Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-02-08
CONGRESS.
Conclusion Of th. speech Of Mr. TYlER' Of
Virginia, in the Senate, on the
REVENUE COLLECTION BILL. =

IA
REVENUE COLLECTION BILL.
There was no ambiguity about this bill Inc
prophecy had alresdy gone forth. Inc rfes''
dent had sad that The laws mH be obstructed.
The prophecy, therefore, had gone out, ana ING
President IL 10 be armed With powers winch nc
will probably call into operation before MS pro-
phecy shall be fulfilled. He had not only pro-
phesied. hut he had already assembled an army.
The city Of Charleston was at this moment at
most entirely bloekaded, and 0nre the appear.
ancc Of beleaguered city. The cannons. OF
Fort Pinckney are directed against u; ana al
though they ATE now quietly slerpipg' .hey are
ready to omen their thnnjefs whenever the voice
Of authority shall give the command And shaii
these horrors be let loose on that peaceful city!
sHe hoped that South Carolina would give no
cause Tor calling this bill into operation ihope,
continued Mr.. IT., that a voice which hasSg"Ee
forth from nv State will reach her in nuie.-
have heard Virginia named slightinsly as the
mediator state. We are 10. And could wish,
sir ON this Hoor to act as 10 sustain that cha.
racter Tor every State here. In such cause
would oyfuly press forward whenever there was
an ooening 10 success. trust. SIR. that South
Carolina will Rot suffer our mediation to be I'M
successful. but that she will suspend her ordl.
nance and her laws until after the next session,
il things should not be previously restored to
tranquility.
He found, however, that the course Of this 60.
yernment had not been calculated to prevent a
rupture. Every thing which had been done was
calculated to chafe the spirit Of that honOrpd and
lofty State. 40 army had been sent thither,
revenue cutters, an armed ship. aud proelama-
ton had been issued. These were not calcuIat-
ed to alay the excitement which had been pro-
Guced. A better course might have been p"r-
sued. If the President had followed up the sem
timents Of his message at the opening oil the ses-
sion, the Tariff would. by this time. have been
shiyered to atoms. But il was the nature Of
man, and. he WAS sorry to admit it, to hight tor
money. Some Of the advocates OF the Tariff were
ready to yield portion, but ne feared that the
temptation presented by high rate OF duties
was too great TO be resisted II the recommend.
alton of The message had been acted on. these
disouitudes might have been all settled. II was
a bad mode Of settling disputes TO send out sol.
diers in uniform, to threaten to hang up citizens
as traitors and the like. Let it BE- disguised as
it might, the bill was declaration of war against
a sovereign State: and he would not give to the
President the power, at his will and pleasure, to
declare war against foreign country; and he
called ON the Senate to say ii this vas not more
important question which gave power to declare
war against a sovereign State!
1.-THE majority should pass this bull, they must
do it on their own responsibility. He could have
no part in IT. Sill the Federal Union must be
preserved. Could gentlemen hope to preserve it
by forcei Was that the way to preserve i!-
Suppose that they were TO go on, and suppress the
State of South Carolina. and reduce her 10 the Sit
uation of province, and hang up her governor
and her Legislature as traitors; and suppose that
her citizens were hunted into those morasses IN.
to which Sumpter and Marion retired, when
they were obliged to take refuge from The British
army9 Would they, after all, have saved the
Unionl Here are twenty.four States-Would
they have saved the Union by striking out one Of
these States, and that one of the Old Thrice n
Gentlemen had boosted of the flag Of our country,
with It's thirteen stars and stripes. would
that any longer be the flag under which our Ia.
theirs fou ght when We shall have obl'terated one OF
these stars!> II he were to 20 on striking nut
star after star, what would finally be left but this
central and burning sun, whitening and consul
ming every thingl The Gag, said he. which
wish to wave over me. is the flag OF my fathers,
which waved over Them during the Revolutionary
war. and which bore upan It the thirteen stars,
of which South Carolina was one. hope South
Carolina will listen to her friends, give US her
confidence, and abide in the conviction OF re.
turning sense on the part Of the People OF the
| United States.
His mode Of preserving the Union would have
been different from that which had been pursued.
He would have taken the principal remedy which
he had pointed out. There IS an excess Of six
| millions Of dollars in the Treasury. He would
DESTROY that excess. Yet he would not rashly
and rudely lay hands on the Tariff, it he bad
power TO do so. While restoring harmony to
one section. he would be cautious not TO produce
discord in another 1t was poor way to apPease
discord in one section. and to raise 1t in another
The manufacturers desire time. He would give
them e--ample time. II they would come
down to the revenue standard. and abandon the
protective principle, he would allow them full
time. He presented these amendments, for he
was anxious to preserve the country from civil
wars. He begged the Senate to bear in mind,
that there was great difference between pre-
serving the Union and preserving the Govern.
ment. They might destroy the States, and still
preserve the Government. He was for prcserv.
/ ing the Federal Union, and for bringing back
! that peace which seemed to have He'd from ".
Il had been said that it would not do to offer
terms while South Carolina maintained her me.