Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-12-03
MONDAY, DECEMBER 3. 1882.
ADDRESS
To the People of the United States, by
the Convention of South Carolina.

hDDNEoS
To the People of the United States, by
the Convention OF South Carolina.
To the People of Massachusetts,, pirg'nia, Ne'o
YORK.. Pennsyirania. North Carolina, Mary
h,od. Conneciicui, Vermont. NsW Hampshire,
Gya;ne. Ne,c JerseQ, Georgia, Delaware, Rhode
y,Iand. kentucky, Tennessee. Ohio, Lottis'0-
M. indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, .siaban'a
and Missouri.
We the people Of South Carolina, assembled
in Convention, have sOlemnly and deliberately
declared, in our paramount sovereign capacity,
that the act Of Congress approved the l9!h Gay
of MAY 1928, and the act approved the l4th 'u-
" 1882, altering and amending the several acts
imposing duties Old imports, are unconstitutional,
and therefore absolutely void, and Ut no binding
force within the limits Of this State; and Tor the
.urpose of carving this declaration into full and
romplete effect, we have invested the Leg'sia-
ture with ample powers, and made It the duty OF
all the Functionaries and all the citizens oil the
State, ON their allegiance, to cooperate IN en-
forcing the aforesaid declaration.
In resortins to this important measure, 10
which we have been impelled by the most sacred
OF alt the duties which free people can owe el'
Their 10 the memory OF their ancestors or TO the
claims of their postery. we feel that 1t Is due to
tween Soute Carolina and the other States ct
This conf,deracy, that we should present clear
and distinct ex position Of the principles OH which
we have acted, aud of the causes by which we
have been reluctantly constrained to assume this
attitude of sovereign resistance III relation to the
usurpations Of the federal government.
For this purpose it viii he necessary to state,
b ieay what we conceive to be the rela I Gated
b h. federal Constt1, ION, b. 'ween the Statesa"d
IT, general government; and also what we De
l,eve to b. the true character and practical ope-
ration of the system OF protecting duties, as II
affects our RIGHTS. interests and our liberties
We hold. then, that on their separation from
the Grown Of Great Britain, the several Colo
nips became free and independent States, each
enjoying the separate and independent right OF
self governments; and that no authority can be
exer, ised over them or within their limits, but
b, their consent, respectively given as States.
Ii is equally true, that the Constitution OF The
United States is compact formed between the
several States, acting as sovereign communities;
that the government created BY il is joint agen
CIV Of the states. appointed to execute the powers
enumerated aud granted by that instrument;
tina, all ITS acts not Intentionally authorised. are
Of themselves essentially null and void, and that
the States have the right, in the same sovereign
capacity in which they adopted the federal Con.
sttution, to pronounce, in the last resort, autho
riIative Judgment on the usurpAtlons Of the fede-
raj government, and to adopt such measures as
they may deem ;essary and expedient to ar
rest the operation Of the Unconstitutional act, OF
that government, within their respective limits.
Such we deem to be the inherent rights OF the
Ststes--rght.. in the very nature Of things, alb
solutely ,nseparabe from sovereignty. Nor Is
the duty OF State, To arrest an unconstitution-
al and oppressive act OF the federal government
less imperative, han the right Is incontestible.
Each State, by raufying the federal Constitu-
ton, aud becoming member OF the confejera-
cy, contracted an obligation to ''protect and
defend that instrument. as well by resisting
the usurpa,,ons Of The federal government, as
BY sustaining that government in the exercise Of
the powers actually conferred upon it. And
the obligation Of the oath which Is imposed, IN.
der the Constitution, on every functionary Of
the STATES, to "preserve, protect. and defend"
the federal Cons tuition, as clearly comprehends
the duty Of protecting and defending IT against
thu uSurpations Of the federal government, as
thar of protecting and defending 1t against viola
ton in anv other form or fr,m any other quarter
II il true tina, in ratfving the federal Consti.
tuition. the States placed large and important
portion of the rights of their citizens under the
JOINT protectinn Of all the States, with view tn
their more effcotual security: but il is not less
true that thew reserved portion still larger and
not les. mDportant under their own Immediate
guardianship. and in relation to which their orr
gilal obligation to protect their citizens, from
whatever quarter assailed, remains unchanged
and und'minished.
But clear and undoubted as we regard the
RI, and sacred as We regard the duty OF the
Safes to interpose their sovereign power for the
purpose of projecting them citizens from the un.
cons ttutional and oppressive acts OF the Federal
Government. vet we are as clearly Of the opin-
ION that nothing short Of that high moral aud po.
liucal necessity, which results from acts OF usur.
patton, subversive of the rights and liberties Of
the people, should induce member OF TINS con-
fe6eracy to resort to this interpretation. Such,
however, is the melancholy and painful necessity
under which we have declared the acts Of Con.
gress imposing protecting duties, null and VOID
within the limits of South Carolina. The spirit
and the principles which animated your ances.
tors and ours 10 the councils, and IN the fields Of
their common glory, forbid Us to submit any Ion