Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-01-21

Iras;5s,,t and perpetuated by his dictation.
The Senator from. Kentucky Mr.. CD antici-
mates with confidence that the small party who
were denounced at the last session, as traitors
and disunionists. viii be found, on this trying
occasion, standing in the front rank, and man
| fully resisting. the advance OF despotlc power.
III said Mr. Calhoun, heard the anticipation
with pleasure, not on account OF the compliment
which it implied, but the evidence which 1t al
fords that the cloud which has been so indus
triously thrown over the character and motive
of that small, but patriotic party, begins to be
dissipated. The Senator hazafded nothing In
the prediction. That party is the determined,
the fixed, and sworn enemy to uSurpatlon, come
| from what quarter and under what form 1t may;
whether from the Executive, upon the otner
departments of this Government, or from TINS
government on the sovereignty and rights OF
f1Se States. The resolution and fortitude with
which it maintained its position at the last SEES
sion under so many difficulties and dangers, IN
defence of the States against the encroacn-
ments of the General Government, furnished
evidence, not to be mistaken that that party, IN
the present momentous struggle, would DC
found arrayed in defence OF the rights OF Con-
gress against the encroachments OF the EXecu-
tive And let me tell the Senator from Ken
lucky, said Mr. c., that, if the present struggle
against Executive uSurpatlon be successful, 1t
will be owing to the success with which we,
the nullifiers,-I ain not afraid of the word
maintained the rights Of the States against the
encroachments of the General Government at
the last session.
A very few words will place this point beyond
controversy. To the interposition of the State
of South Carolina, we are indebted Tor the adj
justment of the tariff questions; without it, all the
influence of the Senator from Kentucky, with
the manufacturing interest, great as it IS desefV~
edly so, as it ought 70 be, would have been,
wholly incompetent if he had even thought pro-
too 10 a6
tempt would have Frustrated him and those who
acted with him, and not the system. 1t was the
separate action of the State that gave him the
place to stand upon; created the necessity for
the adjustment, and disposed the minds OF all to
compromise. Now, put the solemn question to
all who hear me, if the tariff had not then been
adjusted-ifit was now an open question-what
hope of successful resistance against the usurpa-
tons of the Executive, on the part of this or any
other branch of the Government could be en-
tertained? Let it not be said, that this is the re-
suit of accident-of an unforeseen contingency
1t was clearly perceived, and openly stated, that
no successful resistance could be made to the
corruption and encroachments of the Execu-
tive, while the tariff question remained open
while it separated the north from the south, and
wasted the energy of the honest and patriotic
portion of the community, against each other,
the joint effort of which is indispensaby neces-
sary- to eXpel those from authority, who are
converting the entire powers Of Government IN
[ to a corrupt electionerring machine and that,
without separate State interposition, the adjust
| ment was impossible. The truth of this position
rests not upon the accidental state of things, but
on profound principle growing out of the ma
ture Of Government and party struggles in
free State. History and reflection teach u.s. that
when great interests come into conflict and the
passions and the prejudices of men are roused
such struggles can never be composed by the
influence OF any individuals, however great; and
if there be not, somewhere in the system, some
| high constitutional power, to arrest their pro
gress, and compel the parties to adjust the diff
ference, they go on till the State falls by corrup-
ton or violence.
will, said Mr. c., venture to add to these re-
marks another, in connexion with the point I'M
der consideration, not less true. We are not
only indebted to the cause which have stated,
for our present strength in this body against the
present usurpaton of the Executive, but if the
adjustment of the tariff had stood alone, as it
oughtto have done, without the odious bill which
accompanied tiff those who led in the COM
promise had Joined the State Right party in
their resistance to Observation-Disclosures measure,
and thrown the responsibility on its real authors
the administration, their party would have been
so Frustrated throughout the entire South, and
| their power, IN consequence, so reduced, that
| they would not have dared to attempt the pre-
sent measure; or, If they had, they would have
! been broke and defeated
| Were /, said Mr.. c., to select the case best
calculated to illustrate the necessity of resisting
usurpation at the very commencement, and to
prove how difficult it IS to resist it in any subse
quent stage if not met at first, would select
this very case. What, he asked, is the cause Of
the present usurpation of power on the part Of
the observation-disclosures the motve?--the tempta-
ton, which has induced them to seize on the de-
| posites? What but the large surplus revenue
the eight or ten millions in the public Treasury
| beyond the wants of the Government? And
what has put so large an amount of money in
the Treasury, when not needed? | answer, the
protective system-that system which graduated
! duties not in reference to the wants of the Go
vernment but in reference to the opportunities
and demands of the manufacturers, and which
poured millions of dollars into the Treasury be
| You'd the most profuse demands and even the
extravaganza of the Observation-Disclosures
| lawfully taken, from the pockets of those who
honestly made it. hold that those who make,
are entitled to what they make against all the
world except the Government; and against it,
except to the extent its legitimate and constl-
stutional wants; and that, for the Government
to take one cent more is robbery.
Inviolation of this sacred principle Congress