Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-12-04


force on The part of the Federal Govcrnircnt;-sn
In order to o5vIatc the possibility of having IN
history of TINS contest stained by single drop
tratornal blood, we have soomniy aud rrevoca5l
resolved, that we wall reg ,ri such e>ort as dis
solution OF the political ties which connect us wit
our confederate States; aud WILL forthwith provide
for the organization offs aud sepcrato Govern.
m-nt.
Wo iInploro yon, and partic-i uly the mnnuc,c
turing states not to believe that we have been nc
tuatsd, in adopting this re,olu,iou by any tc,lno
"i recruitment or hostility, towards thvm; or hy .
desire To dissolve the political bonds which h,y,
so long united our common dcstinics. We still
cheris! that rat onal devotion for tho Union, by
which this State has been om,ly distinguish
cd, in all times past But that blind and idolui roms
devotion which would how down and worship On.
preston IL Tyranny, veilol under that oonsucratrd
title, If it ever existed among us, has now vanished
forever Constitutional Liberty is tho only idol OF
our political devotion; and preserve that, we will
not hesitate single moment, 10 surrender the T.
alon itself n tho sacrifice be necessary. Ii il had
pleased God to cover our eyes with ixnorance-it
no had not bestowed upon US tho understanding
to comprehend tho enor,nity of opprc.sions
under which wo lahor--we might submit TO
1t, without absolute degradation and inf.ny.-
But tho gins Of Providence cannot DO noylneted or
abused with impunity. A people who deliberately
saan'i to opprcsson with full knowledge that they
are oppressed, lit only be slaves; and all his
tory proves, that such People will soon find ma
ter IL - The prccxistnG spirit of slavery, in tho
people, mat has made tyrants in all agos of the
world. No tyrant made i slave-no coni;uu
nifty, however small, having the spirit of frcemen,
over yet had a master. Tho most illus; rious of
those states, which have given to the world exam
pies OF human freedom, have occupied Territories,
not larger than some tho Districts of South Car
DINA, while the largest masses of population that
were over united undnr a common government
have been the abjcct spirlsss and degraded slaves
OF despoiic rulers. We sincerely hone therefore
that no portion of the states of this con iedoracy
l.-l
sure5 OF rashncss, by tho vain ina gnation, that
South Carolina will vindicato her rights and lber
ties, with less inlexible and untal ering resolu-
ton, with a population of somo half mi on than
sho would do with population of twenty millions.
1t does not belong To Freedmen To count the costs
and calculate tho hazards Of Wind eating thor rights
and defending their iberies and even il we should
SAM alone IN the worst possible emergency of this
great controversy, without tho cooperation or en-
coHragement oi a single State OF tho confcdcracy,
we viii march forward with an unialtornp stem
until we have accomplished tho object this neat
enterprise.
Having now presented, for the consideration of
the Federal Government and our con ederato States
the fxod and final determination of this State in
relation 10 the protecting system, it remains for us
TO submit plan nf taxation in which we would be
Wiling 10 acqIicscc, IN spirit OF liberal conces-
sion, provided met in due time and in a be
coming spirit by tho States Interested in the pro-
lection of manufactures.
we be'icve that upon every Just and equitable
principle oftaXation the whole lst of protected
articles should DO imported free of all duty, and
that the revenue derived from import duties should
be raised exclusively from the unprotected articles
or that whenever Il du,yis imposcd upon protected
articles imported, excise duty of the same rate
should be imposed upon all similar articles manu-
featured IN the United States. This would be as
near an approach 10 perfect equality could posi-
bly, he made, in system of indirect taxation. No
subst initial reason can be given for subiecing ma.
nnihciurcs obtained from abroad in exchange for
the productions of South Carolina to the smallest
duty, even for revenue, which would show tha
similar manufactures made in the United State,
shout be subject to the very rate Of duty The
former, not less than the latter, are every ration.
al intent, the productions of domestic industry nd
the mods of acquiring the one, is as lawful and
mo conducive to the public prosperity, than that
of acquiring The other.
| But NC willing to make large offering to
preserve the Union, and with distinct declare
that 1t is concession part, We will conse n,
/ that The same rate of duty may be imposed upon
the protected articles that shall be imposed upon The
unprotected. pr vided that no more revenue he
raised than is necessary tn the lands of the
Government f.,r Constitutional purposes, and FRO
yidcd also, that duty substantially uniform be I'M
posed upon all foreign imports.
Ii is obvious, that evon under this arrangement
the manufacturing States would have u decided
advantage over tho planting States. For it is de-
monstrab'y evident, that, communities, the man.
uiacturing States, would bear no part of the bur
thcns of Federal Taxation, far as the revcnus
should DO derived from protected articles The
| earnestness with which their representatives seek
to increase the duties those articles, is conclu
svc proof that those dutie, arc bonnties, and no,
burthcns, to their constituents. AS at least two
thirds of the federal revenue would be raisot
from protected articles, under the proposed modii.
cation of the Tariff, the manufacturing States
would be entirely exempted from ~ participatior
III tnat proportion Of tho public burthcns
Ohaer rose CIRCUMSTANCES We cannot permit
ourselves 10 believe Tor moment, that in a crisis
i markodb by such protcntous and fearful omens,
those states hesitate in accedng to this ar
rangemont, when they perceive TINT it will be The
means, and possibly the only means of restoring
| the broken harmony of this great conoJcracy
! They most assuredly have TIE Strongest of human
Inducements, aside from all considerations of JUS
t1ce' I" adjust this controversy without pushing
1t TO cxtromties. This can be accomplished onl,
by the proposed mod iicaton of the tariff, or by
! call OF ageneral convention Of ali tho states. |
| South Carolina should be driven out ofthe Union
all the other planting states. and of The
western states, would follow by an almost abso
lue necessity. Can il be believed that Georgia
! Mississippi, Tennessee and even Knntuckr
would continue To pay a tribute of 50 per cent up
OH their consumption, to the northern states 70
the privilege of being united TO them, when the
could receive all their supplies hrou Ii the ports
south Carolina, without paying single cont fo
tribute?
The separation ofSouih Carolina would ncvi
/ tabiy produce general dissolution of the Union
and as necessary consequence the protecting
system, with all its pecunary bounties to tho nor
thern states, ard its peeuniary burthens upon The
/ southern states, would be utterly overthrow anc
demolished, involving the ruin of thousands and
hundreds OF thousands in the m uficturng sta ties
Ry these powerful cons derdtons connected
! with their own pccunilry interests, bcseec
! them to pause and contemplate the disasrou
consequences which will certainly result from az
obstinate perseverance their part, in maintain
ing the protecting system. With them, it is
question merely OF pocuniary interest. CONNECTED