Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-12-04

strained to assume this attitude of sovereign re-
Sistarcc IN relation to the usurpations of the lie
dCral Government.
Fer this purpose it will he necessary to state
briefly, what conceive to be tho relation created
by tina Federal Constitution, between tho States and
The G"ncrul Government; and also what VIC con.
coivo to hc the truo character and practical opera
t'"n OF the system OF protecting duties il Affects
cur rights, our interests and our hbertss
We hold then, that on their separation from the
Sfown OF Great Britain, tue s0Nc rol Colonies he
came trco and indcpcndcp. States, each enjoying
the sHpartc ana adonenIont right of sel:.govcrn-
mont; an6 that no authority bo exercised
oVnr them or within their limits. but by their
consent, respectively given as States. 1t is equsl.
~ true, that the Constitution of the United States
IL a compact formed bctwooa tine several States,
acting ~ sovereign communities; that the govorn-
ncnt created 10y it join; agency of the States. APP
| painted to execute tho powers enumerated and
granted by that insrumont; that ali its acts not
tcntona!iy authorised, are of themselves essen
! TALLY null and void and that the States
have tho right, in tho Same sovereign ca.
! pacity in which they adopted the Federal
Constitution, Ia pronounce, III the last resort,
/ authoritative Judgment on tho nsurpr,ions of the
Federal Government, and to adopt such measures
as they may deem necessary and oxrcdicnt to ar
rest the operatiou OF tho unconstitutional acts OF
that Government, within their respective limits
! Sneh we doem to be the inherent rights OF tho
States-n the very nature Of things absolutely IN
| SnFarablc from savereigny-Nor IS the duty of a
state, to arrest unconstitutional and oppressive
act of the Federal Government lcs' imperative
than he right rs rcontsstiblc. Each State by RAJ
| tifying the Federal Constitution, and becoming q
member of the Conicdcracy, contracted an obliga
/ ton To protect AM defend" that instrument, as
we'll by resisting the u>urPatious of tho Federal
| Uoveri'mCnt as By Sustaining that Government In
the exercise OF the powers actually conferred upon
! 1t. And the obligation of the oath which is i'm
posed, uuaor the Constitution, every iunctienary
OF the States, To prescrvc, protect and defend" the
Federal Constitution as clearly comprshends the
I ,l,,,,- L.
usurpa ions of the Federal Government as that of
protecting and defending it against violation in any
other form or from any other quarter.
1t is true, that in ratfyng The Federal Constitu-
on, tho States placed large and important po,-
ton OF tho rights f,hcir citizens under tho Joint
projections nj all the States, with a Wow to their
more ctfccua security; but it is lees true that
they reserved portion still larger and not loss i'm
Portant under their own immoiisto guardianship,
and III rotation TO which their original obligation to
protect their citizens, from whatever quarter as.
sailed, remains unchanged and undmnshcd
Bnt clear and undouhted as regard the right
and sacred as wo regard the duty of the States 10
in:orpose their sovereign power for the pur pose OF
protecting their citizens from tho demonstrations
! and oppressive acts of the Federal Government
yet We clearly of the opinion that nothing
short o! that high moral and political necessity
which results from acis of usurPatioD, snbyorsivc
of the rights and liberties Of tho people, should in
duce member of this coniodcracy to resort TO
this interpostion. Such, however, il the ncan
declared the acis oil Congress imposing proicctin o
duties, null and void w,!hin the limits of South
Carolina. The ep rit and the principles which an.
thlnted Your ancestors and ours i'll the councils and
in the fields Of their co:nmon glory, forbid us to
submit any longer to a system Of Legislation, low
bo come the established policy of the Federal Go.
vcrnmsnt, by which reduced to a condi-
ton Of colonial vassalagc, in all It's aspects moro
oppressive and intolrrabe than that from which our
co '1non ancestors relieved themselves by the war
of the revelation. There is no right which enters
more essentially into just conception of liberty
than that of The free and Unrestricted use of the
Pr" auctions Of Oar Industry. This clearly in
wolves the ght Of carrying the productions of tLa
industry wherever they be most advantageous!y
exchanged, whether in foreign do nestle markets
South Carolina produces, almost exclusively, agfi
cutura! staples which derive their principal valle
| from .le demand for them in foreign countro
Under those circumstances her natura! markets are
! abroad and restrictive duties imposed upon her in
tarconrsa with those markets, diminish tho ex-
change bic value OF her productions veIy nearly TO
| tho full extent of these duties.
Under system of free trade. The aggregate crop
or 5. Carolina could be exchanged for larger
quantity of manufacturers by az least third
than 1t can DC now exchanged ltor under the pro-
tcciinG system. Ii il no less uvidcn, that the
no OF that crop is diminished by the protecting sys.
TEN very no"rl ii not precisely to the extent that
The aggregate quantity Of manufactures which can
10 obtained for it, is diminished. II is, indeed,
strictly and ph.osophIcally true that the quantity
of consumable commodities which can be obtained
for the cotton and rice annually produced by the
industry OF the State, Is tho precise measure OF
their aggregate yalLo. But for The pfova lent and
hl bitual of confoundnI the money Price with
the exchsngeable value of oar agricultural staples,
those propositions would be regarded self vdent
II the protecting duties repealed, ono hundred
bales of cotton one hundred barrels Of rice would
purchosc as large a quantity OF manufactures, as
one hundred and fifty will purchase. Tho
annual income of the State its means of purcha-
sing and consuming the nccessares and com iorts
and Inquiries Of life, would be- increased in cor
resp nding degree.
Almost the entire Cotton Crop Of South Carroll
ma, amounting annually to more than six millions
of dollars, is ultiNatcy exchanged either for for
sn manufactures, subject to protecting duties, o.
for similar domestic manufactures. The natural
value of lhe crop would bo all the manufacture
which could obtain for it, under system oil
unrestricted Commerce. Tho artifcial valve
produced by tho unjust and unconstitutional Lesis
lat'on OF Congress- is only such part of ;noSc man.
ufacturcs will remain after paying a duty of fi
~ per cont TO the Government, or, to speak with
more precision, to the Northern manufacturers
| 10 make this obvious to the humbest comprohen
slons, lctit be supposed that the whole of tie pre-
| sent crop should be exchanged, by the planters
| themselves, for those foreign manufactures, fol
! which 1T IS destined, by tho inevitable o.
trade to be ultimately exchanged, either by them
selves, or their agents. Let il be also assumed, in
| conformity with the facts of the case, that New
! Jersey, for example, produces of the very same de-
scFlPton o manufactures, quantity equa! TO thai
! which is purchased by the cotton crop of South
/ Carolina. We have, tEon, two states of the same
J cohiodcracy, b"4nd TO bear equal share of the
burthens, and nitlcd to enjoy an equal share o
| tho benefits of the common government, with pre-
ciseiy the quantity Of productions, of tn:
Same quality and kind, produced by their lawful in
dWstry. Wo appeal TO your cdndor. and TO YOU
sense OF justice, to soy whether South Caroiina
has not title sacred and iudefcdsabe TO the fol
and undiminished enjoyment OF those product.