Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-12-03

this state. 1t rs In your power 10 ueCiaie'
enforcement OF such law must depehd upon We
Executive and Judicial departments. lou eau. ;
not constitutionally secede from the Union, out
you can interpose CONSTITUTIONAL Pro'eo"o"
unconstitutional eAaction.
No rational objection can be urged to the re-
ference of this matter to the judicial tribunals ot
tn. country. They are daily in the habit OF pro.
nounciug Unconstitutional laws void, and no eVli
arises therefrom. In surveying the wall beninu
which the federal power is entrenched, the tr'ai
nv ;ury appears to be its most assailable point
Tpon this point, then, you ought to concentrate
YOUR whole force, before you make any demon.
stration thereon. Ii is easy to perceive tnat
Congress has not the power to impose duties ior
protecton; but where protection begins and re.
venue ends, is a more difficult proposition, anu
like all other frauds, must be unraveled by exa-
mining carefully motives and facts. 1t is com
petent, either in your legislative character or ny
convention of the people, to draw the line oe-
tween revenue and protection; and when this IS
done, those who are required to execute your
laws, must determine which is binding on them,
the authority Of this State, or that OF the Unitca
States. This entire question has been proposed
to be referred to the wisdom and good sense OF
the people upon whom the responsibility must
rest, either of resisting or submitting to the Ame-
tronage of the General Government is at present
disastrous and impoverlshing. we pay our pof-
ton of the taxes. and yet receive none OF the
disbursements But few of our citizens take the
benefit of the manufacturing bounty, nor VIII
they do so, until all hostility on this matter IS
abandoned.
The people Of this State have common lnte-
rest, which ought to unite them in opposition or
submission TO the Tariff A Convention has been
recommended as measure likely to concentrate
public opinion-not that the representatives OF
the people may not have all the power to protect
their rights that Convention would have, but
because more unanimity must exist as to the pro-
priety of moving in the after, before the ques-
ton of Convention can be carried. The mea-
sures, too. recommended and adopted by Conven-
ton. would have more imposing influence both
at home and abroad. The Legislature is limited
IN its power by the Constitutions OF the United
States and of South Carolina. The Convention
would be limited only by the Constitution OF the
United States. lnwhatever course Convention
might move, it would be in their power to make
the people of this State homogeneous, either for
the Tariff or against it-either for submission Or
| resistance.
A suppostion that Convention would lead to
disunion or civil war; Is gratuitous, not admitted
MED by all its advocates, and urged only by those
whose apprehensons are unnecessarily awaken
ed, or WHO avail themselves Of the devotion OF
the %eple of this State to thu. Union. to mlsead
their understanding, by practising on their fears.
To the Editor ot'fhe .4merican Daily .Adrerftser'
WAsHixeroN, 9th Nov. 1880.
SIR:-The circumstances which have render
ed it necessary for me once more to address you,
and which have prevented me from doing so until
this moment, are briefly these. The etter, pub
lished in your paper of the 22d INST. in reply to
mine of the 18th, contained declaration which
was equivocal. and which seemed to me to be sus-
ceptbe of AN interpretation personally offensive.
Unwilling to indulge in hypothesis, by imputing
to its author meaning which he had not intend-
cd, in using it, to canvey, thought it was proper
to address to him direct enquiry on this subject.
His answer has just reached me, and while it
gives me pleasure to do justice tothe frankness
of his ,ljsavowal, regret the necessity of these
| brief observations.
That gentleman is, think. by this time en-
tirely assured that this correspondence did not
originate in any desire to justify MY conduct.
So far as that was Concerned, would have reli-
ed with perfect confidence on the discernment
of the public. Neither was il my object to invoke
| Spr0lectl0n. w I'm an unalicttcu reluctance
to engage in any species of controversy. am
nevertheless sensible that it is my duty. and /
hope have the ability to protect myself. No
sir, addressed you under the influence of very
diff rent motive. twas my purpose to expose the
ia b einjus,ice aswel as,he maj f'stindecor' m
which mad TIA, ked the manner of announcing the
toast, which hassven rise to this correspondence.
was we'll assured that this indecorum had not
escaped the notice of those who were witnesses
of the tracsaction-that more than one individual
at the festive board had felt as it was natural
ingenious mind should feel ON such an occasion
and that call to order, sustained, or acquies-
ed in, had immediately followed the eloquent dis
play, for which had unwit,insly furnished ric
theme. But such was not the view of this pro-
ceeding which was presented to the public. Or
iginating in false hypothesis, the narrative was
also deficient in one at least of the most striking
Incidents of the evening. 1t was. due then to
myself, tolhe principal actor in this Transaction,
and to the Pa6lS MAT it should not be permitted
to repose iiisthl S. .lrity which enveioped it.
did no, re9dke'to be assured that my purpose
has been fulfilled. The fcebleness ofthat vihdi-
| oh in g,