The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-02-29

-"<s;;;y "ir,:h s:.a::;i r2!.dcra s.p..s..
ion Of necessity; b'it rail-, ;i.an y:c:,l o
-iear&st rights and privileges, VIC wor,ls s, i
The Union sc;:itarcii 10 the waids, AMI h..
those who are lio:y CIR brethren. s:uncIn;..
II war, in peace friends"
have thus, Mr. Speaker, discharged y
disagreeablc duty; l have endeavored to d.
so in fairness and honesty, and while l az.
on the floor, I will recur to another sui.
jet, upon which South Carolina nulliiess
nave heen So o(lcr tainted. Il has beos.
aske'! Of the small party with whom Iac:,
how we could support the measures of e:
administration, that some years ago, hur.-
/ ed denunciation against us.
Sir, do not, according to the fashion G.
the day, undertake to define my position
l shall let my position define itself by M
acts; but have not the slightest objections
to answer these repeated queries. In fol-
lner days the present chief magistrate MAJ
have dealt some hard blows on the head;
of the nuilificrs, but he gave us no blow
which was not returned with interest,"
Our quarrel of that day is over, and the
occasion which gave rise to the excitemcrt
has passed away, and we find ourselves
still a part ofthis great confederacy. We
are in the national legislature where there
arc two great parties the democrats ar,
wings. If we vote at all, we are compel
led to take sides with one Of these two
great divisions; and we are SO unsophist::.
Gated in the ways of the world as really IL
believe we ought to act with those who
sustain us, and maintain our doctrines up
on national subjects. Is there any thinc
unaccountable in this? The democratic
party with the President are opposed to
protective tariffs; so are we: they are liz
imcal to splendid schemes of internal i'm
provements by the general government:
That is our doctrine: they are in favor o.
and advocate total separation Of the Fl.
nances of the Government from the cor
troll and direction of Banks; they are or
posed to [. States Bank; and last, thor2:.
not least, they are opposed to the whole
project of Abolition. These arc ourriews
and opinions: and shall we desert ;;..icm b.
cause we find others maintaining thcm?-
No, Sir, we support any party that is poI;t-
ica!ly right. We are not, nor do we IL
tend to become the partisans of the adm;i
lstration, to be led and driven as party-
hacks; we shall act as our Judgment die.
tates, although we do support its leadir@;:
measures. Sir, if we had felt doubts &;
to the proprcty and correctness Of ou'
course, when we first assembled here,
they would have been dispelled by the re-.
sult of the Harrisburg convention. We
believe the nomination of General Harr,-
son was effected by'a combination Of Abe.
lltlonlsts and other factions, Of which the
first was predominant; for how otherwis>
could the pre-eminent claims of the gifted.
and, l will add, patriotic Senator fronl
Kentucky be set aside for one so farbelow
him in all the qualifications for the Pres
dental office.
Mr.. Van Buren had declared to the
world in terms which admit of no doubt
full construction that Congress had no con-
stitutional right to touch slavery in the
States, and that he believed it highly iney-
pedlent to interfere with it in the D:st,ic:
Of Columbia, and boldly assumed the
ground that he would resist, by his veto,
such attempts, under as strong sense oi
obligation as if such clause was in the Con.
stitution. lie was no "non committal" on
that occasion, and if words are capable OF
conveying any definite meaning, he has
said all that the south can reasonably cx-
pect from northern President. His dec
larations have exposed him to the wrath
and fury of the abolitionists from that c'av
to this, and will continue to da SO. + ii.,rc
an bo'i:ionist on this floorthat is net i:crcc-
ly opposed to him? Is there one any whera?
The democratic party throughout the u
Mon, so far as ] know, assume the same
ground. In proof what l say, l beg 10
read a paper which hold in my hand
1t is the proceedings of great democrat
ic convention held in Columbus Ohio, Oh
the s!h Of this month, said to consist Of at
least three thousand persons.
"j,rso!ccd. That, in :ic opinion Of this
convention, Congrcs; ought notwithout th':