Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-11-08
TO THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY OF CUI
PEPPER.

Having been your sole representative at Tho Anti.
hat DIS an exposition OF its proceedings. 1, was my in.
tcn'ioD 10 havo ecmmunisa ed il on ,he ira, day Of the
Court 10 different shape. Az the ,ue gesi0n Of several
trends l have changed that shape Tor the one l now
give TO i In order ,ha, he information NAV DO moro
d.'.ilc, aud 'hs record Of more permanent.
AS preliminary, eufor me to sjy that on tho 6rst
proposition for the meeting i had no doubls of is exps.
disncy. The do isa,e questions involved in i, forbade,
Ia my opinion. sLy farther eiscunions than they were
des ioed 10 receive in he pesesssry process OF fu-
'ure legislation. But the proposition haviog ripen-
"a int) maturity, 1t became Of vital importance ,ba
Virginia should be rePteseD'ed. Her exemption from
he exsi'sm en's existing at either extreme Of the Uniou,
her interest binding her alike 10 each, and The high
moral power, which 10 ter bes. resource and whish
each Ct eI citizens should seek TO perpsiuate, pointed
20 her asa fl abb '.r Tor rival in,sresis. For This, az
we'll as for The open avowal If her own opinions, il 10 " ell
hat 'hs sufleI ed herself TO become a parry 10 This body.
The ctnven'i ion being endow e wi h no legislative
capacity, n' duly was to colla's opinions, to reconcile
differences, TO asetr ain data, to compare ehec!s, ard,
eomtiring these scattered elements Of power, 10 give
hem their force snd dire ciion. The Same otjsst wa,
% be cen passed by ci1imilar Deans-ihe COZ ven ion
was TO give sonsistsnsy to ihose mean. Que part OF
he Unon arrayed i,sef in jealousy against smother
the convention was to manifest thar in all parts, even
in those mesi dislrus,i, & eash oiher, ,b.re were clause,
seeking The zane o, jscs D, oppressed by the same gtiev-
anees, al d wiling % struggle for the same result
Where there were exeiiemen!s, IL was requisite 10 re-
move The serimoDy without dininishipg The power.
Where tie 6o1sii' uttn seemed TO some TO forbid, 10
Others 10 allow, IL was an objest 70 sdjust The differences
without violating The sscredness OF the instrument.
IL nov tu'ic5 e Dttnse M COuVtnlC0-fhsV were
obViou'iy enough. ii they were performed or set in o
ram OF performances. he body did not assemble in vain.
TO con p"s 'h'se ebjeso, the material in itself was
hoterost neous. There were hose VITO placed resisl.
aDce to The Tard System upon ID. broad bari, OF cor
'ti uiional IN hiji ioi /; there were Others who asserted
the son,i utiona! light, but debied he eYpediensy of
the p esen, exercise Of IL. There were rome who
con piaIn,d OF prescn' 6 ievanet; o her. who consider
ed tbs evils p1o' ;cIve-soms who asserted tina, the
powell to pro;est was incidental, and as an incident.
mis ht be judith u:ly sppieo; Others, and OF a sIsss no,
! KEW 10 QlmlnIIh. WHO assefIe al al lha ul ia p.tn II
pie oil protection was upsouid, even az 10 the In eres,
p otes ,d-,bs, The profits Of The msnufae utor should
oe OF me 'ame hardy stowih with hose Of the farmer,
the merchant, or the marner-srugelipg alike, pro-
iested alike. The seeds Of strife would seem TO belong
10 elements 90 diseordsDt. Ii strife was no where an.
parent, Ii Tss b. csuse-not only hat there wa, for.
bearsnee-bui tina, IN ere was sufi sien, strength In Ar.
sumeDts held in somn oP, 10 permit tie omission Of
sUsb as were dehaieaoIe.
The following is = brief GU line Of ihe severn, vi. ws
taken by The conveDiien-ei,hef 40 isiied ia debate or
embodied in the rsc.rds Of the Assembly.
Tne power to impose a Tariff Of duies 10 a par, of
The sole clause in tho constitution ,ha, gives 10 cen.
gress is eaPaei'y TO raise o rev -nue. Revenu, is The
otJee; taxes, impo,'s and excises the means. To Inc
ex en' thai say be required by The fHmer may be i'm.
posed The latter; and as 10 ihs mode Of inpo,iriop. save
bat IL must bs Uniform throughout The United States,
Tbs guide h the discretion Of soDgios Thu, under The
keveLue power may be fosiered any interest that can
command the assem- oil con Tess, and no eousf,fu iouaI
arg sment can be urged agsi0si L.. But when he totnt
OF revenue lie passed, cous,iiu,ioGa al Inhibition commen.
ets. III The svoWed otj- ei be more Ibsn revenue, The
" hF huhou optDly Vlriateu, " ne Rame CT revenue
be retained aud made subordinate TO oiher PURPOSES. The
violation ~ %insidious.
A second constitutional authority 10 vbieb The power
10 question 10 occasionally traced 10 iho power 10 regu.
late commerce. This deriva ion resolved fom he con.
ven'ion a pionpi denial A POWER strictly CONNER
Si"l Is distorted by sPpliea' ion 10 ohieels strictly manu-
'as urlDg. A power Intended 10 asi, in Gelf-Iefenee,
agsit" iorsIgl nations Is ihjurlousIy misdireeied II
c aimed TO bear upon The relations Of individual pro-
perry among oor'elvoS. IL was destined 10 protest
eommefcs by soep'eivailing ms IL furious reEulaiiou,
81 oiber nations, no, 10 crush IL by Withdrawing from
h the Tesou 'ces Of our own.
There were, | believe, In brief summary, the consti-
tutioDaI opinions OF the convention as a BODY, though
from difference 10 those who declined all cons6tution-
al argument, they we're asserted as "tbo opinions OF a
numerous sud respectable portion OF the American pee.
pie" rather than as a declsrstory resolution Of the As.
sembly itself
of the practical operation Of the existing Tariff the
e,SPosi'ions were 80 follows; Ist, That IL Inverted the
oOlee's Of Government which was intended 10 impsrt
squsi dement's TO all The very system Of projection,
lmPnes ? ouIthen imposed upon one class Of the COM
MUMMY Ir The advantage Of sno her. Government Of
Isen, mas nothing to give. II can transfer capital, not
create - The &C ion Of its very bounty is 10 array one
CLASS against another, giving 10 the manufacturer, from
the pocket OF Inc consumer, the difference between the
price OF the article hs protected, and me same wben
under an unrestricted competition .-2nd. That
Under On apparent gain 10 one part, and obvious Injury
10 smother the sy'tem u detrimental 10 The whole That