Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-07-30

who arc favored objects of this unlawful booty. |
We have been told that that government..i is the
worst which, with the forms of Il free, has the
ends Of and arbitrary government. Whether
ours has reached this condition, let the signs Of
tho present crisis determine.
In such a state ofthings, leave you to decide.
how hopeless must have been the efforts of those,
who in scorning to unite in such u system of free
6coting, by the very fact of their daring to lift
up their voices against it, only excited our OPP
prcssors to fresh acts of injustice.
Here, Gentlemen, I should be inclined to con-
clude, ifyour kind reference to the fact of my
having been pat IN nomination for an Office of
honour and trust, did not render it necessary for
me to trespass for n few moments on your good
ness. Whilst have not, no do l intend to
make this Office the object either OF my solicita.
ton OF avoidance, | am nevertheless DESTROYS to
si'un no public question, by which the State
may pass upon the important inquiry OF how far
my opinions may render il safe for her to con-
tide to me the privilege of consulting with her
Legislature, and the responsibility of executing
her laws.
TO avoid all demonstration, | will, begin,
OS"'S"'oh1 Wy tiiVNiNS ny opiDlolS INV the
form Ola creed, By which l am willing to stand
the issue.
believe the Tariff TO be "a palpaJic deli
bcrdtc and dangerous violation of the Constitu-
ton, the more dangerous and the more insult
ing, because through a fraud upon tho text of
that instrument, il abuses tho letter whilst it
fagitously infracts the spirit of the compact.
1 believe it imposes a burden of direct taxa
tion on the South, and what is vastly more
momentous, Of indirect taxation, by the dimin-
ishing the price and demand of our staple, con.
sequent on the loss of our foreign trade, which
will be utterly and irretrievably ruinons.
believe that the General Government has no
power to tax the sovereign States of this Comic
deracy, except to pay its debts and just expen-
ses, and TO provide for the common defence and
general welfare in their most comprehensive
sense.
believe it has no Substantive power TO pro-
secutc a system of internal improvements whist
the profligate corruptions, and insane extrava-
gance, which have marked practically the use
and abuse of this power, would forbid, on every
principle ofsound morals and expediency, its ex-
ercise, even as 4 matter of seemingly necessary
implication.
believe that this system of unconstitutional
taxation, on the one hand, and unjust and une-
quail expenditure on the other, makes the con-
dition of the South essentially Colonial, and
that she is fast verging to n desoIation which,
whilst it covers us with unutterablc disgrace.
entails upon our posterity inevitable ruin.
Believing all these things, and that all pros
pect of relief from our oppressors is hopeless,
that the South ought and must resist.
Gentlemen, an eminent authority, no revolu-
tionary incendiary or anarchist, the most gift
cd opponent the French revolution ever had,
has said, "That no commodity will bear a duty
OF three pence, or will bear n penny, when the
general feelings of men arc irritatcd, and two
millions OF people are resolved not to pay. The
feelings OF the Colonies were formerly the feel
ings of Great Britain. Theirs were formerly
the feelings of Mr.. Hampden, when called upon
to pay 90 shillings. Would 30 shiIlings have
ruined Mr.. HampdenIs fortune No-but the
payment of half 20 shillings on the principle it
was demanded would have made him a slave" !
And so say j, that it matters not whether your
duties be one hundred, or twenty-five per cent,
when they are demanded on the principle of
protection, and not Tecenue, the South is equal
ly a slaue.
Itmay be asked L" ought and must resist"
How? by disunion and civil war: No, never,
without those caiamitios, are inflicted npon us
by the sanguinary despotism and obstinate iuius-
ice of our oppressors. What then--by what
mode snd measure os remedy and redress Let
the authorities of the sovereign States that pay
this tribute, answer this question on the solemn
responsibilities which they are under, to a suf-
fcring and indignant people. Let them consult
an enlightened forecast, a temperate, firm aud
sustaining 'ortItude. Let them look back on the
principle, canonized by the blood of innumerable
martys In our revolution. Let them look into
the principle which we supposed was solemnly
guaranteed by our compact, and let them look
forward to the awful consequences ofneglecting
10 protect, and forever defend these principles,
which are unto us more than life, {. the duties
OF lie themselves" Do we promise more than
she Will perform when we say, To this appeal
South CAROLINA is ready to respond
Gentlemen, a distinguished political philoso-
pher, on the other side of the water, has, said. |
" that the dangers of liberty can never be prea.
Ter from any cause. then they are from the re-
missness OF a people TO whose personal vigour,
every constitution as it owed its establishment.
50 1T must continue to owe its reservation
This relation of the public spirit in some quar-
ters, is certainly one among the alarming signs
OF the times. But perfect unanimity is not to
he expected on a question ofsuch infinite impor.
lance as the solemn issue which the tributary
States must make up with the General Govern.
nent. lsay must make up, for you may take it
as a position susceptible oftho most rigid his
torical demonstration. that no dcspot in an ar
bitrary, and no ~dospotic majority in a govern.
mentcailiDg itself free, will! voluntarily sur.
render the power of unlimited taxation. You