The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-12-18


and the Union rendered more perfect BY tho
Federal Constitution. In none of these
stages did We consider ourselves in any other
light than as forming one nation. Treaties
and alliances were made in the name of all.
Troops were raised for the Join, defence.
How then, with all these proofs thai under
all changes of our position we had, for dc
signated purposes and with defined powers
created nntionsl Governme nts-how is il,
that the most perfect Of these several modes
OF union, should now be considered as mere
league ,hat may be dissolved at pleasure 2
1t is from an abuse Of terms. Compact is used
as synonymous with league, although the
true term is not employed becsuse it would
at once show the tslacy, Of the reasoning
II would not do to say that our Constitution
was only league, but it is iaborod to prove
il compact which IN one sense it isl and
then to argue that as q league is compsct
every compact between nations must Of
course be league, and that from such an en-.
gogement every sovereign power has right
TO recede. But it has been shown that in
this sense the States are not sovereign, and
that even If they were, and the national Con
stitution had been formed by compact, there
would be no right in any one State TO exen-
crate itself from its ObtgslIons.
So obvious are the reasons which forbid
this secession, that it is accessory only TO al,
lude to them. The Union was formed for
the benefit Of oil. 1t was produced by nu
tual sacrifices Of interests and oplnicps.-
those sacrifices be recalled? Can the States
who magnanimously surrendered their title
to the Territories Of the West, recall the
grant? Will the Inhabitants of the inland
States sgree to pay the duties that may be
imposed without their assent by those on the
Atlantic or the Gulf, for their own benefit !!
Shall there be free port in ono State and
onerous duties in another? No one believes
that any right exists in single State to in
volve all the others in these and countless
other evils contrary to engagements solemn
ly made. Every one must see that the other
States, in self defence, must oppose it at al
hazards.
These are the alternatives that are pre-.
sented by the Convention: A repeal of al
the acts for raising revenue, leaving tho
Government without the means Of support !;
or an scquiescence in the dissolution Of our
Union by the succession Of one of ito mem
bers. When the frst was proposed, il was
known that it could not be listened to for q
moment. II was known if force was applied
must be repelled by forcs-tiat Congress
and the country in ruin, accede TO- the pro-
given day. or if any attempt is made to exc
declared to be out of the Union.
The majority Of a convention assembled
for the purpose, have dictated these terms, or
Yat hor linn all tap - q th~
of the people Of South Carolina. II 10 true
that the Governor Of the State speaks of the
submission Of their grievances to Conven.
tion Of all the States; which he says they
sincerely and anxiously seek and desire
Yet this obvious and constitutional mode Of
obtsining the sense of the other States on
the se~ossassien Of Al. c-i.-~i i-----r--., ---l
amending it, il necessary, has never been at
tempted oy those who have urged the State
on to this destructive measure. The State
might have proposed the call for general
convention to the other States; and Con.
grces, ifa sufficient number Of them con.
cured, must have called it. But the first
Magistrate Of South Carolina, when he ex
pressed . hope that, "on q review by Con.
grsss and the functionaries Of the General
Government Of the merits ofthe controversy"
such a convention will be accorded to them,
must have known that neither Congress nor
any functionary Of the General Government
has authority to call such a Convention. un.
less it be demanded by two thirds Of the
States. This suggestion then, is another
instance Of the reckless matte stion 10 the
provisions ofihe Constitution with which the
crisis has been madly hurried on or of the
attempt to persuade the people that consti
tutionsl remedy had been sought and refused
Ifthe legislature of South Carolina "anxions.
ly desire" General Convention to consider
their complaints. why have they not msde
application for it In the way the Constltutio.
points out. The assertion that they "ear
nestly seek" it is completely negatived by
the omission.
This, then, is the position in which we
stand. A small majority Of the citizens Of
one State in the Union have elected dele.
gates to State Convention: that Conven.
ton has ordained that all the revenue laws
Of the United States must be repesled, or
that they are no longer q member Of theUni.
on. The Governor Of that State has recon-
nended to the Legislature the raising Of an
army to carry the secession into effect, and
that he may be empowered to give clearan-
ces to vessels in the name Of the State. No
act Of violent opposition to the laws has vet
been committed, but such state of things
is hourly apprehended, and it is the intent Of
this instrument TO PRoCLAIM not only that
the duty imposed on me by the Constitution
"to take care that the laws be faithfully exc
cutsd," shall be performed to tie extent of
the powers already vested in me by law, or
Of such others as the wisdom of Congress
shall devise aud entrust to me for that pur-
Bose :but To warn the citixens or Sou,h C..o.
lima, who have been deluded into an opposi-
'ion to the laws. Of the danger they will in
cur by obedience to the illegal and disor-
gsn'zlng Ordinance Of the Convention--to
sxhort those who have refused 10 support il
to perssvere IN their determination to uphold
the Constitution and laws Of their country
and to- point out to all, the perilous situation
into which the good people of that State have