South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1837-04-29
THE TIMES.

CUsToM-HoUsE BoNDs.-1He Co..
ernment, VS.. the People. AL who have
sufficient Intelligence to understand the
present state of affairs, and all who
have sufficient honesty TO admit the
truth of their convictions on the sub
iect, can no longer hesitate in ascrib-
ing ACCOMPLISHMENTS to most wicka
ed and disgraceful warfare twaged by
the Government against the People of
the United States. That such is the
case, we consider as clearly demonstra-
ted as any axiom in mathematics and
it becomes then, the duty of our I'M
porting merchants, who are brought
more directly in contact with the Gov
eminent to consider how far it is in
cumbent upon them to commence a
system Of resistance to the measures of
an Administration which is waging
war against them, and, through them,
upon the mercantile community at
large.
it is an old maxim, and true one,
that desperate diseases require desper-
ate remedies; and if our revolutionary
sires had not acted upon this principle,
we should, in all human probability, at
this time have been colonies OF Great
Britain instead of what we area free,
powerful, and rich, but much oppress-
ed People. When they placed them
selves in opposition to the mother
country, and staked their ALL upon the
issue of that fearful contest, it was I'M
der deep conviction that they were
oppressed by the very Government to
which they admitted their allegiance,
and from which, as the price ofthat al
legiance, they had right to claim pro-
lection, instead of experiencing at its
hands oppression and contumely. And
when they achieved their liberties, and
transmitted to us, their immediate de-
scendants, the blessings of a free Gov
eminent, and the inalienable rights for
which they had fought and conquered,
they expected from US, nays there ex-
listed, and now exists, a sacred obhga-
ton on our part to preserve, in, all its
purity, and transmit unimpaired to our
descendants, the great boon Ichthey
had won by their valor, cohsecrated
with their blood, and secured by their
wisdom.
We would put it directly to each and
all of our readers, whether they do not
acknowledge this obligation; and if
they do, whether it becomes this great
People quietly and tamely to submit to
any and every degree of lawless OPP
preston which their rulers may infict,
merely because resistance mayinvolve
us in trouble, and expose.those who re-,
sist to censure9 We are very certain
their reply will be mo; but at what
point is resistance to commence? Ks
not the evil of resistance greater than
the evil of submission ?" We answer
promptly that resistance on the part OF
a free people, if they would preserve
their freedom, should always COM
mence whenever it is made plain and
palpable that there has been deliber-
ate violation Of their rights; and what
ever temporary evils may result from
such resistance, they can never be SO
great or so dangerous to our institutions,
as blind submission to a most mani
fest act of oppression and tyranny.
And now we would ask of all, what
shadow of right, what plea Of expedi-
ency, what constitutional or legal justi-
fcation can MARTIN VAN buren, offer
to the People Of the United States, for
having brought upon them all their pre-
sent difficulties by acontinuance of the
Specie Carcalar, after two-thirds Of their
representatives had declared their SOL
ea1i convictions that it was injurious
to the country and should be repealed?
Most assuredly, none; and we unhesi-
tatingly say, that lis a more high-han-
ded measure oftyranny than that which
cost CHARLES the LIST his crown and his
head-more illegal and unconstitution-
al than the act of the British ministry
which caused the patriots ofthe Revo-
luton to destroy the tea in the harbor
of Boston; and one which calls more
loudly for resistance than any act OF
Great Britain which led to the Decla-
ration of independence.
We are fully aware of the censure
which some will bestow upon this lam
guage; we are conscious of the odium
which it will excite in the breasts of
brawling demagogues and the misera-
bic dependents upon the smiles and
sunshine of Executive favor. But
what fthey do censure' What ifthey,
do denounce and stigmatize all who
dare boldly speak their honestly enter
tanned sentiments T? Did not the Tories