Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-03-15

'he act OF 1878, that "bil OF aboIninalioDs," as II has been
so often aud properly termed. Was he at that period dis
appointed in any views OF ambition which he might be
supposed 10 entertain? He was Vice President of the
oin'ed States, elected by an overwhelming majority. He
was a candidate Tor reelection on The ticket with General
Jackson himself. with q certain prospect Of a triumphant
success Ct that ticket, and with a lair prospect OF the high.
est Office TO which an American citizen could aspire
what was bis course under these prospects, Did he look
10 his own advance nent. or TO an honest and fiithful 81
charge Of his du y! Let facts speak for tbemseivsi +" hen
me OIL to Which he had referred came tssl impression
was, that is fate would dependsr"n aa ~ 60, $50 ,o".-
II was known, mat as The d a. il was a combined measure.
originating with 10 politicians and manufacturers, and
intenJeJ a. .-sct TO bear upon the Presidential election
~ ~ eel manufactures, il was believed, that as n stroke
or POLITICAL policy, its fate would be made to depend on
his vote, in order to defeat General Jackson's election, as
well as his own. The friends OF General Jackson were
alarmed, and he (Mr. CO. was earnestly entreated TO
leave the chair, in order TO avoid the responsibility, under
the plausible argument that il the Senate should be
equally divided, the bill would be lost without the aid Of
his casting vote. The reply to this entreaty, was, that
no consideration, personal TO himself, could induce him to
take such a course. That he considered the measure as
If the most dangerous character, calculated to produce
the most fearful crisis; that the payment of the public
debt was Just at hand, and that the great increase of reye.
nue. which il would pour into the Treasury would accele-
rate the approach OF that period; and that The country
would be placed in the most trying OF all situations; with
an immense revenue, without the means OF absorption,
upon any legitimate or constitutional object of appro.
pria,ion, and would be compelled TO submit to oil the
corrupting consequences of a large surplus, or to make a
sudden reduction of the rates OF duties, which would prove
ruinouS TO the very interests which were then forcing the
passage Of the bill. Under these views, he determined to
remain in the chair, and if the bill came to him, to give his
casting vote against II, and in doing so, TO give his reasons
at large; but at the same time, he informed his friends that
he would retire from the ticket, so that the election of Ge-
neral Jackson might not be embarrassed by any act of his.
Sir, (said Mr.. Co l was amazed at the folly and infa,ua-
ton Of that period. So completely absorbed was Congress
in the game OF ambition and avarice, from the double i'm.
pulse ofthe manufacturers and politicians, that none but a
lew appeared TO anticipate the present crisis, at which now
all are alarmed, but which is the inevitable result of what
was then done. As to himself, he clearly ioresaw what
has since followed. The road Of ambition lay open be fore
him; he had but to follow the corrupt tendency of the
timcs-but he chose TO tread the rugged path of duty.
Ii was thus that the reasonable hope OF relief, through
the election Of General Jackson, was blasted; but still.
one other hope remained; that the final discharge of the
public debt, an event near at hand, would remove our
burden. That event would leave in the Treasury a
large surplus; a surplus that could not be expended un.
der the most eXtravagant schemes Of appropriation, hay-
ing the least color Of decency or constitutionaity. That
event, at last. arrived. At the last session of Congress.
it was avowed on all sides, that the public debt, for all
practical purposes, was, in fact, paid; the small surplus
remaining being nearly covered by the money in the trea-
sury and the bonds for duties which had already accrued;
but with the arrival fthis event, our last hops was doomed
10 be disappointed. Alter a long session of many months,
and the most earnest effort on the part of South Carolina
and the o'her Southern States, TO obtain relief, all that
could be effected was a small reduction in the amount Of
the duties; but a reduction OF such a character, that
while it diminished the amount OF burden, distributed
that burden more unequally than even the obnoxious act
OF 1928: reversing the principle adopted by the bill of 1916,
OF laying higher duties on the unprotected than the pro.
tected articles, by repeating almost entirely the duties
laid upon the former, and imposing the burden almost en-
tirely on the latter. Ii was thus, that instead of relief
instead Of an equal distribution of the burdens and benefits
of the Government, on the payment of the debt, as had
been fondly anticipated, the duties were so arranged as Ia
be, in fact, bouniies on one side and taxation on the other
and thus placing the two great sections Of the country in
direct conflict in reference tot fiscal action, and thereby
letting in that flood of political corruption, which threaten.
to sweep away our Constitution and our liberty.
This unequal and unjust arrangement was pronounced
both by the administration, through its proper organ, the
Secretary OF the Treasury, and by the Opposition, TO be
a permanent adIuStment; and 1t was thus that ALI hone M
relief through the action of the General Government ter.
minated, and the crisis so long apprehended has at length
arrived, at which the State was compelled TO choose be.
tween absolute acquiescence in a ruinous system of Oh.
preston, or a resort to her reserved powers-power OF
which she alone was the righllnl i"dge. and which only
The consent of two-thirds of her Legislature was nc
cessary Tor the call OF a Convention, which was consider
Gu me ohiy legitimate organ through which the people
IN their sovereignty, could speak. After an arInous struo
gle, the State Rights Party succeeded more than two
thirds oil both branches OF the Legislature favorable n
Convention were elected a Convention was called =. IN,
Ordinance adopted. The Convention was succeeded INV
meeting oil the Legislature, when the laws TO carry IN,
ordinance into execution, were enacted all of which ba,
been communicated by the President-had been referre,
to the Committee on the Judiciary, and this bill is the re-
] suit of their labor.
Having now, said Mr.. c., corrected some of the promi
nent misrepresentation, as 10 the nature of this conirovcr
sy' ana given a rapid sketch OF The movement of the Stat,
in reference to it, he would next proceed 70 notice som'
objections connected with the Ordinance and the proceed
] ings under it.
The first and most prominent of these is directe,
/ db"WSt "Nat - CdHeu u test oath-which,a an effort In,
been made TO render odious. So far from deserving In,
denuncidhon which had been levelled against il. he view.
ed this provision OF the Ordinance as but The natural re-
suit OF the doctrines entertained by the State and ,be
position which she occupies. The people of that Stat,
believe that the Union is a union of Estates. and n n nj in
dividuals; that it was formed by the States. and tha, ,be
cltzens oil the several States, were bound 10 /, throupL
The acts OF their several States: that each State rau6ed
the Constitution for itself, and that il was only bv snct
ratification OF a State that any obligation was imposed
upon the citizens,-thus believing, il was the opinion o
the people OF Carolina, that il belonged TO the State
which had imposed the obligation, to declare. i'm The Iast
resort, The extent Of that obligation, as far as her citizens
were concerned; and this upon the plain princinles
which exist IN all analogous cases of compact, between
sovereign or political bodies. On this principle. the
people OF the State, acting in thier SOVEREIGN canacitv
and the Federal Constitutions, had declared ~ tic Ordi.
nance, that the acts OF Congress which had inpos.d IN,
ues under The authority to lay imposts, V ere acis. mo, far
revenue, as intended by the Constitution. bu, for nro,ec.
ton, and therefore null and void. The Ordinance thus en-.
acted by the people OF the State themselves, acting as a
sovereign community was, 10 all intents and purposes q
part oil the Constitution Of the State; and though of a pc.
euuar character was as obligatory on the citizens Of that
State, as any portion OF the Constitution. In prescribing
then, the oath to obey the Ordinance, no more was done
IMAM 10 prescribe an oath TO obey the Constiuion n Uas
IN TACT, but a particular oath Of allegiance, and in every
respect similar TO that which is prescribed under The Com.
stitution OF the United States, to be administered 10 all Of
hceTs OF the State and Federal Governments: and was M
more deserving the harsh and bitter epithets which had
oeen heaped upon II, than that or any similar oath.
IL ought TO be borne in mind, that, according IN tbe
opinion which prevailed in Carolina, The right Of resist.
ance to the unconstitutional laws of Congress belongs 10
the Stale, and not to her individual citizens. and that
.hough the latter may, in a mere question Of nneitn and
'"u",' resist, through the courts, an unconstitutional en-.