or to use the phraseology of the times. during teeling? And that feeling, too. not the feeling of the people, who estab- hShed the constitution, but the feeling of the State Governments.
 1n another of the South Carolina Ad- dresses. having promised that the crisis re- qulreS "all the concentrated energy of passion," an attitude of open resistance to tn" laws of the Union is advised. Omen resistance to the laws, then, is the cons,i- tutional remedy, the conservative power of the State, which the South Carolina doctrines teach for the redress of political evils, real or imaginary. Aud it's authors further say, that, appealing with confidence. to the Constitution itself to justify their e- pinIons, they cannot coDsent to lrv their accuracy by the courts of justice. Tn one sense, indeed, sir, this is assuming an al,i- tude ot open resistance in favor of libertv- But what sort of liberty2 Tie liberty of establishing their own opinions, in defiance ] of the opinions of all others the ib.r,v >"f judging and of deciding exclusively themselves, in a matter in which others have as much right to judge and decide as they; the liberty of placing their own 1 opinions above the jud dgnwut of all others, above the laws, and above the Consti,u- ton. This is their liberty, aud this the fair result of the proposition con,euded for by the honorable gentleman. Or it may be more properly said, it is identical with n, rather than result from it. In lha same publication we tind the following :- " Previously to our Revolution, when the arm of oppression was stretched over New England, where did our northern brethren meet with a braver sympathy than that which sprung from the bosom of Carolinans. We had 10 e1tort.On, no op- pressiOn, nO cOtlssion soitA the kinS's min asters, mo mavigGtiOm interests $prtmeing yp. ." enrio~s riOatry Of Emgiand"
 ! This seems extraordinary language.- South Corolna no collision with the Kings ministers, in 1775 no extor,ion no oppression! But, sir, it is almost sig niGcant language. Does any man doubt the purpose for which it was penned ?- Can any one fail to see that it was design- ed 10 raise in the reader'smind the question, l whether, at thiS fime--that is tu say in 1S2S-S""th Carollna has any collision wnh the Kings minister's, any oppression. or cxtOrtIun, to fear from England ?- Whether, in short, England is not as natu- 1 rally he friend of South Carolina as New England, with her nIvigation interests sprmg'"g up in envi"us rivalry of Eng iand2
 Is it not strange, sir, that an intelligent man in South Carolina, in 1e28, should thus labor to prove, that. in l775, there Was no hostility, no cause of war betw cen South Carolina and England9 Ina, she had n" occasion, in reference to her own interest, or from a regard to her own wsl- fare, to take up arms in the revolutionary contest! Can any one account for the expression of such strange sentiments. and their circulation through the State. other wise than by supposing the objec, to be, what l have already minated, to raise the, question, if they had no " cOlIisiOn'' fnark the expression) with the ministers of Kinr George the Third, in l775, what coiii,ion have they, iu 1928, with the ministers of King George the Fourth2 What is there now, ID the existing state of things, to sep- arate Carolina from Old, more, or rather. than from NeW England?
 |, Resolutions, sir, have been recently passed by the Legislature of South Caro- lima. l need not refer to them they 20 nc farther than the konorable gentlemen himself has gone-and hope not so far. l content myself, therefore, with debating the matter with him.
 And now, sir, what I have first to say 0n this subject is, that, at no time, and un- der no circumstances, has New England, or any State in New England, or any re- SpecIabl". body ofpersons in New England. or any pubic man of standing in New England, put forth such doctrine as this Carolina doctrine.
 The gentleman has found no case. he eau find none, to support his own opinions by New England authority. New Eug- land has studied the constitution in other schools, and under other teachers. She looks upon it with other regards, and deems more highly and revsrenIly, both of its just authority, and its utility and excel- lence. The history of her legislative pros ceedIngs may be rraCed-the ephemeral of. fuslons oi temporary bodies, ,called toe ee,her by Ihe excitement of the occasion. may he hunted up-,hey have been hunted up--the opinions and votes of her public men, in and out of Congress may be explored-;, w;ii