The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-05-25

selves of our advance asterms, are informed that:
payment must be made during The present weekss
~ sfszE--z--. - - a-7iY ~ = -
b U IEthesauthor Of "Justice. will sendsusa
responsible name, his communication shall apS
pear next week. ~ s.. .;5ss. :. :
SPEECH OF THE HON. s. H. BUTLER.
We present our readers to-day the ertraordi-.
nary speech of Mr.. s. H. BUTLER, on the. ertra-
ordinary amendment proposed by Mr.. CAMPBELL
10 the apportionment bill. We cannot believe.
otherwise than that this amendment to the billr !.
and thisgspeech in its support will strike with
astonishment the people of South Caroline.
Who could have supposed IA his wildest:mo- :,
ments of thought, that such proposition would
ever have been made at all, much less-that it :,
should have been done by representative of
South Carolina; and that it should have been SO
zealouslY supported BY another representative,
and that representative Mr.: s. H. BgTLER, is
matter of still greater andsmore profound aston
ishment We acknowledge ourselves ssdterlyat
loss to account for that haHucnationwhi
could lead such man as MI. BUTLER 10 advol.. ), :
cate doctrine so totally atwar with all the prin-
ciples upon which he has heretofore acted, and
especially ofthose ultra State-right doctrines of
which he wassso prominent supporter in this !.
State few years. since. "A man heretofore so
jealous of the least interferenceon the part Of
the general government with therights Of the
States, or with their internal policysshould NOT
have ventured,4we think, on the advocacy Of
measure which, if it be constitutional, and this
lis doubtful, is beyond all question a dangerous
unnecessary, and uncalled for exercise of power,
= 1t wiiEbe seensthat MFR. BUTLER takes for lis
text the 4th section Of the LIST article of the con-
stitution, which is inthese words: Il:
1.-the .timess Plaees, and manner Of holding
electionsfor senaH%s and representative, shall :,
be prescribed in each state BY the Legislature
thereof; but the congress may at any time,
law, makesor alter suchae equations, except asito
the placesaof choosing senators" 49, ss;.7Fs (.
The extreme Jealousy with which the framers
of the Federal constitution endeavorsd to guard
and protsetsks Sovereignty fthe States, and the
contemporaneous exposition given to this sec
ton, Sforbids the suppositon that it was intend
ed to be exercised, except in those cases where
the States shall refuse or neglect to make pro-
pei guTarofIs7o REPRESENTATIVES,.
AS proof of this, we refer to the action of the
several State conventions to which the constitu-
ton was submitted. From these it will be seen
that six out of the thirteen expressed themselves
as adverse to the exercise of this power, except
as above stated. We are not aware that this
particular section was made the subject ofses-
pecial notice by the other States.
In the convention of Massachusetts, the7fol-
lowing amendment was p-oposed
"That Congress do not exercise ithe powers
vested in them by the 4thsection Of the list ar !.
tlcle, but in cases where State shall neglect
or refuse to make the regulations therein men
tioned"
Our own State, South Carolina, then as3now,
and alUays watchful of her rights, after having
ratified the constitution, made the following So
Characterization on this subject:
"And whereas it il, essential to the preserya-
ton of the rights reserued 10 the several States,
and the freedom Of de people, under the opera
tions of a general government, that the rightof
prescribing the manner, time, and places of hold
ing elections to the Federal legislature should
be forerer insepara5ly ANNEXED to the souereignty
Of the sereral STATES: This convention doth de-
clare that the same ought to remain, to all pos
terity, perpetual and fundamental right in the
local., exclusive of the interference Of the gene-
raj government, except in cases where the le-
gslature of the States shall refuse or neglect to-
perform and fulfil the same, according to the%
tenor of the said constitution"
And as though this might not be considered
sufficiently expressive, the convention before its
final adjournment adopted the following resolu-
ton:
"Resolued That it be Standing instruction to- (
all such delegates as may hereafter be elected
to represent this State in the general govern
ment, to exert their utmost abilities and inf1u-
ence to effect an alteration of the constitution,
conformably to the aforegoing resolutions"
With these solemnly expressed opinions be-
fore them, We cannot perceive, how Messts.
CAMPBELL and Butler could have brought them
selves into the position in which we find them.
Virginia comes next with her. vigilant eye to
scan this dangerous provision of the Federal
constitution. Hear her convention expressing
tsn1fas follows $3.50 s-..