Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-03-06
Fsom the Baitimors Anerscan.

Carolina is a grave document on a grave
subject. II is 10 the form of Protest.
The length oil the Report prevents its
insertion, entire, in our columns.
II is charged upon Sopih Carolina thai
her Legislature assumes the following
principles
|. That South Carolina has a right to
visit the ships other States, and seize a
portion oftheIr crews al her discretion and
to imprison Them without charge of any
offence -
2. That she may punish with the lash
citizens Of Massachusetts. solely because
they may be found second time on board
ships OF their own State touching at her
ports -
3. That she has right to sell into
slavery citizens of Massachusetts,, en,i.
tied by her Constitution 10 full security
and folowinga lawful calling -
T. That she may expel from her terri
tory citizens OF Massachusetts going thrh-
er merely to seek an opportunity to ap.
peal TO the Courts of the Union against
her action :---
5. That she has right to imprison and
fine citizens coming rom other States,
who question the validity Of her laws
which assume the right TO whip or sell
their lreemen without charge of any crime.
In former times the assumption of pow.
ers far less than these, it is declared,
would have been met by arms but Mas
sachuset,s is too well aware of her duties
to the Union to seek redress IN this way.
The acts Of South Carolina are character
lied acts Of war which find no justifca-
ton in the recognised intercourse Of Chris
tian nations, intending to remain at peace.
But even against these Massachusetts
would not complain, if South Carolina
would submit the question to the law
This, however, she uniformly refuses
to do. She has deliberately refused to
recognise the authority Of the Federal
tribunal. "She sets herself" says the
Protest, t'above the restrictions Of the
Constitution, which she agreed to sustain,
and perseveres in the execution of her will
at whatever cost"
We need not 60 into a more minute
analysis Of this document. Its character
and purport may be inferred too accur.
ately from the unhappy circumstances and
incidents which gave occasion for its APP
pearance. We give the concluding words
of the Protest, which are as impressive as
they are earnest:
"There is, however, above and beyond
AL the considerations heretofore present.
ed, one to which Massachusetts now earn.
estly invokes the attention OF her sister
STATES. The compact formed between
them all, by the Federal Constitution, is
the living and shining testimony OF the
nineteenth century 10 the truth of the the.
Dry Of liberty with law. She adiures
them moi to favor any course of action
which must Ultimately show i, solemn
lie. She sdjures thea no, to permit a
case of injury TO the rights Of the people
of any State to find no Constitutional
mode of redress whatsoever. fone Of
the States constituting this Union, assume
to place herself in hostile attitude to
citizens Of any other; if she refuse 10 his.
ten TO respectful remonstrance, long and
patiently continued; If she deny the au.
thority over her Of clear stiPuIatlons in
the contract to which she voluntarily con-
sented if she Sc, herself beyond the reach
oil tribunals specially appointed to decide
upon controversies between the States
if she treat with insult and contumely the
bearer of simple proposal to promote an
Of the dispste, and II she
threaten with the terrors of the law all
persons who seek to fepea, it hereafter,
then 10 it plain that so far as that State is
the onerous conditions of the
Constitution have no longer any binding
power over her. The Congress of the
United States having tolerated the doc
trine in official form, that they have no
means Of affoIding relief and that the
States which enacted them are alone com.
petent to strike these laws from their stat.
ute book and the arm of the federal ju.
dietary having been psralized, in this in
stance, within the territory of South Car
DINA, i: appears plain if the general Gov.
ernmeEt, contrary to It's obvious duty, and
to neglect of rights guaranteed by the
should continue to sustain
the position heretofore assumed, that Mas
sacbueeIts, and every other State aggriev-
ed, will be denied any remedy unless It be
by throwing herself back upon the origi-
nal inherent rights of her citizens to de-
fend themselves. 1t becomes, then,
solemn question to decide, whether South
which has wilfully and deiber-
Ately defeated Massachusetts of a legiti-
mate use Of one of the provisions OF the
compact, designed to yield to the citizens
Of the latter that protection against wrong
which they have right TO demand, has
not voluntarily forfeited all title to insist
upon the execution, by the citizens OF
Massachusetts, of those ether provisions
by which she peculiarly benefits Mas.
sachuselts reserves her decision upon this
point. Her obligations to the remaining
States. and her duties 20 herself, forbid
her rsking by any has,y step, the hazard
Of still greater evils than those which she
desires to remedy. She cheerlully &C.
knowledges that patience under the nflc-
ion Of this gross and garing wrong, is
her present duty, not towards South Car
olina, but towards the pacific States
ID. Al - 4 L H. -