Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-02-09

Period vi high party excitement, 'or ule very Pu'
pose of effecting his own elestien. lhey were
well calculated to inhmidate political opponents
by the threat of ultimate disunlon in the event {"
hi, defeat. and as such they were denounced oy
the CO. States at the time. in the strongest iah
gurge. They slept on the shelf after they had
done their Office, without an effort on the part OF
any man TO vindicate the principles contained IN
them, until they were awakened by the trumpet
of discord resembling again throughout THIS nap
py country. r.
1 say, sir, that no effort was made to defend
them from 300 ill after the passage OF thr tar'H
act Of IS24-vct they were assaied and denoun-
ced in the hearing of the very men VII" ought to
have been first to stand forth IN their behalf In
the debate on the Judiciary Of 1902. Mr.. Giles.
of Virginia, having barrel So far alluded to The
subject as to mention the determination by the
Courts, that they are judges in the last resort OF
the copstitutiOnality Of yout laws, to prove what
te called their unlimited claims to power, was
promptly met in reply, on this whole question,
by Mr.. Bayard, wiz, triunphantly vinhicated the
trne principles Of the constitution, against the
then recent and arrogant pretensiOns OF State
usurpation, State veto, State interpnsltlon. and
State tyranny. Standing on the very prime iples
we now advocate. he threw the gauntlet to any
champion on the other side, to come forward in
dcfence of the principles in those resolutions.
Sir, no such champion then appeared. The re.
solutions. which covered the whole ground OF this
part of the debate, we're not even named, much
less defended or hcldup as authority, by any one
who ventured into the lists. They had served
their purposes, sir The party that framed them
was seated in power, and II was their interest to
forget and to despise them.
Suffr me, sir, to add one other preliminary re-
mark -beIore proceed to the argument of the
main question involved in the consideration Of
this bill The gentleman from North Carolina,
Mr.. Brown in reference to the use of force to
sustain the revenue laws, cited passage from
the speech of the same distinguished representa-
tive of my native State, to whom have alluded,
delivered inCongress,o n the subject OF the embar.
90 law. The object was to show that our govern
meat ought not to be sustained by the use Of
force when concession can prevent it-and |
grant the gentleman the full benefit of all the
passage he has cited | am willing to adopt the
recouime ndalon of that eminent statesman in
the present case. | am willing to concede all
that can be yielded to an honest difference of OPT.
MON consistently with the honor and interest OF
the marion. would now give my vote for new
tariff, which should extend the list Of articles
TO be admitted duty free, far as that list could
possibly be extended without injury to the essen
tia manufactures Of the country. But it ought
|
protects the Industry Of the farmers, the mocha
MICS, and manufacturers; in short, the whole Of
the laboring ireemen in the Middle, Western,
and Northern States. from competition with Bri.
fish paupers, should be utterly and unconditiun.
ally abandoned. Sir. am well satisfied that it
cannot be abandoned without the imminent
danger of speedy revolution in this govern.
ment; and that, in this view OF the subject, it
would be infinitely better to bear the ills we have,
than fly to others that We know not Of IL the
MEASURE proposed should, as is alleged. drive ;.
Carolina into open secesson-stIll, sir. hold,
that State secession is lesser evil than State
! Modification. think this position is easily ds.
monstrabe. II the latter doctrine be triumph
antIy cstablished-if, indeed, il he true. that any
one of these States can rightfully and consttu.
tionally decide, in the last resort. on the mode
and measures OF redress for all her alleged grew
anoes-then, sir, is S"uth Carolina. while all her
ports are open for the admission Of every article
o inpor aiun,Iiuty free, still within the pale Of
the Union. and entitled to participate in all its
blessings, though she refuses to share in any of
its burthens.
The whole amount Of Southern exports, a.
mounting TO 40 millions annually, may be ex-
changed for foreign manufactures and foreign
produce; and BY virtue of this ordinance Of null
LITIGATION the exchanges may. through these free
ports, be forced upon the consumption of the
whole country, in defiance Of all our laws for
the collection of duties. The immediate effect
OF this must be desolati0n and ruin III us-des
olation aud ruin so certain and speedy that
eur Southern brethren would find US prey
hardly worth the trouble of pursuit after the
lapse of five years. Throwing out Vi view the
destruction Of our manufactures and mechanics.
(ihe immediate consequence Of things.) ask
h,,a tl Ir,in nc
our money to pay for all the most important ne
cessar,es Of life thus purchased from abroad3-
La five years We should be beggared by the oper.
alton OF rhis system. our country would be de-
populated. TIM but wild and meanchol.
~ waste. and lasting monument Of our own
folly and pu.illanImity. At the same time,
those who would temporarily profit b, this state
ct things would eventually re the losers also: for
where would be their market for ARTICLES receiv-
ell in exchange Tor their produce. when should
be no longer able to buy them? On the Other
hand, the consequences Of the spCe ssiun of South