Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1833-08-29

Fss~ ~ RisA~s~d Wig.
TO THOMAS RiTCHlE. ESo.-No a

bou nave oese been exceedingiy uusparinx
In Jour densnciation Of nulii6caiion, but I a.
net recouscs that you have offered sinels
srgumsnt against u. You have, indeed, sbus-
are ready 90 take sldos with him. for
mere sympathy with the persecutrd ana
oppressed That such . man should DO borne
down before an intelligent people, BY a man
OF Andrew Jacksons pretcnsious, h a moral
anomaly, worthy tho especial notice Of the
iusurc historian. You appear To have thought
That was enough 10 destroy John e.. Calhoun.
and publication must fall OF course. This q
a mistake. The doctrine did not originate
win him, docs not depend on him Cor its SUP
port. and Will not die with tho death of his
'nnuence. You may, therefore, spare him,
without . fear that such tribute 10 decency,
will Affect notification either ono way or
The other. u would certainly have been much
moro worthy OF your standing among our
public journals, IL you bad attempted 10 en-
tighten our Understandings, instead OF ap-
Poaiins TO our partixan feelings. The Hug.
zas OF man-worship are alike degrading 10
the Prcss, and insulting to its supporters.-
instead OF proving that Notification is wrong.
you have wisely, perhaps, but not gene
rousiy, u 10 certain, coutcntcd yourself with
Efforts 20 prove that the Nulii6ers arc wrong.
This was beyond al doubt much the easier
ask OF the two, but, unfortunately, the
mass OF your readers have not so under-
stood you. Your paragraphs have bcon a.
contrived as TO DO generally received as An
utter denunciaiion Of South Carolina, and
her whole doctrines and proceedings together.
az the same time that their strict letter will
allow you to say hereafter, that your re-
Proaches were meant, not for the doctrine.
but only for the particular mode Of asserting
II. II always gives mo- pain 10 see an inilu-
entail public Journal dealing with its readers
in this uncandid way. Whenever tho press
Yields itself wholly TO party, it becomes, in
stead OF tiessing, the worst possible curse,
to free country. u Is then dangerous In ex.
act proportion 10 its influence. Whenever the
liberties Of this country shall be overturned.
a corrupt and hireling press will be the chicf
agent In the mischief. This, however, Is n
DEPRESSION, and il will certainly make no inn
preston upon you. I was going to say, that
while the principles upon which South Caro-
lima has procecdcd arc undeniabiy right, 1 n
gree with you, that she has fallen into some
very great errors, In her course Of proceed
ing. On one point, will agree with the Pre-
sident OF tho United States, an approx imation
to error az which I cannot but feel uneasy. I
think that tho tariff laws, although clearly n
gainst the spirit OF the Constitution, by the
gross inequality Of their burdens, arc yet not
SO " palpably" unconstitutional N to call for
nuiihcation, nor SO dangerous as to de-
msnd Secession, until every hope shall be
lost, that Congress win modify them. ],
therefore. may well censurc South Carolina
IN this respect, but you cannot for you pro-
fess to consider those laws altogether and
unequivocaliy unconstitutional. ! think also
that South Carolina appointed too early day
for the operation Of her ordinance. think
also, that some OF her enactments for en-
forcing that ordinance IRE too rigorous, and
probably are themselves unconstitutional
And have another objection which I have
not yet seen stated in any newspaper. The
principles upon which Nullifcation proceeds,
demand that the multiplying State shall refer
her decision 70 conventions Of other States
and that she shall give way IL such con-
ventions overrule her. In every case, there
fore, which viii admit Of Il, she ought
70 take care that the other States sustain no
injury from the suspension OF the law By her,
N case her decision should be overruled In
the present case, the injury would consist ia
the iozs OF duties, and, therefore, South Caro-
lima should merely have suspsnSsd the pay
ment Of duties, and should have guaranteed
the ultimate payment Of every ceat Of them,
IN case tho other Siates-and bare majority
ought to be sulficisnt-should decide the Ia
Tia Laws TO be constitutional, and abe shoald
thereupon determine MOI 70 sscode. In all
these respects, and perhaps in Others, South
Carolina appears to me 70 have acted unaa-
visediy. Suppose, however, that she had a.
voided all these errors, would IL not have
been qualification still And with what could
you then have reproacbed herl Suppose that,
instead OF the tariff laws. she had nullified a
Law dseieyisg all her sisves TO BE fresf Would
you not have commended her extraordinary
moderation and her scrupulous respect for her
co-Staies, In submitting TO them the question
OF the eonsiitutionali,y Of such 4 law, involv-
ing directly the highest OF her rights You
certainly would, SIR and wherein, then con-
sists the difference simply, Mr.. Richie, In
the applications OF the doctrine, and not in the
doctrine. iiercafter, sir, when you denoubce
nuiIincation, you should say 10 unequivocaI
terms That IT IL not qualification in itself, but
South Csrolfne Modification, which you con-
demn. You may then come back (as e0nse
back yea mHsf, aid shortly, too 10 the true doc
tFines Of the Constitution, with better grace
And now, sir, as South Carolina r. uDde-
niably right ~ her yrfasiplss, and merely
wrong IN some Of the measures ~ which she
has endeavorcd 70 assert them, does she for
this deserve the sword or not, lhave heard
the lawyers say that you do not forfeit your
claim m court Of justice by suffering a
non-suit for bringing your action wrong and
~
the son-suit subjected your adversary TO the
costs. u is perfectly clear that you cannot
cOeree South Carolina, without placing the
authority Of Congress above that OF the States,
in deciding on che extent of the powers Of
CoagVsss iisslf; and, Of course, you thus de-
stFoy The right Of the State aIt0gsther. This
seems 20 mo 10 Be altogether too high for
feiluFs 10 be Incurred for . mere error IN the
forms Of asserting a right And besides, siF,
do you perceive no danger 60 the Coustisa-
ton IN THE extraordinary powers which you
ere asking Congress 10 coafsr upon the Prssi-
dent u h not enough - say hat tbese pow
eFs are only % BE- szerssd sogssiagsatiy since
the biii now besOFs Congress leaVea u 70 the
Presideni hInBseif % detsrmine when the con-
tlogoncy may arise. Il there no danger thss
shoaia nOt ariss N the ordinary eourss
~ events, be siii uaks q Coy kisssyI No
thing y easter than n do this, and thus yoa
pat The whole matter 81 his dscFstion.
kaog how unbcuuded your eoshdsnes h the
fresident = bit yen ought - recoliect that
NaN =. ~