The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-18

Il
hat to the extent that this v1s true, It was an act
| Of party Obediaaes on my part, which partisan las
| no right TO condemn; and all can see, who WIZ see,
that II was neither more nor less than an unremsh
| act Of duty upon the facts already stated " any
nne had been inclined question the policy OF the
Gonceament beforehand the result proved ms mis-
| AXE, since il did no harm TO the party or the Dill
and II IL had turned out otherwise, the iaut woulu
not have been mine. IL was secret OF the party at
| nv hazard and instead of being blamed for II,
| might reasonably put in claim for credit Having
once consented not to disclose my hostility to the
| ill, il became point of personal honor with me,
and prudent man, who has that TO keep, cannot
De too cautious in selecting the politicians who are
| 10 assist him.
But resigned without right to do so, and with
ut the leave Of my Ststel Is that rue' Let MS see
1 suppose every voter in the democratic party bad
| commanded me TO vote for the bill, and yet my own
judgment had prevailed, il did against the JOINT
| '0huence Of my feelings, nv individual friendships,
| and my personal ambition: is there man VINO VII
ieny that SILL had perfect right 10 resign my sta
| tion and save my conscence' Did any one ever
before suppose that party had the right to cahn 90
| nnon over the man who served then' as wen as
the office they had bsstowed-oyer The sour az wei
| is the station OF their agent9 Never, never
| But In my there 10 no room Tor new theo-
ries. The legislature that elected me passed reso-
lutions, deelaratory Of their doctrine. Ihey were
passed by the party that elected me. "hils, inc
"yoice Of God in the soul Of man" demanded my
opposition TO the experimental tariff, democratic
State legislature, at the utmost only demanded OF me
10 do otherwise "m resign" and for obeying both
God and man, as have you called upon to de-
nounee me as treacherous. No man, with due
sense Of honor and accountability could put himself
~ position where obedience TO the mandates OF
others was both imperative and Unavoidable and
nobody would be ht TO serve the republic who could
Upon any such terms, 1t would be Infamous to serve
any party.
But the North Carolina resolutions, of themselves
constitute at once my defence, and refutation OF
the absurd notion that senators who cannot obey
have no right to resign without being criminal.
They are here:
Resolution, Of the General assembly Of North Carolina
to instruct the senator. y this State in Congress
the opinion Of the Legislature, they misrePresent the
require such Instructions; and the duty Of the
itors to obey the inst ucons given on TO ntsIoN rHEi
POrdd The instructions to be given aud obey ed
ceque the commit violation Of the consti
| tuition, or an act Of moral turpude.
Re diced That while North Carolina in the opinion Of
this legislature will object any amount Of
equally apPoroned and imposed for the purpose OF raising
tered this State will the position Of
the design and operation Of which to promote the
R,sOlptd That the tsrn passed by present
(sa2l is based protective principles operating
us unequal and Oppressive burdens upon other TrnsSe,
industry and particularly those peculiar to the southern
wise in policy dangerous TO public liberty. aud Perver
SION Of that free constitution Of government which was
framed and adopted for the protection and security Of all
and which will be hest sustained by the equal operation Of
il laws and the just dsPensston Of its benefits to every
"Rs'oirsd, That thi. law not only protective in ii.
o sss uniasy SepT I1 t the south q
the benefits Of that act precisely at the period when they
accrue to and immediately after had patient
aud periodically endured all its burdens; and therefore
IN the name Of honor justice and good si,h the legis
that should be modified 10 place il on the basis
ofrsvenus duties"
xoVsd That our senators in Congress be- and they ara
hereby S'TRuerEp and our representatives. requested to
carry into ehect the principles set forth in the foregoing
RorS That the governor Of this State be required to
forward copy Of these resolution. each
Congress with the reques, that they lay them before the
| senate ofthe United States
Ratified the asth day Of January A. D. lsts
CALVIN GRAVES. H. c.
Louis d. WILSON, s S."
n Are you instructonistsi Behold here is a CON-
plete exculpation of my conduct. The legislature
says that to "resign Is not only the right, but the
"duty" Of senator, who does not prefer to ''obey
their instructions. 1t is not to "obey" without any
other alternative, but 1t is to obey "or resign'-
8 either the Understanding to his own choice
: So he does "or' the other, he is faithful. Will
the honest democracy Of North Carolina, who have
been forgetul of these instructions, perversely ad-
!, here TO error, by which they may have allowed
themselves to PREJUDICE one who has spent the best
part of his life, and out his constitution, as
! have, in unfolding the democratic party in North
Carolina, against political foes without and selfish
{ demagngues within its fold' Will that be honora.
ble or just, or democratic leave your own heart
7 to answer.
] Are you Observation-Disclosures Then remember
that had il no. in my power to sacrifice myself "a
the country, for my vote could not have prspenied
no more than il could have secured, the passage o.
J the tariff act. With or without my vote, the deed
|, would have been done. Remember too, that these
o resolutions were passed by my own party, and the
o legislature who elected me, and my acceptance o.
J, he Office, in the view Of honorable friends
q might have been held to create implied pledg,
h that would "resisn," provided did obey then
instructions and therefore, that independent OF any
!; political 'duty to obey or resign" had come un
J. | Ter personal obligation to do the same thing
Hence, by holding my and resisting. Their,
d might have been some room for censure, but de-
sired to have no such controversy, and my ress
y ance would have done no good to the republic
'' surely all will agree that it was my RICH, to re
e sign.
1t must be confessed that these resolutions did no
u positively instruct the senator's from North Caront
vote for the experimental tariff by that name no
d by any other precise description of 1t. 1t more
than probable the legislature had anticipated III.
Is invention Of such tariff; and sure had not
d But they did instruct the Garry into ct
feet the principles declared in the foregoing resolu
~ ton;" and plausible argument, il not sound one
might be made in favor of the construction that the
o principles" or at least some Of them, would b,
j. carried into effect by the experimental tariff anC
e therefore, if had remained in the Senate to vot,
e against the tariff bill, il might have been alleged
and it would have been charged that had dsobeye,
e the instructions Of the North Carolina Legislature
l. merely for the sake of my office. And what cout
l. have answered. Had J told you that the resoIu
tons obscure, and that therefore had not beer
able to obey, my excuse would have been false one
he for have already shown you that dared not vot
for the thing, had the instructions been sent in TIT
pey,oords Of the act whilst the alternative of resgnns
'f conceded to be both my right and my duty. Hal
e, told you that higher duty imposed upon me thu
II obligation of defeating this new unwise, and sec
tional tariff of 1885, in order to save the republic
D. and the people from those injurious results which
VI according to my judgment, we're almost Unavoidable
n and that therefore | had remained at my post il
tie defiance of instructions, would have been untrue
in my case, for as have already stated kneo the bill
I'd would pass with or without my vote. I was incapable
10 Of resortng to any such false preexts fer my de
y fence As Christian and a gentleman, it my
duty to assume, as the party press at home woult
10 seem to have admitted already that the principles
Of these resolutions be "carried outr by tn
al and MT heing ahIa 10 49,.