Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1833-02-28
22d Congress-2d Session.
III. OF REPRESENTATIVES-t'ln. !.
DEBATE on TIE TARIFF.
Speeet Of Mr. ADAMS, of Massachusetts.


Speech IF Mr. ADAMS, IF Massachusetts,
Mr. ADAMS said that hc had aome days since
given notice of his determinations after the friends
Of The bill should have h NJ opportunity of rem
leing II rs perfect rs thry could 20 move to strike
out the enactine cause-hc would now fulfil his
purpose. and would move that the enactng clause
of the bill now before the committee be stricken
out.
lie would offer few words in support of the
motion The merits Of the hill, as well rs its dc
merits, had been very fully argued and he would
not repeat what had been well sad Ivy others.
| 1t was his opinion that neither this bill, nor any
other at all resembling il, should pass at the pre-
sent session ofCongrcss. There was one idea
which he had not heard suggested by any gentle
man, ind which was adhesive reason with HIM
why the bill ought not IL become law The bin
would not as il seemed 10 be calculated by many,
reduce the amount Of revenue, bn on the contrary,
greatly increase it. To reduce the revenue was
the luolesscd object of the bill. The reasons for
passing ii had been assigned, first by the President
IN his message 10 Congress, then 10y the Secretary
| of the Treasury IN his report, and lastly by the
Committee Of Ways and Means. But the Prcsi-
aant himself Ind recommended the measure of con
ditiona'ity ony--if it should be found upon exam
nation that the existing protection certain com
| modties manufactured in the country was Excess
slvc, thai is, that II vas greater than the good Of
| the country required, that then bill should be
passed to reduce il. Had such an inquiry been IN
stiitcd : 1t Ind not. No inquiry had taken
| place and the House was consequently ~ posses
sion of no evidence to show that the present proec-
ton was excessive. Ifthe House then should pass
this bill, which went materially to affect great
! and widespread interests IN the country. without
| any previous inquiry, IT would not be following
|
ttary -Mr. A. did not say that if such AN inquiry
should be made, aud il should then appear that the
protection was too great that he should oppose u
bill to reduce it bat the investigation was an in
dlspcnsable preliminary, and the fact must first be
established.
There as another reason why Mr.. A should
vote against the bill From n certain quarter Of the
Union Congress had most solemn declaration
made in the of one of the States of the Union,
and addressed to all the other States, that the pro-
iective system should 70 longer be carried into
effect within that State In the Address from
the Convention of South Carolina to the poo
Pile of the twentv-threc other States of this
Union, communicated by the President, with his
recent message 10 Congress, the following pas
sages The Convention speaking IN the name Of
the people of South Carolina, say
" We have therefore deliberately ard unnltera-
SYSTEM OF oppression which reduces us to the de
grading condition oftrbutary vassas and which
would reduce posterlty, in few generations, to
! a state of poverty and wretchedness, that would
stand in melancholy contrast with the beautiful
and delightful region in which the Providence Of
God has cast our drslnies.-liavlng formed this
resolution, with full view of all It's bearings, and
of all its probable and possible issues, 1t is due to
the gravity Of the subject and the soenity Of the
occason, thar we should speak to our cGnfcder-
ate brethren in the PLAIN language OF frankncss and
truth. Though We plant ourselves upon the Con
stituton, and the immutabc principles of justice
and interest, 10 operate exclusively through the
civil tribunals aud civil funconarcs of tho State
yet we mil throw off this oppre sion NJ creyU Ia
@ard. We believe our remedy to be essentially
peaceful. We believe the Federal Government
has no shadow of right or authority, 10 act against
State of the Confederacy in any form, much
less to coerce THY military power. But we are a
ware OF the diyersIties of human opinion, and
have seen too meny proofs of the lnfatuatlon Of
| human power not to have looked with the most
anxious concern to the possibility of resort To
military or naval force on the part of the Federal
| Government-and IN order to obyate the possibll-
lty of having the history of this contest stained by
single drop of fraternal blood, we have solemnly
and rrevocabIy resolved that viii regard such
a resort dissolution Of the political ties which
connect US with Our confedr ated States and will
forthwith, provide for the organization of a new
and separate Government"
| And again and in another passage, the Conyen
| ton still more poGedly say
We will not we cannot, we dare not submit tc
this dcgrajaion and our resolve is fixed and unal-
ter ,ble, that pr0teciiUe tariff shall be no longer
enforced within the limits of South Carolina. W.
stand upon the principles Of everlasting justice
and no human power shall drive us from our pc
| sition."
Now, with respect to the peaceful nature of lhl:
| remedy he never heard II spoken Of, but it remln-
| ded HIM Of the FIST adventure Of Gil Bias. Gil
| Bias had been furnished by his uncle with sorry
mule and thirty or forty pstoles, and sent forth Il
seek his fortune IN the world. He sat out aecor-
dinghy, but had not proceeded far from home
when, as he was sitting on his beast counting hi:
| pistoes with much satisfaction into his hat, the
mule suddenly raised her head an pricked up her
ears Gil Bias looked round to see the canse Of he
! alarm, and perceived an old ha, upon the grounC
in the middle OF the road, with rosary Of very
large beads in it. This was the object which hac
startled his mule. At the same time he heard ;
voice addressing him in very pathetic tone
Good traveller In the name Of tho Me,ciful God