Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1833-02-06

or which may be Involvement or oppressive in
their operation, the constitution itself has pre-
scribed the modes of redress 1t is the ac-
knowledged attribute of free institutions, that.
under them, the empire of reason and law is
substituted for the power Of the sword To no
other source can appeals for supposed wrongs
be made consistently with the obligations of
South Carolina; to no other can such appeals
be made with safety at any time; and to their
decisions, when constitutionally pronounced,
it becomes the duty no less of the public aus
thorities than Of the people, in every case, to
yield patriotic submission
That state, or any other great portion of
the people, suffering under long and intoerable
oppression, and having tried all constitutional
remedies without the hope of redress, may have
a natural right, when their happiness can be
no otherwise secured and to absolve themselves
from their obligation to the government, and
appeal to the last resort, needs not on the pre-
sent occasion be denied.
The existence of this right, however, must
depend upon the causes which may justify Its
exercise. 1t is the ultima ratio; which presup-
poses that the proper appeals to all other means
of redress have been made in good faith, and
which can never be rightfuly resorted to, un-
less il be unavoidable. 1t is not the right of
the state, but of the individual, and of all the
individuals in the state. 1t is the right of man
kind, generally, to secure, by all means in their
power, the blessings of liberty and happiness;
but when, for these purposes, any body of men
have voluntarily associated themselves under
particular form of government, no portion of
them can dissolve the association without ac
knowledging the correlatve right in the re-
mainder to decide whether that dissolution can
be permitted, consistently with the general hap
piness. In this view, it is a right dependent
upon the power to enforce it, Such right.
though it may be admitted to pre-exist, and
cannot be wholly surrendered, is unnecessarily
subjected to limitations in all free govern
ments, and IN compacts OF all kinds freely and
voluntarily entered. into, and in which the in
terest and welfare OF the individual becomes
identified with those of the community of
which he is member. In compacts between
individuals, however deeply they may affect
their relations, these principles are acknowl-
edged to create sacred obligation; and, in
compacts of civil governments, involving the
liberties and happiness ofmilIions of mankind,
the obligation cannot be less.
Without adverting to the particular theo-
rics to which the federal compact has given
rise--both as to its formation and the parties to
it,-and without inquiring whether it be mere
ly FEDERAL or social, national, it is sufficient
that 1t must be admitted to be a compact, and
topossess the Obligations incident to compact,
to be a compact by which power is created on
lae o"o ""no, anu opeoiehce exacted on the
o'neri compact llceiy, voluntarily, and so.
'ea :s en'ereo ln'o ny 'he several states and
aeu y n1 p1op,e 'hefcoi respectlvely; a
eonpa'. ~ "si.n "'e seVeral states ana the
peoP'o .neleoi respectively nave bound them