Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-01-01
POE1sTYCAT1.
GOVERNOR MDUFFIE'SI INAUGURAL SPEECH
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GOVERNOR M'DUFFIE'S INAUGURAL SPEECH
Gentlemen Of t;e Senate and
House Of Representatives.
Ifany thing could increase the intensity Of that vvi,
sense of gratitude, which has been excited in my DO
som by the generous support and sustaining confidence
have uniformly received from the people of Soutl
Carolina, since first entered into their service
representative in this Hail. it would be the dstin
guished honor they have now conferred upon me, by
your kind and partial agency, i'll summoning To the
helm of their affairs, in manner highly hatering to
me, and under auspices so exceedingly gratifying
all But while sincerely rejoice as every patriot must
IN the restoration of harmony the long distracted
counses of the State let not be tempted withdraw
our most vigant attention from the dangers which sur
round u.s. to neglect the corresponding duties
caution and preparation, they so mperiously enlon
upon 1t be Disguised that we have reached
am eventsul in the history not ony ofSout Carolina
put OF The whole American conicderacy and whether
our descendants of the very generation shall recur
TO ii with EMULATION and pride era fconstitutona
liberty, with humiliation and sorrow era of con-
soidatcd despotism, Will very much depend upon the
manner in which discharge the duties of our
respective stations. In entering upon the high and
eminently responsible trust you have committed 10
my hands, l bring with me, gentlemen, if nothing
else, an absolute and unqualified devotion to the
State of South Carolina After an absence of thirteen
years in the councils ef the Federal Government re-
turn to the councils of the State, with heart un-
attended by absence, uRsedoced from its true al
eglance by the Establishment ofFederal power, and un-
deed by the worship of false gods and foreign idols
Having anxiousy and atcntively marked the Dro-
gress and studied the tendency of the Federal
grcss am firmly and solepny impressed with the con
vicon, that the Sovereignty othc several States pac
tcay asserted and maintained is the only barrier which
can arrest the Federal Government in its fatal procIvty
towards absolute despotsm, and the only means under
Heaven, by which the rights, the bcrties the pro-
perty OF the planting States be rescued from mpend
ing destruction. And l have the more confidence In
this opinion, because it has been gradually and delibe-
rately formed the result of actual observation and
perience in opposition TO the preconccvcd theories of
youth and nexperience, with which entered upon the
theatre of public life
10 II.
Executive proclamation of speculative theory history
bears testimony that the States arc point of fact dis
unct and separate communities, mutually independent
OF each Other and each possessing the Inherent and
derived attribute of sovcregnty Not only are they Sc
paTatcd geographically, and by distinct and ndepcnd-
en political organization but they still more practi-
cally separated by the diversity of their staple produc
tons, creating direct and rreconcilable conflict of in
terest between the exporting and manufacturing States
MS decided as existed between any independent
nations, ancient or modern 1t is for example, the un
doubted interest," il is the sacred right of the planting
States to exchange their staples for the manufactures
OF Europe free from every obstruction ncumbrance
IL is the interest Of the manufacturing States to oh
stuct incumb2r and prohibit this commerce of OK
change between the planting States and the manufacture
ing nations of Europe and because it is their interest
they have awaited themselves of the asoendencv of
nor numbers, in the federal Legislature, impose high
and prohbitivc duties imported manufactures in VIC
luon OF every principle of natural Justice and the most
sacred of our constitutional rights more vital oppo-
sition of interest cannot well be conceived. But The
full extent and depth OF the danger which mpcnds
the planting States has not yet been disclosed and deli
cate the subject is, feel it 10 be my painful duty to
present ii distinctly view The great
staples of the planting States produced by species
of labor peculiar to those States and 6e success
fully produced by any other II is dcmonstrabc that
cotton could not be produced by the labor Of hired free
men, for double the average price it has commanded
for ten years past AS it is the chcnpness only of our
staples OF cxpordtion that enables Us TO import foreign
manufactures cheaper than they can be made by the
American manufacturers it obvious that the abolition
of that kind of labor which is the basis OF wealth and
prosperity, would annhate at single blow that entire
brin Inc iudu fro
of the exporting States into competition with that of the
manufacturing States Here then, is the deep founda
labor OF hired rcomen cannot successfully contend with
the labor of slaves and has been openly vocd i'm CD
gress, by distinguished Representative, that the labor
oil Northern freeman Should Rcver be put in equal
competition with the labor Of Southern slave.
With these facts before bis eyes, can any Southern
Statesman who is not blinded by some strange nfatua-
ton contemplate the relative position Of the Southern
STATES without being deeply impressed with of
their insecurity?
Here is conflict Of pecuniaTy interest between scpa
rate and distinct communities OF men, aggravated by the
preudiccs Of blind iauatcisn against domestic in
sttuons, the part of large portion Of the people
of the Northern and middle States And shall we nm
der these circumstances fold our arms ia fatal an,,ly
and permit the Federal Government establish its SUI
premacy and omnpotenoc upon the sabvcred sovereign
ty Of South Carona' When that it is the inter
est Of those States which control the operations Of the
Federal Government to ohachle commerce and de-
sroy our property shall South Carolina PROSTATE the
enHgns OF her sovereignty before them and submit
rights and liberties 10 thoir maQnanimfy md Justice
Let not deceive ourselves vany hope to avoid
danger by closing the eyes Of understanding against
the evidence Of it, approaches. However melancholy
the fact may be, all history is but bloody testimonial
establish ~ that community Of upon the ace Of
the earth in any age under any dspensation political
religious, hos been governed by Justice in It's nc
gotiations or its conflicts with other States.
No, gentlemen it is not justice and uagnanimity but
interest and ambition dignhed and disguised under the
Of State pocy-that ever has governed and ever
will govern Of non acting political comnnni
ties. individuals may be aciuated by sense of Justice
but what citizen in any country could venture contend
for justice to foreign and rival community ia opposi.
ton to the prevailing policy Of tie State without forfeit
ing the character Of patriot We habjtualy speak Of
Roman virtue and Roman patriotism ~ proverbal and
they held up, throughout ChrsicBdom the rising
generation; az models for imitation And yet in every
period Of the Republic, with scarcely interval these
vrtuous and patriotic citizens were engaged in yexug
The ocean and desoaiing the earth by wars Of plumber
and conquest. These not nero abstract truths and
barren speculaons, but they practically illustrate the
peculiar and perlous condition Of the exporting and
slave holding States as members of the great North
American coniedcmcy, and demonstrate The imperious
necessity Of raying az parties around the standard of
State sovereignty resolved in the spirit Of our glorious
motto qnimisqte opiJusgue paroh' to maintain and
preserve untarnished in every emergency and al every
hazard tho last hope Of transmitting 10 our postcrity
the blessings Of constitutional liberty.