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

IS THE RIGHTFUL REMEDY

liberty hfmSclf VINO mas consecr0ted theso
principles, and lelt them as a legacy to
the American people, recorded by his
own hand. 1t is BY him that we are in
structed-* that to the Constitutional com
pact, each State acceded as State, and
It is All integral party, its co-states form
ing as to itself the other party that they
alone being parties to the compact are
solely authorized to judge Of the last re-
sort Of the powers exercised under it;
Congress. being not party but merely
the creature Of the compact that 1t be-
comes sovereign State to submit to un-
delegated, and consequently unlimited
power, in no man or body Of men, upon
earth that where pow ers are assumed
which have not been delegated [the very
case now before us notification of the
act is the rightfui remedy; that every
state has a natural right in cases not with
in the compact to nullily of their own au-
thorty, all assumption Of power by 9TH
ers within their limits, and that without
this right they would be under the domin-
ion absolute and unlimited, Of whomsoev-
er might exercise the right of judgment
fol them,' and that in case of acts being
passed by Congress SO palpably against
the Constitution as to amount to an un-
disguised declaration, that the compact Is
not meant to be tho measure of the pow
ers of the General Government, but that
L will proceed to exercise over the States
all powers whatsoever, 1t would be the
duty of the states to declare the acts void,
and of no force, and that each should take
measures Of his own for providing that
neither such acts, nor any other Of the
general government not plainly and in
tentionaiIy authorized by the Constitution;
shall be exercised within their respective
territories.'
Ii is on these great and essentional
truths, that South Carolina has now uct-
ed. Judging for herself as sovereign
State, she has pronounced the Protecting
System, in all its brailches, to be gross
deliberate, and palpable violation of the
Constitutional compact > and having ex-
hausted every other means OF redress,
she has in the exercise Of her sovereign
rights, as one of the parties 10 Ithat COM
pact and in the performance of high and
sacred duty, interposed for arresting tho
evil Of usurpation, within her own limita
by declaring these acts to be :" null,
void, and no law, and taking measures of
her own, that they shall not be enforced
within her limits" ....
South Carolina has not assumed"
what could be considered as at all doubt
full, when she asserts that the acts in
question, we're in reality intended for tho
protection Of manufactures" that their
{. operation is unequal;" that t.tthe amount
received by them, is greater than is re-
qured by the wants Of the government"
and finally, "that the proceeds that are
to be applied to objects unauthorized by
the Constitution" These facts are no.
torious-these objects openly avowed.-
The President, without institutin9 any in
QUESTION into motives, has himself discov1
cred, and publicly denounced them; and
his officer of finance is even now, devils
ing measures intended as we are told, to
correct these acknowledged abuses.
It is a vain and idle dispute about
words, to ask whether this right of State
Interpcsition may be most properly styled,
Constitutional, sovereign, or reserv-
ed right. In calling this right Consti,u7
tional, il could never have been intended
to clam it as a right granted by, or de-
rived from the Constitution, but it is claim
ed as consistent with its genius, its letter
and its spirit; it being not only distinctly
understood, at the time OF ratiiying the
Constitution, but expressly, provided for,
in The instrument itself, that all sovereign
rights, not agreed to be exercised con-
Jointly, should be exerted separately by
the States. Virginia declared, in refer.
ence to the right asserted in tho Resolu-
tons Of '98, above quoted, even AFTER
having fully and accurately re-cxsmined
and re-consiJered these Resolutions,
{" that she found il to he her indispensable.
duty TO adhere TO the same, as ioundtd in
truth, as consonam miM the Constitution,
and as conducive to its welfare" and Mr.
Madison himself, asserted them 70 be
nerCectI, 0constilutional and conclusive"
il is wholly immaterial, however, by
what name this right may be called, for
ifthe Constitution be compact to which
the State are pnrtics,' il acts of the Fed
eral Government are no further valid than
they are authorized by the grants enum-
Grated in that compact, then We have the
authority Of Mr.. Madison himself for the
inevitable conclusion that it is o plain
principle illustrated by common practice,