Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-05-22
Identity Of South Carolina Nullifica-
ton and Disunionism.

volume Vi COl. bentonIs tGlrty 1ear:
View," shows that So nth Carolina Nullifca
,, ton and South Carolina Disun ion are frui.
Of the same tree:
"The observing reader, who may hav
looked over the two volumes of this View
in noting the progress of the Slavery agita
: ton, and its alleged causes for disun:on
) must have been struck with the celerit
with which these causes, each in its turn, a
soon as removed, has been succeeded BY
another, o! a different kind; u2til at las
they terminate in q cause which ignore.
them all, and find new reason for disunior
in the Constitution itself! in that Coastitu
ton, the protection of which had been in
voked as sufficient, during the whole periot
of the alleged 'aggressions and encroach
ments.'
"In 1915, when the first agitation mani
and invocation to unity and concert of &C.
ton, came forth in the Charleston Mercury
entitled "The Crisis" the cause of dsunioI
was then in the abolition societies estab-
lished in some of the Free States land which
they were required to suppress. Then camt
the abolition petitions presented in Congress
then the mail transmission of incen-
diary publications; then the abolition o.
slavery in the District of Columbia; then
the abolition of the slave trade between the
States, then the exclusion of slavery from
Oregon, then the Wilmot Proviso; then the
! &C. N.I. al,
ZION.
"Each o: these in its day, was cause of
dsunion to be effected through the irstru-
menta lity of Southern convention, forming
a subconfederacy, in fragrant violation of the
Constitution, and effeciing the dsunion by
establishing commercial non-interc curse
with the Free States. After twenty years
agitation upon these points, they are all
given up. The Constitution and the Union
were found to be mistake from the begin
ning-an error in their origin, and an i'm
possibility in their future existence and to
be amended into another impossibilty, or
broken up at once.
"The regular Inauguration of this slavery
ag itation dates from the year 1885; but it
| had commencement two years before, and in
| this way: nulic alton and disunion had COM
commenced in 1880 upon complaint against
protective tariff. That being put down in
1888 under President Jackson's proclama.
ton and energetic measures, was immediate
ly substituted by the slIverv agitation. Mr.
Calhoun, when he went home from Congress
in the spring of that year, told his friends,
that the South could never be united against
the North on the tariff question; that the
sugar interest of Louisiana would keep her
out; and that the basis of Southern union
mus: be siifled to the slave question.
''T'h' n 6fi the papers in his fute-esr, ard
especially the one at Washington, published
by Mr.. Duff Green, dropped tariff agitatons
and commenced upon slavery; and, in two
years, had the slavery agitation ripe for in
auguration on the slavery question. And,
in tracing this agitation to its present stage,
and to comprehend its rationale, it is not
to be forgotten that it is mere continu~ ton
of old tariff disunion; and preferred because
more available.
"In June. 1888, at the first transfer of
Southern agitation from tariff to slavery, Mr..
Madison wrote TO Mr.. Clay.
"slt is painful to see the unceasing efforts
to alarm the South by imputations against
the North, of unconstitutional designs on the
subject of slavery. You are right, have no
doubt, in believing that no such intermed-
ding disposition exists in the body of our
Northern brethren. Their good faith is suf-
ticiently guaranteed by the interests they
have as merchants, as ship owners, and az
manu- facturers, in preserving a union with
the slaveholding States. On the other hand,
what madness in the South to look for greater
safety in disunion. II would be worse than
jumping Tito the FIRE for fear of the frying
pan. The danger from the alarms is, that
pride and resentment excited by them may
be an overmatch for the dictates of prudence
and favor the project of South' m Conven-
ton, insidiously revived, as promising by its
couns' Is the best security against grievances
of every kind from the North"
Qualification, secession and d;sunion
were considered by MIR. Madison as synony-
m JUS terms, dangerous to the Union as fire
to powder, and the danger increasing in all
the Sou hern States, even Virginia herself,
and read in the GaZettes, and in the pro-
ceedings of popular meetings, the figure
which the anarchical principle now makes in
contrast with the scouting reception given
to it but short time ago. Mr.. Ma iison solac-
ed himself with the brief reply that this hear
say would not reach majority ofthe States;
but he had his misgivings, and wrote them
down in the same paper, entitle, 'Memoran-
dunn on nullfication,' written in his last |
days and published after his death. 'But a
susceptibility of the contagious in the
Southern States is visible, and the danger |
not to be concealed, that the sympathy ari-
sing from known causes, and the incalcula-
Bile impression of permanent incompati-
blity of interests between the North and
South may put in the power OF popular
leaders, aspiring to the highest stations, to
unite the South on some critical oc, aston, in |
a course that will end in creating a theatre |
great though inferior in extent In pursuing
this course, the first and most obvious step
is uullification-the next becession-and The |
last, farewell separation. How near has
this course beer lately exemplifed and the
danger oil its recurrence, in the same or some
other quarter, may be increased by an in
crease of restless aspirants, and by the in
creasing impractibility of retaining in the
Union a large and discon 'ented section
against its will.
$50 wrote Mr.. Madison in the year 1886,
in. the S6th year of Lis age, and the last of
his life. He wrote with the pen of inspira-
ton, and the heart of patriot, and with
soul that filled the Union, and could not be
imprisoned in one half of it. He was a
Southern man! but his Southern home could
not bind b is mental vision to the origin, de-
sign and consequences OF the slavery agita-
ton. He gives to that agitation Southern
origin-to that and disastrous consequences
both to the South and the North
"Mr. Calhoun is dead. Peace to his
names. But he has left his dicciples who do
not admit of peace! who crush 'in'' where