Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-11-30

ters and iron masters, or the ;ont-stork comma
"ies Who have millions invested in e. ten auG
wooiith factories, yielding uh,ier .Be operation
VI .ne projecting system, an ANNUAL income of 10
or ~ per Extraordinarily To reiiuQush the AL
| vantage secured tn them lay the laws aud consrnl
10 Come down,o a,lev.l with the other classes of
'!e community. IL is impossible. From ever,
view then, which Your Committee have bcen
"oie to take at this subject, they are consraip-
~" 10 announce To this Couventi"n, tie sol. nI0
run. that a, ter more than 10 yenrs oil patient
endurance of SYSTEM; which is believed 10y the
e"pie OF tins State To he fatal to their prospe-
ri'y and gross deliberate and Daipahie viola
u"h oil Their constitutional riehis-afier the
most earnest and unavailing appeals {, than
sense of Jusuce, aud those comm N sympa hes.
winch ought Ia bud together the differ, nj mem-
hers OF co"ftieraied repullic, the crisis has al
iehgth arrived, when the question must he 80.
'ennly and finally Determined, whether there ro-
mains any means within the P"wer of the State
ny winch these evils may he = !rcssed.
IL Is useless to d g,ise the fact or To attempt
TO dci'iie ourselves ON th.s suijrrt. the time has
come when the State mus, either adopt d,c-
sive couis of action. or we must AT once aban-
don he contest. We caunot again peti;ion-It
would he idle Ia demonstrate, and degrading I,
protest. In our estimation IL is now 81 question
OF liberty or slavery. Ii is now to TO decided,
whether we shall maintain the rights purchased
ny the precious blood of our fathers, aud trans
UNI them un'mpaTed tn our pnsier.ty, tamely
| surrender them without u struggle. We are
constrained To expr,s ~ solemn conviction.
that under the projecting system, we have been
reduced to a state Of - cnlonial dependencies suf-
ieriug and dig ace, aud that unless we now ny
with tie spirit hrh Incomes iree,eu tn the res
cue of our iherties they lost forever. Brought
MP M an ardent devotion to the union IF the
> aies, the people Of south Car lima have long
Struggled against the convictions, that the pow
ers OF the Federal Government have been
shatnctuIiy perverted TO the purposes of inus-
un a.. A.,
the proud recolectious of tho past aud fond
hopes at the future, by common struggles for
noerty aiId common gIor,eS, acquired in its de-
fence--they have hceu brought slowly, and With
the utmost reluctance, TO tie conclusion, that
they are shut ou from their synpaihes, and
made the unpiticd victims of inexOrable sys
ten OF tyranny. which Is without example i'm
any country claiming 10 he free. Experience
has AT length taug us the amen,able truth thai
administered as the Government now il, and has
heeu for several years past in open disregard OF
Hll the limitations prescribed 10y the CONSTITUTIONS
the Uuiou it~eif Instead oil being II blessing mus,
oon berome curse. Liberty we are thorough
iy persuaded, caunot lie preserved under our
syst without srcrcd aud iD,iulai le regard
not merely 10 tl.r letter, hut the true Spirit of the
Constitution, and without Liberty The Unon
would moi he w"rth preserving. &c, then, there
were no alternatives bat to snimi; tn these eyi g.
| or tn seek remedy even in Revolution itself
We could not without proving ourselves recrc-
cur ancestors, hesitate moment as to our
choice. We should say. in the spirit of our IA
Tiers, " we have COUNTED .'e cost, and find roth
ing so iniolerai'Ie voluntary slavery" But
we caiinot bring ourselves for ore moment To
believe that The al ernutivcs presented TO us are
revolution a. slavery: NE confidently II, llcve
ihat there Is n redeeming spirit in insi.u
tons, which may on great occasions he brought
20 our AID for the purpose of preserving the pub
lc hheriy -rrsioring the Cois.ituti"n-aDd eff
te u"g regeneration of the Government
hereby producing IA redress of intoierable erie-
vauces without war, revoluIi"n, iisSoiuliuiI
of tire Union These great objects we feel as.
sured. may even now be effected. unless tose
who are 10 possession of the powers of tie Cow
eminent, and char ged with the administration of
onr national affairs, shall resolve To- persey ere in
course Of injustice and prove by their con,iuc,,
that they love the usurPation TO which TIE pen
pie of this State are nnaiterahiy Determined no
TO subniI better than the Union. We believe
that the redeemng spirit Of Our system is STATE
SOVEREIGNTY, aud THAT II results from the very
| fora and structure of The Federal Government,
HAT when the rights reserved to lie several
States are deliberately invaded, il ter right
anu their duty To intsfpose for the purpose OF
| arrest,Dg the progress of The evil of uSurpation
and To MAINTAIN within their respective l;nhs
the autl"rtIrs aud privileges belnngiug tbe,.r
ns independent sovercigulies. Ii ths several
States do not possess this right. il vain thai
they claim 10 he sovereign. They are al once
reduced 10 the degrading condition of humble
dependents on the will of the Federal Govern
meut. South Carolina claims to tie a sovereign
State: she recognizes tribunal upon Garth as
above her authority. 1t is true she IIas entered
liUto "a solemn compact uf Union with other So
.vereign States bur she claims aud viii exercise
The right to determine the extent # her obi-
gaiIons under that Compact. will she consent
that any other power shall exercise the rght of
Judgment for her. Aud when that compact is
violated hy her co>Siates or Ivy the Government
which they have created, she asserts her un
questionable right, To Judge Of the infractions,
as well as of the mode aud measure of redress"
South Carolina claims no rIghi To JueGe ior
others. HE STAKES " hO are parties To the com.
pact, must lodge each FIR itself, wheiber that
compact has hcen pursued viola ed, aud shouts
they differ lrrerOucilaby 10 opinions, ia, re- is
earthly tribunal, that can auhuTitatIvelS decide
between them 1T was III the conteDpiati ion Of
IA sItnilar case, that Mr.. flsrsnE declared thar
| If the diff renee could neither he CONFRONT ed,
| nor avoided. IL wns the peculiar iellcI of our
| System, L. have provided d remedy in a CoHveu-
| ton of all the States. 10y mhom tie Coustitu-
| toiI might To- 50 altered or amended, Ia re
| nave tie difficulty. In this tribunal, South
Carolina IL wiling that an appeal should
tie mat!e. and ;hat the constitutional compact
should he modified to accomplish all the
grent ends !Jr " ,icb The Union As formed, and
! the Federal IoVernn,ont constituted, aud at the
same time, restore lie riSb's Of the States, aud
! preserve them from violation hereafter. Your
! COMMITTEE pOrposely avoid entering here into
an examination of the nature and character Of
| this claim, whlrb South Carolina asserts, 10 in
terPoso her sovereignty, for The protection Of
/ A. II