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

would be the first victims--its frst Mag
istrate cannot, ifhe would, avoid the per-
formaEcc of his duty-the consequence
must be fearful for you, distressing to
your fellow citizens here, and to the
friends of good government throughout
the world.
Its enemies have beheld our prosperity
with vexation they could not conceal
lit was standing refutation of their
slavish doctrines, and they will poin. to
our discords with triumph of ofmalignant
JOY 1t is yet in your power to disap-
point them. There is yet time to show
that the descendants of the Pinckneys,
the Sumpters, the Rutleges, and of the
thousand other names which adorn the
pages of the revolutionary history, will
not abandon that Union to support which,
so many of them fought and bled and
died. i adjure you AS you honor their
msmory-as you love the cause of free
dom, to which they dedicated their lives
-as you prize the peace of your coun-
try the lives of its best citizens, and your
own fair fame, to retraco your STEPS.
Snatch from the archives of your State
the dlsorganizing edct of its Convention
bids its members to re-assemble and
promulgate the decided expressions Of
your will to remain in the path which a
lone can conduct you to safety, prosper
ity and honor-teIl them that compared
10 disunion-all other evils are light, be-
cause that brings with it an accumula-
tion of all--declare that you will never
take the field unless the star-spangled
banner of your country shall float over
you-that you will not be stigmatized
when dead, and dishonored and scorned
while you live, rs the authors Of the first
attack on the Constitution of your coun-
try! Its destroyers you cannot be. You
may disturb it's peace-yoI may inter-
rupt the course Of its prosperity-you
may cloud its reputation for stability-but
It's tranquility will be restored, its pros
perity will return, and the stain upon its
national character will be transferred,
and remain an eternal blot on the menu
ory of those who caused the disorder.
Fellow-citizsns of the United States.
The threat of unhallowed disunion--
the names of those, once respected, by
whom It is uttered-the array of militia
ry force to support it-denOte the ap-
proach Of crisis i'm our affairs on
which the cOntinu ance Of our unexam-
pied prosperity, our political existence,
aud perhaps that of all free governments
may depend. The conjuncture deman-
ded free, full and explicit denuncia-
ton, not only Of my intentions but of my
MI of a,,l tt, L..
was asserted of a right by State to an
nul the laws of the Union and even to
secede from it at pleasure, frank cx-
position of my opinions in relation to
the origin and form of our government,
and the construction / give to the in
strumem by which it was created, SEEM
ed to be proper. Having the fullest
confidence in the justness of the legal
and constitutional opinion of my duties
which has been expressed, l rely with
equal confidence on your undivided sup
port In my determination to execute the
laws-to preserve the Union by all con-
stitutional means--to arrest, if possible,
by moderate but firm measures, the ne
cesNty Of q recourse to force, and if it
be the will of Heaven that the recurrence
Ofits primeval curse on man for the she'd
ding of brothers. blood should fall up
on ourland, that it be not called down by
any offensive act on the part of the us.
Fellow-citizens The momentuous
case is before you. On your undivided
support Of your government depends the
decision of the great question it involves
whether your sacred Union will be pre-
served, and the blessing it secures to US
as one people shall be perpetuated. No
one can doubt that the unanimity with
which that decision will be expressed,
will be such to inspire new confidence in
republican institutions, and that the pru-
dencs, the wisdom and the courage
which it will bring to their defence, will
transmit them unimpaired and invigora-
ted to our children.
May the great Ruler of nations grant
that the signal blessings with which He
has favored ours, may not by madness
of party or personal ambition be disre-
garded and lost and may His wise Pro-
vidsnce bring those who have produced
this crisis, to geo the folly, before they
feel tho misery ofcivil strife and inspire
a returning veneration for that Union
which, if we may dare to penetrate His
designs, he has chosen as the only means
of attaining the high destinies to which
we may reasonably aspire.
In testimony whereof, I have caused the
seal Of the United States to be here
unto affixed, having signed the same
with my hand
Done at the City Of Washington this
10Th day Of December, in the year of
our LORD one thousand eight hum
dred and thirty-two, and of the Inde-