The North-Carolina standard., 1846-08-26

without the leave of my State? Is that true2
Lei US see, Suppose every voter IN the democrat
ic party had commanded me to vote for the bill,
and yet my own Judgment had prevailed, as it did,
against the joint influence of my feelings my IN !
dvidual friendships, and my personal ambhon ?
is there man who will deny that still had
perfect right to resign my station and save my
conscience2 Did my one ever before suppose
that party had the right to claim dominion over
the man who served them, as well as the office
they had besowed-over the soul as we'll as the
station of their agent2 Never, never.
But in my case there is no room for new theo-
res The legislature that elected me passed reso-
Iutions, decaratory of their doctrine. They were
passed by the party that elected me. Whilst the
/" voice of God in the soul of man" demanded my
opposition 10 the experimental tariff democratic
State legislature, at the utmost, only demanded of
me to do otherwise "Or resign" and for obeying
both God and man, as have, are you called upon
to denounce me as treacherous. No man, with a
due sense-of honor and accountability could put
himself in position where obedience 10 the man.
dates Of others was both imperative and unavoda-
BILE; and nobody would be fit to serve the repub-
lie who could. Upon any such terms, it would
be Infamous TO serve any party. v~
But The North Carolina resolutions, of them
selves constitute at once my Defence and refuta-
tion Of the absurd notion that senators who cannot
obey have no right to resign without being Grim
inal. ~tt .:.s..
They are here .-... g. s.1s.s.t g..
Resolutions efthe General dsserncIy Of North Carolina
"Resolred That the Legislature of this State
have right to instruct the senators Of this State
in Congress, whenever in the opinion of the legis-
lature, they msrepresent the wishes Of the State
or the magnitude of the occasion shall require such
instructions and that it is the duty of the sena-
| tors to obey the instructions given, OR TO RESIGN
THEIR SEATS Provided, The instructions to be
given and obeyed require not the senator TO COM
nit violation of the constitution: act Of
moral turpilude.
"Resolred, That while North Carolina, in the
opinion Of this legislature will never object te any
amount Of taxes, equally apportioned, and imposed
| for the purpose OF raising revenue TO support the
government, economically administered, yet this
Stale will never consent 20 the imposition of taxes,
the design and operation of which are TO promote
the interests of particular occupations at the gen.
eral expense.
"Resolued, That the tariff law passed by the
present Congress [1s42l is based on protective
principles, operating a bounty 10 the maDufac-
turing interests; and imposing unjust, unequal.
and oppressive burdens upon other branches of in
dGstIy, and particularly those peculiar TO the south
ern States and that such being the effects of this
law, it is unwse in policy, dangerous public lib
ertY, and peTversion of that free constitution Of
government which was framed and adopted for the
protection and security of all, and which will be
best sustained by the equal operation Of its laws,
and the just dispensaIion Of its benefits TO every
American citizen.
"Resolred, That this law is not only protective
IN Its character, and unequal in its operation, but
that II violates the compromise of 1888, CnjusilY
deprivIng The south of The benefits Of that act pre-
cisely al the period when they were to accrue to
Us, aud Immediately after We had patiently and
patrioticaly endured all its burdens; and, there
fore in the name of honor justice, and good faiIh
the Legislature Of North Carolina do protest against
this law, and insist that it should be modified so
as to place it on the basis of revenue duties"
"Resolred That our senators in Congress be-
and they are hereby INSTRUCTED, and represen-
tatives requested TO carry into effect the PRINCIPLES
set forth 10 the foregoing resolutions.
"HeSoLred That the governor Of this State be
required to forward copy of these resolutions to
each Of our senators in Congress- with the request
that they lay them before the Senate of the Unit
ed States.
"Raliied the 26th day of January, A. D. Ie43
"CALVIN GRAVES, s. H. O.
"LOUIS D. WILSON, s. s."
Are you instructonists? Behold here is com.
pletc exculpation of my conduct The legisla-
ture says that to "resign" is not only the right,
but the "duty" of senator, who does not prefer
to :" obey their Instructions Itis not to obey"
without any other alternative but il is TO obey " OF
resign "-eiher one or the other-according to
his own choice. So he does one cor" the other,
he is faithful. WiK the honest democracy of
North Carolina, who have been forgelful ofthcse
instructions, perversely adhere. to an error, by
which they may have allowed themselves to pre-
judge one who has spent the best part of his life,
holding the democratic party in North Carolina,
against political foes without and selfish dcma-
gogues within its fold :? Will that be honorable,
or just, or democratic / leave your own hearts
to answer. '..r .....
Are you non.instructionists? Then remember
that had it not in my power to sacrifice mvselfI
to the country, for my vote could not have preren-
ten, no more than it could have secured. the pas
sage of the tariff act With or without nv vote.
the deed would have been done. Remember. too
that these resolutions were passed by my own par
ty, and the legislature who elected me- and nv ac
ceptance of the Office, in the view of some honor.
able friends, might have been held to create an i'm
piled pledge that would "resign," provided I
did not obey their instructions and therefore that
independent of any political "duty to obey or re-
sign," had come under personal obligation to
do the same thing. Hence. by holding on to nv
seat and resisting, there might have been some
room for censure, but desired to have no such
controversy and as my resistance would have done
no good to the republic surely all will agree that
it was my right to resign.
1t mnst be confessed that these resolutions did
not positively instruct the senators from North
Carolina to vote for the experimental tariff by that
name, nor by any other name, nor by any other
precise description of it. It is more than proba-
BILE the Legislature had not anticipated the inven-
tion of such tariff; and l am sure I had not
But they did instruct the senators to "carry into
effect the PRINCIPLES declared in the foregoing res
olution = and plausible argument if not n