The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-12-12

potism. A very brief ANALYSIS will render this
clear to every understanding. What, then, we
ask, is involved in the idea Of political respon
sibiiy, in the imposition of public burthens :
1t clearly implies that those WIN impose the
hurthens, should be responsible to those who
bear them. Every representative in Congress
should be responsible, not only TO his own i'm
mediate constituents, but through them and ,
their common participation in the burthens i'm
posed, to the constituents at every other repre-
sen, alive If in the enactment OF a protecting
tariff, the majority of Congress iT posed upon
their own constituents the same bur thens which
they impose upon the people of South Car
olina, that majority would act under all the |
restraints Vt political responsibility, aud we
should haze the best security which human
wisdom ha yet devised against oppressive leg |
isation.
But the act is precisely tie reverse Of this |
The major.y in Congress, al imposing protect |
ing duties,which are utterly destructive of the
interests South Carolina, not only impose
no burtheis, but actually confer enriching
bounties upon their constituents, proporiioned
TO the burth'ns they Impose upon us. Under
these circun stances, the principle of rGpresen-
tive responsibility, is perverted into principle
of absolute despotisln. IT is this very tie, bind
ing the mjority IN Congress to execute the
will of their constituents, which makes them
) our inexora,le oppressnrs They dare not open
their hearts 10 The sentiments of human Justice,
OF to the feelings of human sympathy. They
are :yrantsby the very necessity OF their posi-
ton, however elevated may be their principles,
in their individual capacities
} The grave question, then, which we have
had 10 determine as the sovereign power of the
t State, upon the awful responsibility under
which we have acted, is, whether we will vol
} UNFAIRLY SURRENDER the glorious inheritance.
purchased and consecrated by the tolls, the suf
ierngs and the blood Of an lustriuus ancestry,
or transmit that inheritance to our posteriiy
unarnished and undiminished' We could not
hesitate in deciding Tins question. We have,
! therefore, deliberately and unalterably resolv-
: ed, that we will no longer submit TO system
: of oppression, which reduces us to the degrad-
ing condition Of tributary vassals and which
would reduce our posterity, in few genera
} TONS to Il state of poverty and wretchedness,
that W ould stand in melancholy contrast with the
: beaut ful and delightful region in which the
Providence Of God has cast oar des,inies dav-
, ing formed this resolution, with full view Of
all its bearings and of all ills probable and pos
sible issues it is due to the gravity of the sub
ject and the solemniiy Of the occasion, that we
! should speak TO our confederate brethren in the
plain language of frankness ard truth. Though
we plant ourselves upon the Constitution and
the lmmutabe principles of justice, and intend
; to operate exclusively through the civil lribu-
, nails and civil funClonares of the State, yet
We aciH throw eff this oppression at ecery he@-
ard. We believe our remedy TO be essentially
: peaceful We believe the Federal Govern
ment has no shadow of right or authority to act
against a sovereign State of the Confederacy
IN any form, much less TO cOerce 1t by military
, power, But we are aware of the dlVersltles OF
human opinion: and have seen too many proofs
of the in iatuation of human power, not to have
I looked with the most anxious concern 10 The
possibility Of resort 20 ,!!!.-.;, -, ,,uyrt iur,
nj hp of
in oreer 10 obviate the possibility of having the
history of this contest stained by a single dro,
OF fr; ternal blood, we rave solemny and ire.
Vocably resolved, that we will regard such a re-
sort as dissolution Of the political ties which
connect us with our confederate States and
will, forthwith, provide for the organization of
a new and separate government.
We lmplore you, and particularly the manu-.
featuring States, not to believe that we have
been actuated, in adopting this resolution, by
any feeling OF resentment, or hostility towards
them; or by desire 10 dissolve the pntica
bonds, which have so long united our common
destinles. We still cherish that rational devo-
| ton TO the Union, by which this State has been
/ pre- -cmlnenlly distinguished, in all times past.
/ But that blind and idolatrons devotion, which
| would bow down and worship Oppression and
! Tyranny, yelled under that consecrated title
( 1t 1t ever existed among us, is now vanished
/ for ever. CONSTITUTIONAL LIBERTY is the on
ly idol of our political devotion; and, 10 pre-
serve that, We will not hesitate n single mo-
laent, to surrender the Union itself if the sacrl-
flee be necessary. If it had pleased God TO
cover our eyes with gnorance-if he had not
bestowed upon US the understanding TO COM
srehend the enormity Of oppression under which
we labor-we might submit to it without abso-
late degradation and infamy. But the gifts of
Providence cannot be neglected, or abused,
with lIopnnily. A people, who deliberately
submit 10 oppression, with full knowledge
that they are oppressed. fit only o be slaves ;
and all history proves tha, such people will
soon lind MASTER. 1t = the pre-existng spirit
, oil slavery, in the people, that has made tyrants
IN all ages OF the world. No tyrant ever made
J slave-no community, however small, having
the spirit OF frecmen, ever yet had a master
The most lllustrous of those States which
have given 10 the world examples Of human free
dom, have orcupied Territories, not larger than
l. some oil the Districts OF South Carolina while
The largest masses Of population. that were ev
l. er united under common government, have
been the abject splritless and degraded slaves
OF despotlc rulers We sincerely hope therefore
that no portion of the States of this Confedera
? cy, will permit themselves to be deuded into
any measures of rashness, by the vain imagina.
+ ton, that South Carolina will vndicale her
r rights and liberties, with less inhexibIe and
uniaulierng resolution, with population of
l. population of twenty millions.
IL does not belong 10 freemen 10 count the
+ costs aud calculate the hazards of indicating
T their rights and defending their liberties; and
r even ii we should stand alone in the worst pos
> slble emergency Of this great controversy, with
out the co operation or encouragement OF a sin
q gle State Of The confederacy, we will march
forward with an unalterlng step, until we have
! accomplished the object of this great enter.
prise
Having now presented, for the consideration
OF The Federal Government and our confederate
States, the fixed and final determination of this
State in relation TO the protecting system. il
remains for us TO submit plan Of taxation in
which we would be willing TO acduiesce, in
spirit OF liberal concession, provided we ar. met
! m due time and in a becoming spirit by the
States interested in the protection OF manuiac-
lures
We believe that upon every Just and equita.
bic PTi"0iPe Of taAatinn, the whole list of pro.
tected articles should be imported free OF all
! duty and that the revenue derived from import
duties, should be raised exclusively from the
unprotected articles, or that whenever a duty
is imposed upon protected articles imported, an
excise duty Of the same rate should be imposcd
upon nil similar articles manufactured in the
United States, This would be as near an nm
preach 10 perfect equality as could possibly be
made, IN system Of indirect taxation No
substantial reason can be given for subocting
manufactures obtained from abroad in exchange
Tor the productions of South Carolina TO Tho
smallest duty, even for revenue, which would
rot show that similar manufactures made IN
/ the United States shonld be subject To the yetv