Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-12-25

bacn uttered by those lips from which words of fire
invariably proceeded.
lie regarded this meeting as one called by the
warrant OF the President of the United States.-
That officer had put the question to the people, whe-
Their they have disposition TO maintain the autho.
rity of tho constitution and the laws; and in an
swer TO this question: it would be enough to say
"Let all the people say, Ainen!" The present wa.
one OF those periods of critical e1i.cncy, when
men of all parties must unite, and when they arc
naturally disposed to act in harmony. 1t well
known, that parties every where tho progeny of
free governments; that they have existed in every
country, whose institutions were in any consdera
bic measure liberal. In some instances, they con-
stitutcd the safeguard of country; under some
circumstances, they might become the of it's
ruin. Sometimes they themselves persisted by
natural death at Others they were overwhelmed
by the ascondancy acquired by one; and at others
sui' they continued to maintain protracted strug-
giles, until the question settled by the word
In our own country, tho contests of parties had ex-
lsted from the foundation of tho Government; they
had existed in other States; in those of antiquity
They endured for a few centuries, and might have
perhaps endured longer, had that representative
principle been thus early discovered, which is now
III the progress of experiment in this country, aud
winch is exposed at this moment to pcrilous test
Should the experiment fail here he could only saw
Farewell to free institutions from this time forth
forever.
Here the will Of the majority must govern. Such
was the recognise principle, for which ne, substitute
could be devised; right Wong, the wall Of tile
but TO the sword. Clouds and darkness were ga
therng around us; tho public mind was agta,ed
oy lho most alarming apprehcnsions; men had
been taken by surprise by the strange prctonsions
OF one OF our sister States AT this moment, tho
proclamation oftho President of the United States
ho had almost said, like the great mandate "Iet
there be light" came forth to give us light. He
had never been tho pdnegyrist Of tho Chief Magis.
trate, nor had he ever been his trndeccr; his sua.
ton for some time past had been such, as called
nm to no active interest i'll political concerns But
at tho present time, he had disposition to look
back with feelings Of asperity, or forward with
very sanguine antcipations to the uure resting on
TINS document, he would say, that it was above all
praise. If the spirit of Washington could return
to us from tho tomb, we could hardly expect
sounder exposition of the constitutional prime pies
by wnich that great man was guided, than that
which is here presented to tho people of this ma.
tlon. Ii 1t be permitted to the spirits of the great
and good men made perfect, to look down from
their celestial habitations OH what passes here be-
owl the spirits of Washington, Adams, Jay,
Nutledge, Plnckncy,--of the whole noble army of
maryrs--coud return to earth the y,,vould ioi, in
one chorus of sympathy with the principles of that
memorable instrument. Theywould declare i. TO
ne ne the duty OF TINS whole people, from Maine to
Florida, from the Atlantic 10 the Rocky Mountains
TO answer 1t in one universal pnan.
In regard o the course which had been adopted
by the authorities of South Carolina, it was not
MS design to speak in terms of Incorporation, OF of
exaggerated rcproach. 1t was, at an carly period
| OF life, his fortune to be brought into intimate
communion with some of her sons; and more pc
| ncous and manly spirits were not 10 be fourd in
any other Statc.-tic believed the people of that
State 10 be loyal in their hearts: but believinp
this, he was bound to say that the conspr,cv now
existing among them against the Union was tho
most unprOvoked and causelcss that is revealed in
tho history oil man. The time would come when
thcy themsc YES would so regard it, 1t was ron.
dered the more dangerous, because it masks itself
under Constitutional FORMS while it was in equal
and direct contravention both of the Constitute
OF South Carolina and that Of the United States
What solecism could be greater tina that of the peo
PIE oil Caro!Ina annulling law ofthe Union7 A law
sa rule oil action, prescribed by the supreme author
NY OF STATE; and IT can be annulled by other
aolhority, than that by which it was i'm
posed. In our own State, the laws relating TO tax
alton had been charged with ncqua lIty in operation
IN our own city, it had been occasiona lly thought
that taxes were unequal in their pressure: it was
by no means improbable, that Bosoton did actually
pay more than her Just share, of the taxes npo-
sed by the State. But has any individual therefore
right TO declare the law imposing taxes null and
voldf If not, what right have n thousand noorl.
to do so, more than one7-What right can thou.
sand people of South Carolina have mora thar
fragment of the population of any other Stntc7
suppose that all the taxes paid into tho Treasury ot
the State were imposed b ;ston only: would the
inhaoitanss of Boston have right to declare the
law which lovies them a nullity? No doubt VIC
should believe such law hostile to the spirit of the
Constitution; but we should hardly think of calling
a meeting as remedy, and ordering the Colonel of
tho Boston Regiment to carry the resolves of such
Il meeting into effect
1t might perhaps be thought that those who
were OF the majority in this State in times Como by
should speak with some caution of tho nullifyinp
doctrine. Ausions would probably be made to
the course oil Massachusetts in somo former DAYS
inns was no proper time, was it his purpose to
enter into comparison of that course with the ro
cent proceedings Of South Carolina but n time was
apt to lay heavy hand the transactions and
documents OF past years, he would rcud passd 90
n tlc hfNrl 1g, IL
remember it, he would declare the title as soon as
he done.
Here MIR. Otis read several passages from pam
Phet on the subject of tho rights and duty OF the
states, when the policy of the General Government
is ielt to be hostile TO their interests,1
hese, said Mr.. 0. extracts from the final re.
port OF the Convention of Delegates assembled at
Hartford in 1914 He appealed to gentlcmcn to
compare their spirit and character with those of
oouth IarolIna They would fnd that South Ca.
roma levels her artillery and discharges her point
oiamh snot right INTO tho ramparts of the Union
"h,ie massachusetts hung ont signals of distress,
al" 'Dat was all. Her people in their suffering
caed upon the Legislature for rodress thoy formed
convention, which assured those people that thew
eonid dc nothing inconsistent with tho Constitution
and laws of the country.
nc had now said all that he intended, md more
perhaps IMAM was strictly pertinent 10 the subject
The present time was certainly pregnant vii,
great events. The fate of the Union al this hour
perhaps depended the support which the nconIo
nnBht aHoTd to the constituted authorities
should that support be full and cordial, there was
reason to hope, that the present crisis may pasa
over without bloodshed lie trusted that our Co
vernment would not become the object Of scorn to
the Toes OF civil liberty; that the carping travellers
OF other countries would not be permitted 10 tri
un1ph IN its downfall.-Undoubted the state of
things was difficult and dan erous; but for bimself
ne now ielt like the tempcst-tost passenger WHOM
the Storm is gathering in the hcavcns-the hori-
zon Oakland himself uncertain of his course
VINO is cheercd by the cry of Land not from the
masthead but from the quarter deck. lie know