The Northern star, and farmers' and mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1830-1834, 1833-01-05

the General 0OVeInuiSuty VI any uePdIt-
ment thereof, has been exclusively re-
served the right to decide authoritatvely
for the States this question OF Constitution
ality. lfths be SO, to which of the de-
partments, il may be asked, is this right
of final judgment given? Ii it be to Con
gress, then is Congress not only elevated
above the other departments OF the Fed
eral Government, but is put above the
Constitution itself. This, however, the
President himself has publicly and SOL
emnly denied, claiming and exercising,
as is known to all the wOrld-the right to
refuse to execute acts of Congress and
solemn treaties, even after they had re-
ceivcd the sanction Of every department
of the Federal Government.
That the Executive possesses this right
of deciding finally and exclusively as to
the validity of acts of Congress, will hard
ly be pretended-and that it belongs to
the judiciary, except so far as it may be
necessary to the decisions of questions,
which may incidentally come before them
{ in cases oflaw and equity has been de-
MED by none more strongly than the
President himself, who on memorable
occasion refused to acknowledge the
binding authority of the Federal Court,
and claimed for himself, and has exercised
the right of enforcing the laws, not ac-
cording to their judgment, but his own
understanding OF them And yet when
it serves the purpose Of bringing odium
upon South Carolina, his native state
the President has no hesitation in regard
ing the attempt of a state to release her
self from the control of the Federal Ju-
dietary, in matter affecting her sover-
eisn rights; as violation OF the Constitu-
ton.
1t is unnecessary to enter into an eiab-
crate examination Of the subject. 1t sure
ly cannot admit of doubt, that by the
Declaration Of independence, The sever.
al Colonies became free, sovereign, and
independent Statcs,' and our political his
tory, will abundan,ly show that at every
subsequent change in their condition up
to the formation of our present Constta-
ton, the States preserved their sovereign.
ty. The discovery Of this new feature In
our system, that the States exist only as
members of the Union-that before the
Declaration or Independence, we were
known only as United Colonles'-and
that even under the articles of coniedera-
ton. the States were considered as form
inv collectively ONE NxrioN'-without
any right of refusing to submit to any
decision of Congress,-was reserved TO
the President and his immediate prsdecess-
or. To the latter belongs the invention,
and upon the former will unfortunately
fall the evils ofreducing It to practice, =,
South Carolina holds the principles now
promulgated by tho President, (as they
must always be held by all who claim to
be supporters Of the rights OF the States,)
1 as contradic.ed by the letter oil the con-
stitution-unauthorised by its sPlrit-ln-
consistent with every principle on when
il was fou oundeG-destructiye OF all the oo-
iects for which it was Enthusiastically IN
compatible with the very existence OF the
S,ates-and absolutely fatal to the tights
and liberties Of the people. South Gar
olina has so soleinnly and repeatedly ex-
pressed to Congress and the World the
nrinciples which she believes to constitute
the very pillars of the Constitution, that 1t
is deemed unnecessary to do more a tAis
ltime. than barely to present summary OF
those great fundamental truths, which she
believes can never be subverted without
the inevitable destruction of the Liberties
orthe people and of tho Union ITSELF
South Carolina has never claimed (as Is
asserted by the President) the right OF re-
pealing at pleasure, all The 'epenue tapS
of the Union,' much less the liShl OF re-
mailing the Constitution itself, and laws
passed 10 give it effect which have nerer
been aliedged to be Unconstitutional She
claims oniy the right TO judge OF lniract-
ions of the Constitutional compact, III VI
olu,ion ofthe reserved rights OF the State,
and OF arresting tho progress OF usurpa-
ton within her own limits, and when AS
in the Tariff of 1898, ard 1882, revenue
and protection-constitutio and uncon-
stitutional objects have been SO mixed up
together, that it is found impossible to
draw the line Of discrimin ation,-- she has
no alternative but to consider the whole
as a system, unconstitutional in It's char
meter. and to leave il to those who have
rwoyen the web, to unravel the threads.
South Carolina insists, that she appeals
to the whole political history OF our coun-
nv, in support of her position, that the
Constitution Of the United States Is
..,,,,, hatveen sovereign States-thai