Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-03-18

laws of Congress. to cut of. by methods deemed
adequate, any redress by legal and judicial an.
thority. They arrest legislation, dev the E,.,
cutive, and ban,sh the Judicial power Of this Ga.
vernmeat. They authorize aud command Art,
to be done, and done bv force, both of numbr,,
and of arms, which, il done, and done b, fore,
are clearly acts Of rebellion and treason.
Such, sir, are the laws Of South Carolina: s,,1
sir, is the peaceble remedy of notification. Hs.
not notification reached. sir, even thus earl,
that point Of direct and fnrtibe resistance to law
to wh,ch intimated, three years ago, it plainly
tended!
And now, Mr.. President. what is the reaso,
for passing laws like these. What are the opme..
sions experienced under the Union, calling for
measures which thus threaten 10 sever and dos.
troy itl What invasions Of public liberty, VIA,
ruin to private happiness, what long list Of
rights violated, or wrongs unredressed, is 10
Justify to the country, 10 pOsterity aud 10 the
world. this assault upon the free constitution Of
the United States, this great and glorious work
Of our fathers! At this very moment, sir, III.
whole land smiles in peace, and rejoices in plen.
ty. A general and high prosperity pervades The
country; and, judging by the common STANDARD.
Ing BY the opinion Of that portion Of her peo.
pie not embarked IN those dangerous and de.
perate measures. this prosperity overspreaJ.
South Carolina herself.
Thus, happy at home, our country. at the same
time, holds high the character Of her institutions.
her power, her rapid growth, and her future desi.
ny, in the eyes Of all foreign States. One daust-,
only, creates hesitation; one doubt only exi.s
to darken the otherwise unclouded brightness, Of
! that aspect, which she exhibits to the view, and
to the admiration OF the world. Need sar,
that that doubt respects the permanency Of our
Union, and need say, that that is nov caused,
more than BY any thing else. by thr very pro
ceedinss of South Carolina! Sir, all EuropeN
| at this moment, beholding US, and looking igr
the issue of this controversy; those WIN hate Tree
institutions, with malignant hope; those who love
them, with deep anxiety aud shi,ering fear.
| The cause, then. sir, the cause. Let lie
world know the cause which has thus indnc,t
one State Of the Union to bid defiance to the pOs.
er Of the whole, and openly TO talk Of setes,Cp
Sir, the world scarcely believe that this Shos
controversy, and all the desperate measures
which its support requires, have 10 other iOurdA
ton than difference of opinion, upon prO'I,'
ion Of the constitution, between majonl! Of
tie people of Sputh Carolina, on one side,
md q vast majority Of the whole people u
the United States on the other Ii will nG
credit the fact, II will not admit the pos
sibility that. in an enlightened age. 10 Tree
popular republic, under Government 9ten
the people govern, as they must always govern
under such systems, By majorities. alta time
unparaIle ed happiness, without practical opprss
sion; without evils, such Us NAV not only be pr,
tended, but felt and experienced, evils, no
slight or temporary, but indeed, permanent In
tofrrable. a single State should rush into eonbM
with all the rest, attempt TO put down the Po'r
OF the Uulon by her own laws, and to supper
those laws by her military power and thus brsi
up and destroy the worlds last hope. Aue 70.
| the world NAV be incredulous. We. who bn
and see it. can ourselves hardly yet believe
Even after all that had preceded It. this Ort
nance struck the country with Advancement.
was incredible and uncomfortable, that Car
ma should thus plunge headlong into fe'l'';'f
| to the laws. on matter Of opinion, and onaqth
tionwhioh the prep0ndel ance, OF opinion, both OH
present day and Of all past time, was so c's
whelmingly against her. The ordinance q
clares that Congress has exceeded lis just PO"
bv LAYING duties on imports, intended '"f
protectlo of manufactures. This IS the "Ppp
of South Carolina; and on the strength o. "
opinion she nuIlifes the laws Yet las u. IT.
of the country 30 right to its Opinions al"
one State to sit sole arbtres>! She mama
that those laws are plain, deliberate, and Pli'
Bile violations Of the constitution; that she u"
sovereign right to decide this matter; an' "
having so decided, she is auhofzed 10 II"
their exec ution. by her own sovereign Po".;.
she declares that she will ress: 1t. ih'oa-' -
resistance should shatter the Union mo aOo',
Mr.. President, do not intend TO 9''yu"
propriety Of these laws at large; but wiz
how are they shown to be thus plainly '"u y.G
bly, unconstitutional? Have they no eou'' ',"y
at all in the Constitution Itseli: hre""tn
new in the history of the Government: Mt
a sudden and violent usurpa'lon on we y.
| the States! Sir, what will the c'i'Ihsu -,
say; what will posterlty say. "hen wy Is,
that similar laws have existed from ''e we! 90,
dalton of the Government; that tor u"" -,
the power was never questioned; a"I a,,,
State in the Union has more freely an" w.
vocaIly admitted it than South CafO''"' w.
To lay and collect duties and II" l.,,s,ion
cypress power, granted by the c0"'' 'a'.,,
Cnneress. II is, also, an erclusirt po""i
tho Co,s,;,ution a. expressly prOhIDos az