The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-12-06

possibility. Can men in their senses bs
SO blinded by their resentment at wha
they deem an untoward result of the cleo
ton of President under the forms of the
Constitution, as to peril all they now pos
sess by revolutionary war for what they
are pleased to call Southern iudepend
enoe! States with servile population
equal, or nearly equal, in numbers, tc
the ruling class, ought to be, and doubt
less will be, guided by more prudent
councils. They do not, they cannot
mean to do what they threaten to do;
but they intend, By continual menaces, tc
extort, if possible. some concessions from
Northern fears.
Threats during an exciting canvass fol-
a Presidential election have been unvail-
ing to prevent the election of Dir. Lincoln,
and if the President elect is the man bis
friends believe him to be. threats during
his Ad ministration will be of as little a.
vail. All the rights of the people of each
and every State in the Union will. it is
hoped and believed, be duly guarded aud
sebured, the laws duly executed, and the
Constitution preserved, protected, and de-
Tended.
Threats of Southern governors, legisla-
tors, and politicians, to tax the produc-
ton of Northern States, indicate the i'm
potence of the men who make them, and
their ignorance of the Constitution.
"No tax or duty shall be laid on arti-
cles exported from any State. Conn.
u. S. Art z. Sec. 9. CT 5.
Thus, it is seen that the South has no
more power to lay duties on Northern
productions, than the North has to tax
cotton, rice or tobacco.
Again, they threaten to break up our
system Of finance to compel Us to buy
of them for ready money, and to sell TO
them on credit. The former they can do
with advantage to both parties. The lat
ter will require our consent as well as
theirs. Let them adhere to their present
plan of cxacting gold for their cotton,
and drawing from Us their present balan
oes in gold. They will thereby benefit
us in two ways. First, BY reducing the
prices of their exports, and secondly, by
reducing the volume of our inflated cur
renoy, give our manufactures and other
exports a more substantial protection
than all the tariffs. high and low, that
Congress ever enacted. 1t is much to be
desired that the South will adhere to this
improved financial course of action. and
derive from it equal profit with the
North.
With all their boasted State Rights
and State Sovereignty, the Southern
States have no power to regulate COM
merce. They must submit to suoh com
mercial regulations as Congress, under
the Constitution. have made, and may
hereafter prescribe. In the Convention
of 1887, Gen. Charlea Cotesworth Pinck
ney of South Carolina said:
ut was the true interest of the South
erD States TO have DO regulation of CON-
merce; but considering the loss brought
on the Eastern States By the Revolution,
their liberal conduct toward the views of
South Carolina, and the interest of the
aceak Southern States had in being united
with the strong Eastern States, be though BIT
it proper that no letters should be impos-
ed on the power of making commercial
regulations. and that his constituents,
though prejudiced against the Eastern
States, would be reconciled to this liber-
ality. He had himself, be said, preju-
dices against the Eastern States before
he came here, but be would acknowledge
that be bad found them ss liberal and
candid as any men whatever"
Madison Pap. l45l.
Mr. Charles Pinckney. one OF the COL
leagues Of Gen. p, had moved that the
assent of two thirds of the members Of
each House should be required to pass
commercial regulations, and this speech
of the Gen. was the first response to that
motion.
After full debates, the motion of Mr..
G. Pinckney was negatived, and the ma
jority principle unanimously agreed to,
as advocated by Gen. G. G. Pinckney.
1t would be an act of madness, of po-
litical suicide for the aceaE Southern
States to secede from the strong Eastern
States. Relatively, the former are now
weaker, aud the latter stronger, than they
were at the time of the adoption OF tho
Constitution. Beside. the Western States.
not then in existence, are now stronger
than either In vain will the truant Sc
ceders of South Carolina and Georgia
look to Louisiana and other States Dor
dering on the Mississippi, for alliance,
aid or comfort in reasonable secession.
In vain will they seek to shut up or con-
troll the mouths of the Father OF Waters.
His young and vigorous children of the
mighty West would come down in al av-
alaDche. upon the slightest attempt to tax
their trade. or interrupt their intercourse
with the com mnercial world through that
channel. and shatter aSd scatter to the
winds all opposition.
mo State shall coin money; emit bills
of credit; make anything but gold and
silver coin a tender in payment OF debts,
&c. Con. U. S. Art. /. Sec. 10.
Aro tba socadar IGNORANT OF this vital