Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-03-19
'Ewcmty-secoad Comgrcss.--Sc.s. y
IN SENATE.-Friddy, Feb udry 10.
SPEECH OF MIR. CALHOUN. Or =. CAROLYN

~" me 6HJUther To PrOUide for tie collection Of DE-.
teS on inpOrtS.-[CoNTINUED
IL mad been further objected that the State had acted
pteeiPhateIy. What! pr,cpi aiely! alter making a sire
nuous resistance for twelve year; by discussion he,e and
in the oher house OF Congress; by esseys in all forms;
by resolutions, remonstrances, and protests on The part oil
her Legislature aud finally by attempting an appeal to the
judicial power OF the United States? lie Sid attempting,
10! ,hey had been prevented from bringing the question
iairly before the court, and that 10y an act ut that very ma
Joriiy in Congress which now Gpb. aid them for not making
'hal appeal; OF that MAORI y, who, on a motion Of one OF
Tie members in the other house from South Carolina, re-
la ed 10 give TO the act OF 1928 its tue tile; that il was a
lPTOtccttUe, and not a reUenue act. The state has never.
II Is true, relied upon that tribunal, the Supreme Court, TO
Wind cate It's reserved rights; yet they have always consi-
dered IL as an auxiliary meanJ OF defence, OF which they
would gladly have avdled themselves TO test the constitu-
tohaIi y OF protection, had they rot been deprived Of the
means OF doing so by the act OF the majority.
Notwithstanding this long delay of more than ten years,
uhder ths continued encroachment OF the Government,
we now hear 1t OH all sides, by friends and foes, gravely
pronounced that the State has acted precipitately-tha
her conduct has been rash! That such should be the
language OF an Interested majority, who, by means OF
this unconstitutional and oppressive system, are annually
eXtortng millions from the South, TO be bestowed upon
other sections, was not at all surprising. Whatever i'm
Pedes The course OF avarice and ambition, will ever be
denounced as rash and precipitatc; and had South Caro-
lima delayed her resistance nifty instead oftwelve years, she
wouldhave heard from the same quarter the same language;
but 1t was really surprising that those who are suffering
IN common with herself, and who have complained equal
ly loud OF their grievances, who had pronounced the very
acts which she had asserted within her limits to be oppres-
slve, unconstitutional, and ruinous, after so long a strug-
gIe-a struggle longer than that which preceded the sepa-
N'N' - ''NNS 'oNR bblA IN HOAutI NOuUu lDIH TNldn
the period of the Trojan war-should now complain of pre-
cipiiancy!! No, it's not Carolina which has acted precipi-
lately; but her sister States, who have suffered in common
WIN her, that have acted tardily. Had they acted as she
has done; had they performed their duty with equal ener-
gy and promptness, our situation this day would be very
difierenutrom what we now iind. it. Delays are said to be
dangerous; and never was the maxim more true than i'm
the present case-a case of monopoly. 1t is the very ma
ture oil m%onopohes TO grow. If we take from one side a
large portion OF the proceeds OF its labor and give it TO the
other, the side from which we take must constantly decay,
ana mat to which we give must prosper and increase.
such Is the action of the protective system. 1t eXacts
from The South a large portion OF the proceeds OF IFS inCus-
try, which II bestows upon the other sections i'm the
shape OF bountes TO manufactures, and appropriations
In a thousand forms; pensions, improvements of rivers
and harbors, roads and canals, and in every shape that
wit or ingenuity can devise. Can we, then, be sur
p1:ed, that the principle of monopoly grows, when
1t Is so amply remunerated at the expense of those
who support it? And this is The real reason oil the
fact which we witness, that all acts for protection
pass with small minn'itie-, but sUOn come to be sustained
Oy great and overwhelming majorities. Those who seek
ue monopoly, endeavor TO obtain it in the most exclusive
shape; andthey take care, accordingly, to associate only a
sullcleht number oil interests barely to pass il through the
TWO houses OF Congress on the plain pTincip e, that the
greater inc number from whom the monopoly takes, and
the fewer on whom il bestOws, the greater is the advan.
Ige to NE monopolists. Acting in his spirit, we have of.
ten seen with what eXac' preci.iuu they count, adding wool
TO wocIiens, associ"ting lead and iron, feeling their way,
uhill a bare majority is obtained, wi. nthe bill passes, CON
hecung Just as many Interests as is sufficient to ensure its
success, and 10 more. In a short lime, however. we have
invariably found that this lean, becomes a decided MAORI
~, under the cettain Upei auOn which compels the indivi.
uu"Is 10 desert The pursuits which lie monopoly have rem
cered Improbable, that they may participate in those pur~
suits which it had rendered profitable. IL is apainsf Ills
dangerous and growing disease which 5. Carolina has ac,-
ed a disease whose cancerous action wound soon spread
to every part Of the system, had it not been speedily ar.
rested.
There was another powerful reason why the action of
The State could not be safely delayed. The public debt.
rs he II d already stated, Tor all practical pun poses, had al.
ready been paid; and, under the existing duties. a large
annual surplus, OF many millions, must co c into the
Treasury. 1t was ill., possible To look al this state of thinos
without seeing Inc most mischievoas cons. ouences. and
anon others III NOT SuppJilV corrected IL N.oIJ ;.,....-
powerful and almost insuperable oh. tacles to throwing off he
harden under which tho South had been so long Iaborinp.
The disposition OF the surplus would become a subject
oil violent aud corrupt struggle, and could not fail to rear
up new and powerful interests in support of the exist
ing system; not only in those sections which have beer
heretofore benefited by II, but even in The South itself.
lie could not but trace 10 the anticipation of this state of
the Treasury the sudden and extraordinary movements
which had taken place at the last session i'm te Vircini,
Legislature, in which the whole South was vitalIy inte-
rested.-lt was impossible for any rational man TO believe
that thnt State could seriously have thought of efTectinr
the scheme 10 which he alluded, 10y her own resources,
without powerful aid from the general Government.
1t was next objected, that the enforcing acts have legis.
lated the United States out Of South Carolina. lie had al.
ready replied to this objection on another occasion, and
would now but repeat what he then said-Tbat they had
been legisidted out only TO the extent. that they had no
right TO enter. The Constitution had admitted The i~urisdic-
ton OF the United States within the limits of the several
States, only so far as the delegated powers authorizes; be-
You'd that they were intruders, and might rightTuliy be
expelled ana that they bad been efficiently expelled by
the Legislation OF tile State through her civil process, as
has been acknowledged on ali sides in the debate. j. onlv
a confirmation oil the truth OF the doctrine for which The
majority in Carolina had contendcd.
The very point at issue between the two parties there
was, whether nuIihcation was a peaceable aud an eff
Gent remedy against an unconstitutional act OF the Gene
raj Government, and which might be asserted as sucb
lhrOugh the state tribunals. Both parties agree, that
the acts against which it was directed are unconsttu.
itonal aud oppressive. The controversy was only as TO
The means by which our citizens might be protected against
the acknowledged encTOachiuents on their rights. This
being the point at issue between Inc parties, and the We.
ry object OF the majority being an efficient protection OF
TIE citizens through the State tribunals, the measures
adopted 10 enforce the ordinance, OF course. received the
most decisive character. We were not children, to act by
halvcs. Yet, for acting thus efficiently, the Slate il dc.
nounced, ami this bill reported TO oyerrule. bv military
iorco, the civil tribunals and civil process of the State -
Sir, said MIR. c., | consider this bill. and fine aryunon,s
winch have been urged on this floor i'm its suppou. a. the
most triumphant acknowledgment that notification il
peaceful aud ehicient; and so deeply enircuched in the
principles i our system, That It cannot be assailcd but
by prosirdllng The Constitutions, and substituting the
supremacy Of military force in lieu OF The srprern,ry
OF tie laws. ln fact, tc advocates of this bill re-
lute their own argument Tie tell ~ dat tic orH.
nance Is unconstitutional, that they inlract the consGn,.
non OF >. Carolina; although, To- him, the objection ,ppc,rs
absurd, as u was adopted by the very AUTHORITY ,yb,cL.
adopted the Constitution itself They also tell US that u,a
supreme curt is The appointed drbiter Of al controversies
between . state and a General Government. Why. u,on
20 they not leave this controversy to that tnbunal5 WHY
DO ihey not conhdc TO them the abrOgati0n OF the ordinance
and the laws made in pursuance OF IL, aud the assertion Of
gress' The State stands pledged 10 resist n5 process OF
the court. why, then, confer on the President the
extensive and unlimited powers provided in n,s bill ?
why authorize him 10 use military force To auca Ue civil
process Of the state? But one answer can be given. That
~ q contest between The state and The General Govern