Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-01-18
CONGRESS-.
In Senate, Wednesday. January l6
SOUTH CAROLINA.

SOUTH CAROLINA.
A message was received from the Presiden,
of the United States. accompanying the Proc'a
nation and other documents relating To 5. Caro-
lima, her Ordinance, Sc. &c.
'fhe reading Of the Message occupied an hou,
and quarter. As snon as IT was fns<ed-
/ Mr.. Grundy moved 10 refer the Message and
Documents to the Committee ON the Judiciary y.
and that they be printed.
Mr.. Calhoun then rose and said, that his Objec,
in taking the floor was not to make any remark
on the motion which was Immediately before the
Senate. What he was about to say, therefore,
would. under parliamentary rule. be entirely ou'
of order. But he would, in the peculiar circum.
stances of his situation, throw himself on The
indulgence of the Senate, for his pardon for',he
entire irreleyance Of the remarks which he should
feel himself bound to make.
He ielt nc disposition to notice many OF the
errors which the Message contained in reference
to the documents By which it was accompanied.
but there was one which he should deem himself
recreant TO his State if he did not rise empha.
ticaly and promptly TO notice. 1t was stated by
the Chief Magistrate, in substance, that the
mo, ements made by the State OF South Carolina
were of a character hostile to the Union. Was
he right in that impression! IL SO. he would say
such statement There was not state IN the
Union less disposed than South Carolina to put
herself in such attitude OF hostility But the
grounds on which the President Pounds this nfe
renee were not less extraordinary than the infe.
renee itself. When he stated that hostile move
mens had been made, it was to be regretted that
the President did not state the whole of the move
ments of this character which had taken place.
Before South Carolina had taken any position Of
a conflicting character, there had been cOncen.
trdtion Of United States troops on two points,
obviously for the purpose OF controlling the move
ments of the State. One al these cone entrations
WAS at Augusta, and the other al Charleston -
Previous TO this circumstance, the State of S.
Carolina had ooked TO nothing beyond q civil
process, and ha intended merely to give effect
10 her opposition in the fOrm OF suit at law. II
WAS ONLY " hen military force was displayed on
her borders. and in her limits, aud when the me-
mace was thrown out against the lives OF her CT.
izens, and of their wives aud children, that they
fund Themselves driven to an attitude of resist.
an.e. Tier was that they had prepared to re.
sist anv aggression.
Blu, the President had also rested his inference
on another ground He had laid it down that
the tribunal Of the Supreme Court of the United
States was in the last resort, the only arbiter OF
the difference IN the construction OF the c0nstl-
,uI,onality Of the laws. On ths polut there
seems TO have been great change in the opinion
of the Executive within the last twelve months.
The President had no, held this opinion in ref
erence to the resistance OF the State ut
Georgia. A narrow river only divides the terri.
tory Of Georgia from that of South Carolina, vet,
on the one side, the power OF the Supreme Court
as the arbiter the last resort, Is to be sustain
ed: while on the other side the will Of the Exec.
utlve is to be supreme.
But, if the Supreme Court was TO be the arbi.
ter. he wished To know in what manner the de-
cison of that tribunal To the constltutionaiity
of the Tariff law, as a measure OF protection, was
to be obtained? How was an issue to be made
up? This mode had already had been tried in
the case Of Holmes, citizen OF Charleston. and
the Court had declared its incapacity to act for
want Of jurisdiction, and refused to take cogn.
zsnce Of the subject. He wished TO know why
this circumstance had been suppressed-no,
suppressed was too strong term-forgotten in
the message Of the Executive. Ii will be re-.
membered that when the bill Of 1928 was intro.
duced, which had been justly called BY the Sen.
atcr from Massachusetts,, a bill Of denominations,
a Representative from South Carolina had inef.
fectualiy endeavored to obtain an amendment in
the utie oI i'' SD tnat u b'S"t Oea' OH us lace
the character of protection, which belonged to IT.
But il vas sent abroad under deIusive and de.
ceptve name How, then, was SOUTH Carolina
to try the question? Even il she had every re-
lance ON the authority Of the supreme Court,
she could not obtain the judgment OF that Court.
What course then was left for South Carolina,
bu, that which she had pursued?
Il was alse suggested in the Message of the
Executive, that the State ought to have resorted
to the other remedy which was pointed out. and
asked at an earlier period for Convention of the