Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-08-25

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vlc'ions were loo strong ior lhat-I coufp NOR
d. IT; and nothing remained for me hui IN con.
unue IN my place and vote ogQt,1a my parry
friends, or 10 resign my seat al period when no
other question was likely 10 be affected BIZ il. |
owe II 10 myself 10 state that all those who knew
beforehand OF my intention 10 resign, with one
voice dissnaded me from it, for reasons indicative
OF their confidence and attachment. personal and
political; and after my resignation had been laid
upon the table Of the Vice President. a number
oi mem, Without my knowledge, interposed 10
have It's presentation delayed until could be so.
liciied 10 recall il. But my own opinion never
varied upon that point, although nv de,ermna-
lion occasionally vacaled anterior 10 The 25th
oil July, out oil Difference 10 others, and h0rinc
doac al for TIC perty that an iaRea man could do
iehosc 10 ffs,Sn. And now, afer calm review
OF all The circumstances, do not hesitate 10 de-
clare, that should do precisely The same thing
were u 10 be done over again, and these are nv
reasons:
Democratic Senators, numbering twenty.se-
ven, had agreed 10 voie for The ernerimeniai 10
riff bill; and SO had Mr. Jarnasin, a Whig Sc.
nalor from Tennessee. knew that Mr.. Jarna-
gin expected 10 vote Tor il, for he not only had told
me himself, but | also had reliable information
oil The TACT, that he had given assurances of his
liked determination 10 do So which il was hardly
possible Tor him or any man To violate: and /
had knowledge more than a week before re-
signed that IN case OF tie, the Vice President
meant 10 vote in favor nj it, The result has
proved lhal ! was not mistaken in nv iacls.-
From these facts il may be seen that with nv
vote or without IT, The hil was destined 10 pass
The Senate. Ii had kept my seat. md yoled Tor
the bill, II would have passed by vote Of tuen.
ty-nlne; il had kept my seat and voted ogaina
il, The bill would have passed BY The casing vote
of the Vice President!
But why resign, as my vote aga inst the bill
would not have counted IN the resu3 IL was
not 10 b. expected that should vo.e against nv
party friends without defending my vote A
speech IN the Senate al that lime would have Gre
atet great excitement, and no doubt The same
persons who now complain OF my resisrins
would have denounced NE Tor holding on 10 nv
office merely for the sake of making war upon
nv party. My friends in the Senate, who had
resolved not 10 speak, might have had reason 10
accuse Inc OF selEshnes>, and probably some oil
my reasons, uttered in the warmth OF pubic
speech, might have appeared as much like ar
Taignins others as defending myself In shoi
| deprecated the possibility OF an open rupture
with those loved, but with whom dared not act
and was ever ready 10 sacrifice much more han
place in the Senate 10 avoid il, unless nv duty
10 the country had demanded that risk AT my
hands. Country before party, but parry before
self, has always been my principle OF action
II my self sacrifice did not secure The peace il
was intended 10 prnpi,ia,e out Of the Senate, am
abundanty rewarded by lis effects in The Senate
My firm intention was quietly to resign. and not
10 attack a measure Of the Administration after
il had been passed by nv parry friends, even for
my o2n viniicatloa. ANA that determination
won!d have been kept il The folig or wickcfncss
81 others had not joJfed this explanation from me
in se!l-deience.
I'm lFpO ~ - aT,f1 Va,
seen that, 10 the extent that this was true il was
an act OF pzYtg obedleacc on my part which par
tsan has no right 10 condemn; and all can see
who will see, that il was neither more nor less
than an unseifish ACT of duly upon the facts al.
ready stated. II any one had been inclined 10
question the policy OF the concealment before
hand, the result proved his mistake, since il did
no harm 10 the parry or the bill; and il it had
| turned oul otherwise, the fault would not have
been mine. |, was secret of The party AT mn
hazard, and, instead Of being blamed for il, |
might reasonably pat in claim Tor credit. Hav-
ing once consented not To disclose my hostility 10
The bill, il became point OF personal honor with
~. - nr"dan, ...L- to ,ho, -, h~.l
| cannot be loo cautious IN selecting the politicians
| who are 10 assist him
But resigned without right TO do so, and
without the leave Of my Stale? Is that true o.
Lei US see. Suppose every voter in The Demo-
cratic party had commanded me To vote for the
bill, and YET my own judgment had prevailed, as
| il did, against the joint influence OF my feelings
my individual friendships, and my personal am
bion: is there man who will deny that still
had perfect right 10 resign my station and save
my conscience? Did any one ever before sup
pose that purity had the right To claim dominion
over The man who served them, as well as The
cf'ce they had bestowed over The s0ui, as well
The sGtion Of their agent? Never ne:er.
il up ior mo-
ries. The Legislature HAT elected me passed re-
solutions dtclaratory Of their doctrine They
were passed by The p0riy thai cleced me- Whilst
| the "voiCe oi God in The Soul OF man" demanded
my opposition 10 The experimental tariff, a De-
mocratic Stale Legislature at the utmost only dc.
manded Of me 10 do otherwise "0r Tesign" and fur
| obeying both God and man, as have, are you
called upon 10 denounce me as treacherous. No
man with due sense OF honor and accountable
~ could put himself in position where obedI-
ence 10 the mandates OF others was both impera-
| tive and unavoidable; and nobody would be fit 10
serve the Republic who could Upon any such
terms il would be Infamous 10 serve any parry.
! But the North Carolina resolutions Of them
selves constitute al once my defence and REIN
lation Of the absurd notion that Senators who
| caDDo. obey have no right 10 resign without being
| criminal. They are here
"Resoiuliops NJ lie General assembly Of NMil Ca
"Rcscirsi That the IL gi-latnr- az this State have
right instruct the Senators of this State In Congress
whenever, IN The opinion OF the Legislature they mis-
represent the wishes of the State The magnitude Of
the occason shall require such instructions; and that II
IL the duty of the Senators Ia obey the instructions
gwen. n TO RESIGN THEIR SEATS ProriSed, The In
sructiOns To he given aud 0heyed require not The Sena
tor 10 commit violation of The Constitution, an act
of moral turpltude
s.Reso'red, Tia, while North Carolina in the opinion
OF this Legislature, viii object any amount Of
equally appo toned and imposed for the purpose
of raising revenue 10 support the Government, econoin
caly ADMINISTERED yet th:r State win consent tO
thr imposition of the design and operation Of
which promote the interests OF particular occu
pa"Ds NJ The general srpen--.
Resofrsd Thai the Tariff law passed BY the present
Congress lsi2 is based protective principles, opo.
rating ~ bounty In The manufacturing interests, and
imposing unjust, un' quail and Oppressive burdens upon
other branches Il industry and particularly those pc
cmar u the Southern STAT and tlat such being The
effects az this law IL Gnw in policy, dangerous Ia
public liberty and perversion Of thai fire. constitution
OF Government wbch was framed and adopted for this
protection aGd security Of ALL and which will be best
sustained by The equal operation of its laws and The
Just dlspensation Of It's benefits 10 every American Gill
zen.
"Resoired That this law is only protective in Its
acer, and unequal in It's operation tut that II yio
la;es the compromise Of 1883 unjusty depriviDg the
South OF the benefits of that act precisely al the period
when they were to accrne In and 1mecia'ey after
we had patiently and pariotcaily endured all iis bur
dens; and, therefore in The Of honor justice and
good faith the Legislature of Moth Carolina do protest
against this law and insist that 1t should be modified
so n place il the basis Of revenue duties"
"hesoired, That cur Senator'S in Congress he. and
they hereby insrrrcrED, and our Representatives
requested carry effect the principles set forth IN
the foregoing resolutions
"Resoired That the Governor OF this State be re
CURED To forward copy of these resolutions TO each Of
our Senator'S In Congress with the request thai they lay
| them before the Senate Of the United States.
"Rnlifrd the 26ih day Of January A. y. ls43
"CALVlN GRAVES, 8. n. c.
"LOUIS ID. WILSON, 8. g."
| Are YOU inslruclioniss2 Behold here Is a
complete eIcuIpation of my conduct. The Le-
sisla.ure says that 10 "resisn" is not only the
| right, but the "duty" OF Senator who does not
prefer 10 "obey" their instructions. IL is not 10
'ohey" without any other alternative, but it is 10
! obey Hor resgn"-cIlher one or The olheI-ac-
cordiog 10 his own choice. So he does one "or''
the other, be is faithful. Will The homes Democ-
/ ,acY OF North Carolina who have been tossettul
Of these instructions, perversely adhere 10 an er
Tor, by which they may have allowed themselves
| TO PREJUDICE who has spent The bes, part ofhs
| life and worn out his constitution as have, in
UNFOLDING the Democratic party in North Carroll