Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-12-09

compact between INDEPENDENT sovcrpirns who
have appointed M common umpire TO decide
upon the rights they have reserved To them
selves, and when il is moreover conceded, that
all unconstitutional law, involving an invasion
OF these RICH is null and VOID, II must follow
as manifest deduction, that State has, not
only The right, but is III duty bound. IN the
language of your own resolution, "to interpose.
IN its sovereign cap,city, for the purpose Of
arrosting the progress OF the evil occasened by
the SAID uUCons itutional acts y
This we are told, would make the Union
mere rope uf SANE. TO this, it ulay be answer
ed, that this u'Jcction is applicable TO the con-
Sequences we dedu &c from its structure. That
IT Is Il CT Moderate and not 4 consol date 4
government, aud it Is enough that ne have, by
It's adoption, preferred taking the security of
ieeb!eneSs IN the government CT the federal
league, Tor all purposes OF Internal oppression,
to The certainty of q con, o:iduted despUtism.
o. this g-eat right Of State inicrpostion,
depends not alone the liberty and happiness. but
the very existence of the South. Without tiiiS
check, the Constitution so FAR from beng
source cf security would be one of oppression,
aud not worth to us the paper which it was
written For, fla numericj majority III Con
gross, VII supple federal Judiciary ut its back,
are 20 be, alone, the eXpounders OF the Cons;'
tuition, Is Il not obvious that they have the pow
er OF making this instrument, by construction,
what they please? May they not, af or pagng
'i'S SISL'pu VI TIE OUiOu, 10 tlIti'n dHot'-SA
interfere W tn the domestic policy Of the States,
" that too, III form TO us, the most pottcntousy
pc llous that the Imagination possibly ccil-
cave! Whilst we look hack to tho pages IF his
tory and see what the love of power and what
ianatlcIsin have done, where is the man who
MI! nave the daring presump ion to IL the
veal OF tuturity and say, what they not ca
pablo of doing?
IL IS only by the recognition and exercise,
| II need be, of his effective check, that we can
nope 10 preserve the federative character Of orr
natonal government. Wiihou it. the wo,k OF
entertainment Will go steadily on; cases o!
usurpatlon TO dav will become preced.rtS
furnishing acknowledged principles of adminis
'ra'l"n to morrow, until the rights of the States
are $" allowed up IN vast and iireverslble des.
! po,iSm.
Whist | am thus explicit in afirmirg the
unqu"Stlonnbe existence of this right OF inter
2"eiti"n, and that too in 4 form mt lncons;sicn,
with omr Just allegations to the Cnion, (fot wc
owe 10 oil cations to the Union, excepting hose
| n"c srHriiy resulting from and founded the
! powers w@ have clearly Geegated,) | would,
so far from rrCrn,,,erii..r that you should now
inicrr"se this sovereign power rather suggest
The cXpcdiuncy of suspcnding its exercise at the
present moment.
| If no force be referred TO the objection cf now
| acting il virtue of this high funvi ion. for the
immediate annulling of the tariff within our
limits, 10 those divisions which have so un-
happily existed among the good people of this
State. 10 the constitutional charaeier and
probable eff ;acy of this remedy, bt the fact
that each hour is diminishing these differences
81 bringing the vast b, dy of the people nto grea-
ter !ocurony, aud accord III regarding his form of
resistance to be as conservative IN It's character
aS,lt would prove peaceful in its operation, much
may be found in what has TRANSFERRED since your
| adjournment, TO inGIca the policy of Cur uaus.
| ing and awaiting the progress of events, which
must be decisive of this interesting question in
all Us fu'ufe consequences of Interior relations
Fubic opinion demands, that some mod ifca-
'lon should be made Of the tariff, by Congress-
ct IT'S next session. This duty, even if that BIO
dy was utterly regardless of the Just complaints
! OF an overburdened people, cannot be eva ded
from the circumstance of the probable. exiin-
| gu'shment of the public debt on the st Of jan
! vary, 1888. without permitting q surplus to re-
| cu!nuiate III the Treasury, not necessary for the
| puo!:c wants. We arc bound to wait unti we
| see, what this body W Ii do, when they shall not
| have single preteXt tor DENYING US the bles.
sings of Tree trade and light taxation. Be i,les.
by every sentiment of kindness ard comfy
towards those delegates from the other free
trade portions Of the Union, whe, in the recent
convention, at Philadelphia, have so zealously
ana patriohca!ly CO operated i'll the effort TO
obtain Tor our country blessings so esseEt TO its
liberty and happiness, we are bound TO take no
"tt't"de, Outing the present session of Congress-
ihat VIII proven, calm, peaceful. and salts fac
tory adjustment OF this great question which
VII be submitted 10 its deliberations. under
circumstances so solemn, author; alive and impo-
sing We must not put AZ haz5 I'd GOOD cause
by premature action. We have the moral force OF
a potent pubic opinion, operating in on behalf
One O! The most respectable assemblies ever
convened, to which | have already referred
rmcd by delegates f:om ) States has res pond
ed to The Justice If our complaints. IL has N
effect, and substantially decided that the tari5
is violation ef the compact. and has expressly
declared that the system itself.sis DISTINGUISHED
by every Characteristic, that may define
tyranny the most oCIous." If, af.er this decision
IN cur favor, and the appeal Of this assembly
relief does not come from this tyranny the mosi
od!ouS, may we not say, in The lanriiarc. ami
on the authority Of This assembly itscjf, "wbv
should we, who are is victims, not stand on cur
chartered Rights"
In fact, we occupy a position in which with |
out compromising our honor, we can pa use
survey The whole ground before us, and collccI
orr moral forces for the struggle which Will
c me on, five DO not obtain our rights unde |
the constitution The Tariff he modified so say even
hose who nave been rotng in the excuses of this legal
Ised system OF Piage But how? v III the mod fcaon
De consummaied by throwing the whole burhon Of In,
iHpo't system on those articles, which in The great
commer exchanges ofhe world purchase nm, s;al.
ana by relieving those articles consumed but no,
fractured IN tire Tariff States, from all buTtben o ,cou
This, indeed, wouki fix the svser, ,,no
us permanently, aud III form the most potentially die.
astIOus. F'J "'
Il would be in effect TO decree thai The res, r H.,
onted states shall be levied the Productions NJ tho
south, 50 long continue import il, cxrh,ne, TO-
ou' own staples and when this ceased Gor the entire
anuihiauo Of foreign trade that our fat sbnuIJ he
rrrvtrslnly sealed in hopeless ruin "
10 guard the pubic mind against the Confluence en-
s""chHy Pe'lous as such mod icann uf the inio5s,I