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

Co'oq"e"' 'anguage oil men distinguished
Tor talents, oil extensive influence in the
OF the State, and worthily pos
sessing a reputation which has made
them known throughout the Union.
we have mentioned Col. Drayton's
speech, as constituting an exception TO
the prevailing tone of violence and de-
hunciation which characterized all the
o.'er speeches, and nearly all the toasts.
we cannot too decidedly commend the
temper, at once dignlied and forbearing,
"nich marks that speech. While he rep
iooates the acts under which the South
is suffering as decidedly and firmly as
those who would push the remedy to the
extreme OF violence, he would c%onfine
the opposition to them within the limits
ot the CONSTITUTIONS While he consid-
ers the laws imposing duties upon imports
Tor the exclusive benefit of domestic man
uiactures, to be unconstitutional and
deeply injurious to the great mass of the
community and regards Internal I'm
Provements as they have been long acted
upon, as attended with a wasteful and ru-
mons expenditure Of the public treasure
Tor private purposes, and as at variance
with the spirit OF the Federal compac,"-
wh'ie condemning, as thoroughly as any
one, the principles OF the existing Tariff.
and depreciatlng It's baneful effects, he
would rejoice to accord with the opinions
OF those who consider the notification of
the obnoxious acts. as 4 constitutional
measure and the most effectual instru-
ment oil resistance; "nevertheless after
ANXIOUS and painful meditation, directed
by every motive which ought to influence
a lover of his country, and of his country's
reputation and prosperity, | cannot CON
ceiVe any substantial distinction between
the abiogation OF a law of Congress by a
state, and the separation of that state
from the Union" And so say zoe. This
union would be n mere rope of sand if il
were righttully within the competence of
a single state to a5rogate n law of Con-
gress and absolve itself from the obliga-
tlon OF obedience; to cast from itself, as
IN every case it might do, the burdens of
Government while it continued to derive
all the benefits OF Union. What is COM
pe'ent Tor Que state is competent for eve
ry other. The state Legislatures are TO
be the sole Judges of the occasion requir-
ing the remedy and of the mode and
measure of its application. We see not
IN what respect suci. a system of govern
ment is at all better than that of the old
confederation.
But let us not be misconceived. W.
are not the advocates o. passive 0bedi-
ence and non-resis,anct Far from it.
In the ordinary administration of af-
fairs" says Col. Drayton "the assertion
oil the right of the majority To bind the
people, is d mer" truciSm; nut u majority
may be II faction; ana where the legIsla-
ture is accused of usurpallon, or corrup-
ton or oppression, to contend that the
will of a prevailing majority should alone
be evidence OF the legality of the pro-
ceedings would render hopeless all pos
slbillty OF relief, A crisis might arise when
the bonds of the Union ought to be brok-
en-. The right of a state to secede from
the Uuion | umqualifedIy comccde. but, so
long as she belongs to it, if she be not
bound by 1t laws, the monstrous anomalies
would exist of a government whose acts
were not obligatory oD its citizens, and
OF 4. state constituting one of the mem
bers OF the Union, whilst denying the au-
thority of its laws"
We entirely agree win Col. Drayton
that a Crisis may arrive when the bonds
OF the union ought To be broken. We
VIII not speculate on the degree and char
acter OF usurpation and misrule 5y the
federal government, which would make
the severance of this Union the lesser evil.
g Sufficient INTO the day is the evil there
Of" We have no idea that the evils and
our present condition make the slightest
approximation to a state of things, which
would authorIse 2 resrOi to so extreme a
necessity. The ills we have, while they
spring from a system Of measures which
we know to be unequal and unjust, and
teel to be oppressive, are tolerable those
which would result from the remedy of
notification, and its TOO probable conse-
quences disunion and civil war, are clothed
in horrors from the contemplation of which
the imagination shrinks in dismay.
But is there no remedy. 1t might be
asked of me" says Col, Drayton I" wheth-
er | would recommend silence and mac
tivIty amidst the wrongs with which we
are afflicted? My answer is-No. What
can constitutionaIIy be done by the Legis-
%iature ought to be lone BY it. Through
Congress, the press and communications
with those states whose cause is common
With ours, every possible exertion should
be made, to dispelI the deIusion under
which the people labor, as to the true
character of an unconstitutional law,
which fe,ters our industry, ~cripples our
commerce, and taxes the many for the
benefit of the few" In recommending
this course Col Drayton is indeed follow
ing a safe precedent. This was the OPP
position in kind and degree which was
made hn the rnn,,hIinn, .n.l... ,OS IL