The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-08-15
multiplication

On ihe evening of the 3Oih ut. meet
ing OF the State Rights and Free Trade
patty was held at the Circus in Charles
ton, 5. {. Henry Deas was appointed
Chairman, and Thomas P. Lowndes Sec
rotary The meeting was first address
ell by Judge Collock, who concluded by
moving that committee he appointed To
consider and report on the Address to the
People, recently published hy the Senators
and majority of the Representatives of
the State IN Congress. A committee o.: fif
teen was accordingly appointed, who re-
turned in short time, and presented to the
meeting certain resolutions, accompanied
hy preamble. We give the following ex-
tracts from the latter. After denouncing
IN nnmeasured terms the whole system of
Legislation in regard to the tariff, it thus
proceeds:
Thanks to the wisdom and forecast of
our fathers we have the remedy tor this
wrong. The question is now distinctly put
WILL YOU SUBMIT 10 the unjust OPP
preston and unconstitutional taxation OF IL
reckless majority in Congress, OR APPLY
THE REMEDY provided by the wisdom
OF your ancestors Who can hesitate !?
None but the oppressors, or those who pal
take of the spoil. To us the choice is
SLAVERY OR FREEDOM. Disguise it
as yon may, if we acquiesce, we shall he
reduced TO state of utter ruin and degra-
dation. The profits of our labor will he
torn from us, in violation of the most sucIeI
principles of the Constitution, as well as of
common right and common justice, to en-
rich other more favored interests. If we
submit TO such injustice, we shall become
the scott and by-word, not only of our OPP
pressors, hut of the world"
"What then remains TO he done Turn
from those misguided rulers, and iely on
yourselves and on your God! Resort to that
principle Of self-protectlon which he i'm
planted in the breast of man, and which has
heen incorporated into all the laws and
comoacts BY which we have consented to
he governed"
The resolutions which follow this pream-
BILE breathe similar spirit. The fist of
them condemns the tariff act of the last
session as "a deliberate, pal pable and dan
gerous exercise of power not granted by
the Constitution" and concludes thus:
1--WE have a right, and are in duty bound,
to nterpose for arresting the operation of
the said Act within the limits Of South
Carolina, and for maintaining within the
same the authorities, rights and liberties APP
pertaining to our State, and we will hence
forth use all the means in our power las
speedily as The forms of our government will
permlt) to nullify or arrest the operation of
the same within our limits, as a violation of
our dearest rights"
A second proceeds in the following
strain:
Resolved, That while we deprecate a
resort to violence. on the part of the Gen
erdl Government, as opposed to the Consti-
tuition of the United States and all the re-
cognized principles of our government and
treat it as phantom conjured up BY ava
rice and ambition to alarm the timld and
render them subservient TO their purposes,
we shalt he ready to meet any consequent
ces in preference to a base SUBMISSION to
the exercise of unconstitutional and arbi-
trary power
This preamble and these resolutions tsays
the Mercury were adopted amidst the
cheers of the assemblage, and without
dissenting voice. A committee was then
appointed to wait upon Gen. Hayne and re-
quest him to attend the meeting. That
gentleman Immediately complied with the
request, and delivered an address, which
concluded with the declaration that " South
Carolina has now no hope left but in the
patriotism and energies Of her sons"
We have been thus particular in detail
ing the proceedings Of this meeting, in or
der to show the tone and temper of the null
lifying party.