Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-03-09

SPEECH OF MR.. CALHOUN. OF S. c.
On the bill further TO prov,de for the Collection
of Duties on Imports.
Mr.. CALHOUN rose and addressed the Sc.
nate.
He knew not which, he said. was most objec-
tionabe, the provision of the bill, or the temper
in which its adoption had been urged. 1.-The ex-
traordinary powers with which the bill proposed
to clothe the Executive, to the utter prns'ration
OF the Constitution, and the rights OF the States,
be calculated TO impress our minds with alarm.
at the rapid progress Of despotsm in our country:
the zeal with which every circumstance, calcu'
lated to misrepresent or exaggerate the conduct
Of Carolina in the controversy. was seized
on, with q view to excite hostility against her,
but too plainly indicated the deep decay of that
broherly feeling which once existed between
these States. and to which we are indebted Tor
our beautiful Federal system. ltwas not his in
tentiOn. he SAID, TO advert to all these mlsrepre.
sensations. but there were some 80 well calculat.
ed to mislead the mind, as to the real character
of the controversy. and hold up the State IN a
light so odiuus, that he did not feel himself JUST.
fled ~ permitting them to pass unnoticed.
Among them, 5ie OF the most prominent was
the false statement, that, the object Of South Ca
roilna was to exempt herself from her share OF
the public burthens, while she participated 10 the
advantages of the Government. IL the charge
were tru"--if the State were capable OF being
actuated by such low and unworthy motives, mo.
ther as he considered her, he would not stand up
on this floor to vindcate her conduct Among
her faults, and faults he would not deny she had,
no one had ever yet charged her with that low
and most sordid Of yces-avarice. Her conduct
on all occasions had been marked with the very
opposite quality. From the commencement OF
the evoullnn-f from IT'S first breaking out at Bos
ton. till this h0ur, no State had been more pro.
fuse of lis blood in the cause Of the country: nor
had any contributed so largely to the common
treasury, in proportion to her wealth and popuIa.
ton. She had in that proportion contributed
more to the exports OF the UnIuD. IN the ey
change Of which, with the rest Ut the world, the
greater portion Of the public burden had been
levied. than any other State. No, the contro.
versy was not such as has been stated; the State
did not seek to participate 10 the advantages Ut
the Government without contributing her full
share to the pubic treasury Her object was
far different. deep constitutional question lay
at the bottom of the controversy The real
question at issue is. has the GDvei Dmen.a right
to impose burdens on the capital and industry Of
one portion of the country. not With view 20 re-
venue, hut to benefir another? And he must be
permitted to say, that after the long and deep
agitation OF this controversy, II was with surprise
that he perceived so strong disposition to mis-.
represent ITS real character. To correct the i'm
preston which those misrepresentation were
calculated TO make, he would dwell on the point
under cnn,dera'ion for few moments longer.
The Federal Government has, bv an express
provision Of the Con-tluuon. the right to lay du-
tie, on Imports. The State ha, never denipd Or
res sied this right; nor ven thought ni so ding.
The Government has, however, not been con.
tented with exercising this power as she had a
right TO do, but had gone step beyond il, by
laying mposts, not tor revenue, but for pr Otec-
ton. THIS, the Safe considered as an unt onstI.
tuilonal exercise OF po"pr-hlghly injurious aud
oppressive TO her and the other staple States, and
had accordingly net it with the most determined
resistance. He did mt intend To enter, at this
time, into, the argument, as to the unconstIiu-
tionality of the protective system Ii was
not necessary. 1t is sufficient that the power ia
no where granted; and that. rnm the journals Of
the Convention which formed the constitutions, II
would seen that il had been refused. In support
of the journals, he might cite the statement ut
Luther Martin, which had been already referred
to. To show that the Convention, so far from con.
ferring the power on the Federal Government,
had left to the State the right tn impose duties on
imports, with the expsess view Of enabling the
several States to EroteH their own manufactures
notwithstanding this. Congress had assumed,
without any warrant from the Constitution. the
right Of exercising this most important power,
and had so exercised II. as 10 impose a runou.
burden on the labor and capital OF the State by
which resources were exhausted-the enjuyments
of her citizens curtaiIed-lhe means Of educa-
ton con,racted-and ali her interests essentially
and injurously affected. We have been sneer-
ingy told. that she was small State; that her
population did not much exceed half million Of
souls; and that more than one bali were not Of
the European race. The facts were so H.
knew she never could BE- great State: and that
the only distinction to which she could aspire
must be based on the moral and intellectu-
al requirements of her sons 10 the devr.
lopemeht Of these, much of her attention had
been directed; but this restrictive system. which