Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1832-12-20
.AJNDHEW JACKSON,
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

south Carolina, fpm the President of the u.
= States, was ISSUED on the 10th inst. Its great
length, and our United space, prevents us
from publishing iteritire; which we much re-
gret, as it is document of surprising impor-
lance, but must content ourselves with ex-
tracts embracinglts substance.
As to the conslituiionality Of the course Of
South Carolina, the proclamation says:
81 consider, then, the power TO annul law
i Of the United States, assumed by one Stale,
| INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE EXIS-
| TENCE OF THE UNION, CONTRA
F DICTED EXPRESSLY BY THE LEI
TER OF. THE CONSTITUTION, UN-
AUTHORISED BY ITS SPIRIT, lNCON.
| SJSTENT WITH EVERY PRINCIPLE
| ON WHICH IT WAS FOUNDED, AND
| DESTRUCTIVE OF, THE GREAT OBJ
Jet FOR WHICH III WAS FORM
Ed"
As to the right of secession on the part Of q
Slate, it says:
secession, like any other revolutionary
act, may be MORALLY justified by the exrem-
/ hy of oppression, but to call it constitu-
+ ional right is conloundirs nc meaning OF
terms; and can only e done through gross
error or 10 de1r,ve those who are willing TO
assert right bat would pause before they
made a revolution, or incur the penalties
consequent on failure"
so obvious are the reasons which forbid
the secession, .hat it is necessary only to al
! Mde to then. The Union was formed for
| The benefit of all. 1t was produced 10y mu.
| 'nal sacrifices of interests and opinions. Can
,bose sacrifices be recalled Can the States
vho;naenanimously surrendered their title to
,be Territories of the West, recall the grant?
Will the inhabitants Of the inland States.a-
gree to nav the duties that may be imposed
without their assent by those on the Atlantic
| ar the Gulf, for their own benefit? Shall there
| be free port in one State, and onefous du
ties in another? No one believes that any
,ght exists in single State TO involve all the
others in these and countless other evils, con
'rary to the engagements solemniy made
Every one must see that the other States,
/ in SELF defence, must oppose at all hazards
"ybese are the Alternatives That are pre-
sented by the Convention. A repeal OF all
/ tie acts for raising revenue, leaving the Gov
eminent without the means OF support: or an
scquiescence in the dissolution of our Union
| by the secession Of one CT i:s t-ernuers.
When the first wac proposed, II was known
F that it could not be listened to for moment.
It was known that if force was applied to on
pose the execution of the laws, that it must
be repelled by force-that Congress could
not, without involving itself in disgrace and
The country in ruins aesede to the proposition
and vet, if this is not done IN a gwen day,
or if any attempt is made to execute the laws
be State is, by the Ordinance, declared to be
out of the Union.-The majority Of a Con-
ventoa assembled for the purpose have die
taed these terms, or rather this rejection of
+ oil terms, in the name of the people of South
| Carolina. It is true tnat the Governor Of the
State speak, Of the submission OF their giie-
vsnces TO Convention of all the States;
which, he says they sincerely and anxiously
seek and desire" Yet this obvious and con-
.litutiopa node of obtaining the sense OF
. the other Staes on the construction oil the
federal compact, and amending 1t, II necessa-
~, has never been attempted by those who
/ have urged the State on TO this destructive
measure. The State might have proposed
| the call for General Convention TO The other
States; and Congress, If a sufficient number
Of them concuried, must have called IT. But
the first Magistrate of South Carolina, when
he expressed hope that "on review by
Congress and the functoIaries oil the Gene'
raj Government of the merits OF the contro-
versary," such Convention will be accorded
10 them, must have known that neither Con,
gFess nor any functionary Of the General
Government has authority to call such
Convention, unless it be demanded by two
thirds of the States. This suggestion, then,
is another instance of the reckless iRattention
TO the provisions Of the Constitution with
which this crisis has been madly hurried on;
Or of the attempt 10 persuade the people
that constitutional remedy had been sought
and refused, If the Legislature Of South
Carolina "anxiously DESIRE Generel Con
yention to consider their complaints. why
have they not made application for 1t in the
Constitution points out? The assertion that
they earnestly seek" it is completely neg
atived by the omission.
This, then, is the position in which we
stand. A small majority OF the citizens oil
one State in the Union have elected dele
gates to a state Convention: that Convention
has ordained that all the revenue laws OF the
United States must be repealed, or tha. they
ate no longer a member of the Union. The
Governor of that State has recommended TO
The Legislature the raising of an army TO car
" The secession into effect, and that he may
DC empowered 20 give clearances 10 vessels IN
The name of the State. No act of violent OPP
position to the laws has yet been committed,
'ot sucha state oil things Is hourly aPprehend'