Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-07-23

should b. pronounced by three-tnur,hs oi
, he Legislatures of the several States, or
hy cnus.n'ion OF the people, in the same
number ot the States. Those who recon-
mend this course are sanguine III their en-
pectatons Of i,s efficacy. They assert that !
u sovereign State. under its reserved rights
can constitu.ionaiy. res,rt To it, aud tina,
~ no other means can the Union be pre-
served. Ii by any process of reoson-
;ng, OF which l am capable: il by
any lights which could derive from intel
Iects TAR superior to mine, could accord
III these views and differences, l should re-
irice To do 50 for no one condemn, mote
shan myself, the principle of the existing
Tariff, or more depieca,es its baleiul eff
tects. Nevertheless, after ANXIOUS and
painful meditation, directed by every mo-
tive which ought To influence Il lave, of
his country, and Of his couutry's r-puta-
ton and prosperity, cannot perceive any
substantial distinction between the abro.
CATION of a law of Congress, by a State,
aud the separation of that State, FROM the
Union. When al Act of Compress has
been passed, in its customary forms, until
repealed by the body enactiug it, ar decid-
gu W NC itI'diiC Wy the tutIdl :
it becomes the law oftLe land. The Pre-
sident 81 the Uuited State, is compelled,
by his oath of office, to enforce it, unless
perhaps, he should be satisfied of its un-
consii,u,ionaity, which Is not tie opinion
President Jackson,Cs to The Tariff OF 1928.
Should then the President, or tie NAN
date OF the Federal Court direct il to- be-
carried into execution, it could not be re
sisted by US, excepting upon the ground,
that our State had Withdrawn iiom the
federation, VI BY the exercise of force
The first alternative would tie, ipsr faci.,
severance of this Safe from The Union
The second, would be an appeal 10 arms,
the ulhmaratio reipublicB.
Let me not be miscorceIveG. am not
the advocate oil passive obedience ana
non-reslstance. La the ordinary aimInls-
tration of affairs, the assertion oi the IIgh,
OF the majority to bind the people, Is IA
mere truism but majority, as we'll as Il
minority may be faction aud wnrie the
legislature is accused Of usurpal,un, or
corruption, or oppression, TO Contend that
the will OF prevailing majority should d.
lone be evidence OF the iegal,iy of their
proceedings, would render hopeless all
possibility OF relief. A crisis might arise
when the honds of the union ought &c b..
broken. The rgh, Of the State to sccede
from the Union, unqualiiidely, concede ,
butso long as she belongs to 1t, it she be
not bound by its laws, The momstruus an-
omaiIes would exist, OF a government
whose acts were moi obligatory upon Its
citizens aud OF State constituting one
of the members of the Union, whilst de-
nying the authority of its laws
am not unaware of tie conviction of
many, that the consequences anticipated
by me, would not follow from "a nuinhca-
ton OF the taritf-act, in the mode which
has been meDtioned-that, OH the COM ra-
ry, the repeal o! the law would be insured
by SO vigorous resolution. 10 those
who are under this conviction, | would
submit, that 1t is founded upon The SUP
posed weakness of their opponens-a po-
sition as false and dangerous I'D politics as
it is in war, and utterly unworthy of the
high-minded freemen of South Carolina.
Unless majority OF The people of the Uni
ted States were persuaded, that their nie-
rests were advanced by the mis- called "a.
merican System" it would never have
-
greses, from 1916 to 1880. Is l, proba.
bic, that this majority, stimulated by the
lust OF avarIce, and sustained by the arm
Of power, would yield to the legislation, o,
TO the meUaces Of a single Stale?
Ii might be asked OF me, whether
would recommend silence and inactivity
amidst ;hn wrongs witt, which we are al
tIictsd. My answer is--No. What can.
cnnstilutionaIIy, he done by The legislature
ought I" he done by il. Through Con.
gEess, and the Press, and communications
with those States, whose cause is common
with ours, every possible exeriion should
he made, TO dispel the deusion, under
which the people ,bor, as to the true chS-
Iacier OF an unconstitutional law, which
letters DER industry, cripple our commerce
ana taxes the many for the benefit of the
few. All are injured by it, excepting the
manufacturers and although they, when
confirmed, can carry the majority viii,
mem. vet recent events strongly indicate,
that By attacking the Tariff, in detail. we
nay bring il back to those priuciplcs
iron which it ought never TO have depar,-
ed
Shnn'd the efforts which have snoges-
TED, tail Of success-shnuld the law ve
complain #, remain unrepeaIeJ uDon an,
statute-book-we should then eunuire
%nGther recurrence to the remedy which
nave adveited to, would not be worse
'han the maiady which it Processes to cure
-"ne'Ger ITS certain consequence would
NOT Oe cISunI"n- whether disunion wopId
not oe lranght with more disastrous result.
''an ,he provisions Of the act--wire,her !,
wolid not create division in our own