The southern press., 1851-04-03


f caused him to take decided stand against Mr..
, Adams's administration, and in favor of the
! election Of Gen. Jackson. He was the acknow-
lodged head Of that wing of the republican
party by title undenable was the posi-
ton of Gen. Jackson as its candidate. His
splendid administration of the War Department
had exhibited him possessed of the highest
order of administrative ability while in genius
and intellect and parliamentary experience and
skill there were none in the party Of Gen. Jack
son to take rank with him. All looked to him AS
the successor to that popular man. Events
were rapidly developing the decided ascendancy
of the supporters of Gen. Jackson. Mr.. Cal
houns great corhpecrs in the republican ranks
were not in the way ofhis elevation. Mr. Clay and
Mr.. Webster were attached to The fortunes q,
Mr.. Adams, while the intellect of Mr.. Crawford
had been darkcned in the very MONDAY Of his
political life.
| In his place ms Vice President, he had none Of
the responsibilities Of the measures Of Con-
gress resting upon him. He had but to be 81
lent--to observe n mastery inactiyity-to close
his eyes to the wrong done the Constitution
and to the South--to stop his ears to the cry of
just indignation and remonstrance which came
up from every Southern State--t0 have contin-
ued to float upon the great popular tide which
at the next election waited Gen. Jackson and
himself into the highest places in the govern
ment and gave to them majority in Congress.
1t is a very popular error that Mr. Calhoun
did not take position on this question until the
relations between Gen. Jackson and himself had
become unfrendly.
| AS has been before remarked, Mr.. Calhoun
wrote the celebrated exposition and protest Of
South Carolina on the tariff, and it was adopt
ed by the same legislature that voted for Gen.
Jackson.
t was not indeed, till near two years after
i Mr. Calhoun had openly avowed his belief that
State interposition could alone prove cffectua to
put an end to the consolidating tendencies Of
the administration, that unfortunately for the
country these two great men were placed in a
hostile attitude to each other.
The proof was ample at the time the charge
was first made against Mr. Calhoun. Subse-
quent events have demonstrated, however, be-
yond cavil, how eminently capable the great Car
Gilman was of rising above all personalities, in
view of the duties he owed to his country. The
position then of Mr.. Calhoun was well eacu
lated to blind him to the path of duty lie stood
on the very pinnacle of popular esteem-second
to none in genius skill in the art of government,
or in devotion to his country. Why, sirs, when
first he appealed to the great conservative prn-
cipes embodied in the Virginia and Kentucky
resolutions against the wrong done his State,
and the constitution by Congress,
"TIe might have stood against world"
lie had but TO give way to the current which
was sweeping the ship of State upon the shoals
of consolidation, and which none were found
wise enough or bold enough to resist--he had
but to be silent, as was suggested to him, to
share largely Of the power thus torn from the
States. Ambtion--every personal considera-
ton, indeed, invited him TO pursue the even
tenor of his way-but truth, justice and the Con-
stitution beckoned him along that higher and
more rugged steep, where the voice of duty per-
formed alone could cheer him. And though
he has trod the ilinty path firmly and chcerfuy,
and has finally fulfilled Mr. Grosvepor's predic-
ton and reached "a high and happy elevation in
view Of his country and the world" it has en-
phaticay been at the sacrifice of every personal
Observation-Disclosures of ease, of quiet, Of
{ friendship, or of hope of personal preferment.
And what task was this which disappointed
and unhallowed ambition sought to effect! Was
it an assumption of power! On the contrary,
he threw himself hopeless of aid from any quar-
I ter save his own State, in the path of the most
: powerful administration which ever swayed the
destnes of this country Did he expect aid from
! the. opposition? No!-for his course and aim
, was to check and put an end to that system of
! legislation which had commenced under their
?
the great monied interests which constituted that
party still clamored.
Upon what, then, did he rely for support p
Upon great political truth. Though nowhere
but in South Carolina did those great constitu
tional truths find reverence, which Virginia an
nounced in 1898, and Kentucky proclaimed in
! l799-whch took snch powerful hold on the
popular heart as to build mp the great Jefferson
party in their advocacy-though that party had
forgotten the very author of one set of these
resolutions, and was gradually falling back upon
the principles which caused the overthrow of
federalism in 1S00--though when these doctrines
Of the early days of the republic were exhumed,
as it were, from the rubbish which Congress
sigonal and Executive usurpation had thrown
upon them, they were derided as the distractions
of metaphysical brain -a and as partaking
largely Of treason, Mr.. Calhoun unhesitatingly
announced them to be the remedy for the evils
under which the coun ry groaned and unappall-
ed by threats-undeterre by oppostion--un-
awed by the array of every party and every
department of government and every other State
| i'm the Union, save South Carolina, against his
course he had that day taken his seat in the
Senate to advocate them as rghtful, and to lend
every energy of his soul TO the Herculean task
of reforming the abuses of the government and
of bringing its administration back to the track
of simple duties indicated by the Constitution,
There he stood stript for this high purpose, of
every thing calculated in the least to interfere
with a rigid and eiiectua performance of his
duty He had cut himself loose from all party
ties-had cast to the winds every aspiration af
ter political preferment--had stopped his ears
to the voice of calumny, the threats of power,
or the nsiduous whsperings of fattery, and Of
re"engc-and, never for an instatant diverted
from his noble purpose, has marched on, and on
ward till not only the tariff act of lS28 was re-
pealed, but the great principle of protection to
any particular industry of the country, by dis
eliminating system Of taxes, has been perma-
nently deieated-and The government has been
freed from all connexion with the banking insti-
tutions Of the country--and that great measure
of "deliverance and liberty" as it has some
times been enthusiastically called, the indepen-
dent treasury, has been adopted for the safe
keeping and disbursement of the public rev.