Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1832-12-20

III his, men, is lne position III Wnicn we
stand. A small majority Of the citizens
of one State in the Union have elected
delegates to a State Convention; that
Convention has ordained that all the rev.
enuc laws of the United States must be
repealed, or that they arc no longer a
member of the Union. The Governor
! of that State has recommended 10 the
Legislature the raising of an army to car
ry the secession into effect, and that he
may be empowered TO give clearances to
vessels in the name of the STATE. No
act of violent opposition to the laws has
yet been committed, but such state of
things is hourly apprehended, and it is
the intent of this instrument TO PROCLAIM
not only that the duty imposed on me by
laws be faithfully executed" shall be
performed to the extent of the powers
already vested in me by law, or Of such
others as the wisdom of Congress shall
devise and entrust to me for that purpose
but to warn the citizens of South Carroll
ma, who have been deludcd into an OPP
position to the laws, of the danger they
disorganizing Ordinance Of the Conven-
tion--to cxhort those who have refused
10 support it to perscvcrc in thoir deter
mination to uphold the Constitution and
laws of their country and to point out
TO all, the perjous situation into which
the good people Of that State have been
led ,--and that the course they are urged
to pursue is one Of ruin and disgrace to
the very State whose rights they affect
to support.
Fellow citizens Of my native State!-
let me not only admonish you, as the
first Magistrate of our common country,
not to incur the penalty of its laws, but
use the influence that Father would o.
yer his children whom he saw rushing in
to certain ruin. In that paternal lam
guage, with that paternal feeling, let me
tell you, my countrymen, that you are
deluded by men who are either deceived
themselves or wish TO deceive you.--
Mark under what pretences you have
been led on to tho brink of insurrection
and treason, on which you stand! First
diminution Of the value of your staple
commodity, lowered by over production
in other quarters and the consequent di-
mnution in the value ofyour lands, were
the sole effect Of The Tariff laws. The
effect Of those laws was confcssedly in
furious, but the evil was greatly exag-
geraicd by the unloundcd theory you
were taught TO believe, that it's burthens
were in proportion to your exports, not to
your consumption Of imported aricles.--i
Your pride was reused by the assertion
that submission to those laws was state
of vassalage, and that resistance TO them
was equal, in patriotic merit, to the op-
position our Fathers offered to the oppres-
sivc laws Of Great Britain. You were
told that this opposition might be pcacoa-
bly--might be constitutionally made
that you might enjoy all the advantages Of
the Union and bear none of its burthens.
Eloquent appeals to your passions, to
your State pride, to your native courage.
to your sense ofreal injury, were used to
prepare you for the period when the
mask which concealed the hideous fca-
turns ofDIsUNIcN, should be taken off,
1t fell, and you were made to look with
on objects which not long
since you would have regarded with
horror. Look back to the arts which
have brought you to this state--look for.
ward to the consequences to which it
must inevitably le.l! Look back to
what was first told you as an induccment
to enter into this dangerous course. The
great political truth was repeated to you,
that you had the revolutionary right Of
resisting all laws that were palpably un-
C constitutional and intolcrably oppressive
it was added that the right to nullify a
law rested on the same principle, but
that it was a peaceuble remedy! This
character which was given to it, made
you receive with too much confidence
The assertions that were made of the un-
constitutonality, of the law and its op-
pressive effects. IL
Mark, my fellow citizens, that by the
admission Of your leaders, the unconsti-
must be palpable, or it will not
Justify either resistance or nulliication
What is the meaning of the word palpa.
bic in the sense in which it is here used?
hat which is apparent to every one, that
which no man Of ordinary intellect will
ail to perceive. Is the constitutonality i
IF these laws Of that description Let !,
hose among your leaders who once ap-
proved and advocated the principle Of
protective duties, answer the question;
ind let them choose whether they will be
considered as incapable, then, ofperceiv.
ng that which must have been apparent
o every man Of common understanding,
Or as imposing upon your confidence, and
,ndeavoring to mislcad you now. In ei-
her case, they are unsafe guides in the