The Arkansas advocate., 1833-02-27

the integrity Of the Union. The result Of each is the same; since State, il which, by usurpation Of power, the constitutional authority of the Federal Government is openly defed and set aside, wants only the form to be inde. pendent of the Union.
 The right of the people of single State to absoivc themselves at will, and without the consent of the other States. from their most solemn obligations, and hazard the liberties and happiness of the millions composing this Union, call- not be acknowledged. Such authority IS believed to be utterly rcpugnant both to the principles upon which the Gene. raj Government is constituted, and 10 tsie objects which t wsis expressly form ed to attain.
 Against all acts which may be alleged 10 transcend the constitutional power of Government, or which may be ineon- veoient or oppressive in their operation, the itself has prescribed tho modes of redress. Il is the acknowl- edged attribute of free institutions. that, under them, the empire of reason and law is substituted for tlle power of the sword. To no other source can ap- peais for supposed wrongs be made, consistently with the obligations of South Carolina 10 no other can such appeals be made with safety at any time; and 10 their decisions, when cohstitniionally pronounced. # becomes the duty no less of the public authorities than of the people, in every case, to yield 9 patriot ic submission.
 That a State, or any other great DOT ton of the people suffering under long and intollerable oppression, sad having tried all constitutional remedies without the hope of redress, may have natural right when their happiness can be DO otherwise secured, and when they can do so without greater injury to others, to absolye themselves from their obliga. tion to the Government, and appeal to the last resort, need not, on the present occasions be denied.
 The existence of this right, however, must depend upon the causes which may justify it's exercise. If IS the atltiaaa ratio, which presHPposes that the proper appeals 10 all other means of redress have been made in good faith, and which can never be righttully rcsorted to, un- less 1t be unavoidable. It is not the right of the State, but of all the individ- uals in the State. 1t is the right of mankind, 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 a particular form of government, no portion of them can dissolve the associa- ton without acknowledging the co rela- tive right in the remainder to decide whether that dissolution can be permit. ted, consistently with the general hap pincss. In this view. tits right dcpend- ent upon the power to enforce fl. Such t Tigsst, though 1t may be admitted to pre-exist, and cannot be wholly surrcn. dered, is necessarily subjected to ii,ni- tations in all free governments, and in eompacts of all kinds, freely and volun- tariiy entered into, and ii which the interest and welfare of tie individual becomes identified with those of the community of which ne is a u,ember.- In compaets between individuals, how ever deeply they may affect their rela- tions, these principles are acknowledged to create sacred obligation; and, in compacts of civil governments, involv- ing the liberties and happiness of mil lions of mankind, the obligation cannot be less,
 Without advcrting to the particular theories to which the federal compact has given rise-both as to it's formation and the parties to it-and without in- quiring whether 1t be merely federal, or social, or national, it is sufficient that it must be admitted to be compact, and to possess the obligations incident to compact; 10 he d compact by which power is created on the one hand. and obedience exacted on the other; com pact freely, voluntarily, and solernniy entered into by the several States and ratified by the people thereofrespective- k; a compact by which the several States, and tIie people thereof respec. lively, have bound themselves to- each other and to the federal government, 1 and by which the federal government IS bound to the several States, and to eve " citizen of the United States. To l this compact, in whatever mode 1t may 1 have been done, the people of South Carolina have freely and voluntarily n their assent; and to the whole and e's~ r they are, upon every