The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1861-07-25


his own state; and as the subject is o! vi
tsl importance to the whole nation ct this
time, may ask of you the favor to pre-
sent that part of it sgain to the public
R. W. W.
"Fsl2Olc .CitieeaS Of my nattce StGte..-
Let me not Only admonish yon, As the
first magistrate of our common country,
not to incur the penalty OF its laws, but
nse the influence that a father woRld over
his children whom he saS rushing to
certain ruin IL that patoTnal language,
with that pateFnal feeling, let &c tell 7ou,
my countrymeu, TINT you are aeluded hy
men Who are either deceived themselves
or wish to deceire you. Mark uodor
what rreteucas you have been led OF to
The brink Of insurrcc ton and treason on
which you stand First, diminution o!
tho value Of our staple commodity, low
cred by oyer-productjon IN other quar-
ters and the consequent djmiuutlon IN
the value Of Yonr lands, were the sole ef-
feet Of the tariff laws. The effect Of
,bose laws was confessedly injurious, but
the evil vas greatly exaggerated b the
unfouuded theory you were taught TO be-
lieye, that its burdens we're IN proportion
to your exports, not to Jour consumption
of imported articles Your pride was
reused by the assertions that sutmis-
sion to these laws was a state OF Vassaage,
and that resistance to them was equal, in
patriotic merit, to the opposition our faith
ers offered to the oppressive laws OF
Great Britain You were told that this
opposition isht be pescesbl y-m might be
coustitutioDsllY Gade-that you might
enjoy all tie advantages of the Union
and none Of its burdens. Eloquent ap-
peals to your passions, to Jour state
pride, to your native courage, to your
sense Of real injury, were u-ed to prepare
you FOR the period wbeU the mask which
concealed the hideous features Of Di.u-
Mon should be taken of. 1t fell, and
Won we're made to look with comp!acency
on objects which not long since you would
have regarded With horror. Look back
to the acts which have brought you to
this state-look forward to the consc
ouences to which it must inevitably lead!
look back t. what was FIRST told you as
an iniucement to enter ip,o this danger
Gus course. The great political truth
was repeated to you that you had the rev.
olutionary right of resisting all laws that
we're pal; ;ably unconstitutional and intol-
ably oppressive. 1t was added that the
right TO puIlify la9 rested on the same
principle, but that it was a pcaceable
remedy! This character which vas Civ
eu TO it, made you receive With too much
confidence the assertions that we're Eade
or the uncoustitutionality of the lay, and
is oppressive effects Mark, n9 fel|or.
citizens, that By the air,ission CT yocr
leaders the uucoDstitutionality mu>. oa
qa1pa5le, or it will MT justify eithcr resis-
tance or nullifcaiioDl What IS The most-
ing Of the word palpable in the sense II
which it is here usedl-that which Is ap.
parent to every oDe, that which nc ran
of ordinary intellect will fail to perceife
l. the unconstitutionality OF these laws
of that description! Let those among
your leaders who once approved and ad
vocated the principles of protective du
ties, answer the question; aud let them
choose whether they will be considered
as incspsble, then, of peroeiVlDg thai
which must have teen apparent to every
man Of common understanding. or as i'm
posing upon our confidence and endeaV
oring to uislead you now. In either
case. they are unsafe guides 10 the peril
Gus path they urge you to tread. Pom
der we'll on this circumstance, and yo'
will know how to appreciate the exaggre
ated language they address to you
They are not champions of liberty emu
letting the fame of our revolutionary fsth
ers, nor are you an oppressed people
couteuding, as they repeat to you, agaIns
worse than colonial vassalage. You ar
free members of Hourishing and haPp.
Union. There is no settled design TO op
press you. You have. indeed, felt tb
unequal operation of laws which haV
been uuwisely. not unconstitutionaIly
passed; but th at inequality must necessari
ly be removed. At the very momeD
when you we're madly urged ou to tn
unfortunate course you have begun.
change iu public opinion has commenced
The nearly approaching payment oil tn
public debt, and the consequent necessit
Of a diminutioD of duties, had airead
caused a considerable red ductioD, and tba
too, on some articles of general consumI
ton in your state. The Importance {
this change was underrated; and 20
we're suthoritstigely told that no furthe
slleviatiop of your burdens was to be e1
pected, ct the very time when the oond
ton of the country imperiously demand