Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1833-02-21

ciplc involved i'm each, is tins: that n single
State has the right, peaccably. To act in oppo-
sition To, and ia violation of the Constitution
of the United States and acts of Congress,
whenever, IN her opinion, the Constitution has
been violated by an act of onsress Thus W in
a bare majority Of the people Of the smallest
State in this Union, have a right TO o,crrulc
The decision Of the majority of the people Of
The Estates, majority Of the States them-
selves, and OF the Supreme Court OF the L..
States. The question Of cous titutionality must
have been passed upon by all these tribunals
before any one State could have any prsienee
Tor acting on the subject. The absurcity Of
this theory is so very striking, that the mere
statement OF it would seem 10 be suiIic tent
Tor ITS rciutation. Some gentlemen seem To
think That State mas right To secede when
ever she pleases-that, ia fact, secession b. n
State - little more than a gentle man retiring
from drawing room without taking leave.
Other gentlemen contend that State has the
right To secede for Cause, To wit: breach of
the compact by Congress, but claim the right
Of erci,ssire Judgment of tho cause for such
State. The gentleman from Petersburg claims
for single state, the right TO secedc. because
Of an iniraction al tie compact By Congress,
aud the night Of judging Of such iniractIon,
hut comedies TO the other states ~ parties TO
the conmpact,o an equal right To Judge whether
such iniraction has been committed, and IL
thcy diiicr, the question can only be deter
mined b. the sword.
The gentleman from Petersburg treats tho
Constitution ofthc L. States merely as a COM
pact league or treaty among twenty -four soye-
reign states. II is true that il is acompact but
IT Is a compact forming government. The 20
vern.nent Of the L. States can make laws,
and can execute them allegiance is due to
II ne n government. All our governments
are compacis, but every compact is not go
, Nernmcnt The government Of the United
states can be dissolved in but two ways, by
consent Of the parties TO the compact, or by
revolution. The President IN his proclama-
nation has placed the right OF secession on
ITS true ground IL Is the right Of revolution.
and none other il can be sustained only by
the universal law Of nature, the law of self.
defence, of sclf-prcseryation, which is para.
mount 10 all the laws that man can Nuke
The right To resort To this law is unalicnab!c
and indefeasible. This remedy has received
plausible but tellisiye namc-a name veil
calculated to mislead the people cali the ro
medy revolution, and they will all unde rstand
1t. have no fear that the people will COM
nit revolution without sufficient cause. But
do fear that the people may be led on, step
by step, by these plausible theories, until
their passions become so excited, that they
will rush into bloody revolution with all lis
appalling consequences, rather than rcccde
am admonished by the example of South
Carolina. Notification is fine name, and
has the deusiye adjunct of psacsaJie-wc
have seen the effects produced by that rene
dy IN South Carolina. The people of Virginia
have found out its true characterat last, aud
now We are all instructed 10 donouncc and
abuse notification, and We do abuse il.
hope the people viii instruct US 10 dcnounce
this right of peaceable secession. | would
give tins remedy a much more appropriate
namc-onc that would define Its character
much moro accurately. ] would call Il the
potrer OF Joreijie secession.
/ Mr.. Chairman, let us declare, in plain, dc.
cided terms, that we will not nullify or Sc
ccde on account Of the operation Of the pre-.
sent tariff laws OF the General Government
that If South Carolina ,cH, We will not 20
with her in any OF her measurcs-that We
will not Justify any State in any such mea
sures, for such q cause--that in weighing the
evils OF the present tariff laws, against the
blessings of the Union, we consider those
evils rs mere dust IN the balance. THIS vii
do more 10 save the eiIusion Of blood, and Il
preserve the Union, than AL the remonstrau
ces, petitions and ambassadors NC can scns
her. South Carolina desires to know wha
we viii 90 IN tue present crisis Of her az
I iairs, aud she has right To- know. Candor
justice TO her and TO ourselves, require tina
we should speak out openly and decidedly OF
this subject. II she believes that Virginia
may be induced 10 side " lin her, she will 20
on; il not. she will recede. Has not ths
course OF South Carolina shcwn conclusive.
~, that she has from the beginning, looked q
Virginia, for moral, il not for physical sup
Ports She took up in the beginning, wha
she called Nirginia's principles (; and 10 all heI
proceedings since, she has kept a steady eve
upon Virginia. IL is to be regretted, thai
Virginia ia times past has given her so much
reason to DO so. II IS high time that South
Carolina was uudeceiVed. Since the report
OF the Committee Of 81, of this House, la,
reached Columbia, (tbe scat Of Government oil
South Carolina, the Telescope, a Paper print
cd there, after CONNIE ting upon that report
asks these questions: " will Virginia 60 Will
us, II the Torif be not repealed by the irst oil
june Will she order her MILITIA 10 our As
sistance, if the President uses hi, me rcenaries
10 short, Il we pause, will Sic guarantee a
defensive cooperation" Let US answerthess
questions decidedly IN tho negative, and leay,
south Carolina 40 longer 10 doubt upon this
subject.
am for supporting the Union party IN s
""i'"d 'hat party ~ ComPo-'d 81 ~ Ril-
liant, as talented, and a. patriotic men, o. the
uuiiibcrs II - a strong minority, a - on tlic
right sidc. and u itbc sustained b, the moral
force % the other states ia this [ Mon. that
party viii obtain the asceU6ancy, tie Ordi-
nance will be- repeated, ard ~, tie duspelate
measures Of The nuilihers viii he abandpned
Thus VII be- effected peacefully b. The pco.
pie Of south Carolina themselves, that hieh
We all most aFdently desire.
I 1ho Union pariy deserve tbc sympathy and
support of the friends Of the tni0n escfy
where. The measures adopted by The ~ a.
Joriiy in South Carolina towards that party,
I arc iiio most arbitrary and oppressive hat
have ever been adopted by any dominant gsr.
y in iiis country, towards 2 minority Tho
freedom q action on this subject has not oiily
been assailcd, but tic liberty Is opinion oiso.
Mr.. chairman, I admire the character Of