Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-02-14

of sovereignties, among the nations Of the
earth.
Sir, deal in no harsh epithets. Twill
denounce no State, no body of men.
will not pause to inquire whether they
have done all this legally, or wisely, or
upon sufficient cause. They have done it.;
and / recognize the fact. They have
done it, with a uanimity Of sentiment,
with coincidence Of opinion among their
people, which is without parallel in the
history of revolutions; and the simple
whether, throughout the limits of those
States, which thus formally, thus order
y, thus. by the enactments of representa-
tive bodies Of highest capacity known to
the civilized nations-conventions duly
authorized and properly elected, to CON
slider this very queston-have declared
themselves independent of us, we are pre-
pared by force of arms to maintain our
supremacy and enforce our laws?
Gentlemen will remember that when
my colleague introduced this bill two
weeks ago, it applied to single State;
to- day, sir, four States stand in the same
category. To-day, even while / am
speaking, Georgia is voting upon this
very question. And unless the signs of
the times very much deceive us, within
three weeks three other States will be
added to the number.
know that gentlemen insist upon in
augurating course of legislation, look
ing to coercion by force of arms, of which
this is the forerunner, for various con-
siderations. They tell us-and my col
league, Mr.. BINGHAM, will tell us--per-
haps he has already told us--that they
must enforce the laws; that they must
collect the revenue; that they must main
tain the Constitution. Sir, these ends
are very desirable to be attained | will
aid in any measures likely to accomplish
them. | will vote for any system of
legislation which will effect them. But,
in my Judgment, the system of which this
bill is the harbinger will utterly fail.
Gentlemen tell us, they must collect the
revenue. | find by a report which have
here, from the Register of the Treasury,
that the net revenue collected in the ports
Of South Carolina--all of them--drring
the year 1859, was 1924 237; the net
revenue for the next year, 1860, was
$309, 222--less than an average of 1915
600 year. Now, the expense of sead-
ing your floating custom house to Char
lesion harbor, and of maintaining there
the armament necessary to perform the
duties prescribed by this bill. for one
month, ay, sir, for one week, will exceed
the whole revenue for one year. If, in
these times of disaster and civil commo-
ton. the revenues do not fall below the
sum which -v.e y.ere abls to collect in
times of security and peace, even then the
pecuniary speculation would hardly be
worthy of the worldwide reputation of
our New England brethren. But, sir,
you will not collect one dollar of revenue
not one dollar. How many ships will
go into the port of Charleston, if, at the
mouth of the barbor, vessel ofthe United
States compels them to pay duties, and
before they reach their moorings they are
met by State laws, to be executed by
State officers, demanding, upon the pen
atty of seizure and confscation, the pay
ment of the same rate of duties again to
them? Not vessel will go into the port
And It private persons were willing to
take their chances. how long would for
eign nations submit to it, that you, by
armed vessels, should collect your Gus
toms at the mouth of the harbor, when
your receipt is not good on the shore?-
How long, unless you secure to them the
consideration upon which alone customs
are paid that the importer shall have free
ingress and the right to sell upon the
land. Your pretended system of col
Letting the revenue, will be only block
ade; it will be an act Of war; it will i'm
pose restraints upon ira le, not by open
and declared war, but by pretended
police regulation, to which other nations
have not submitted. and to which they
will not now submit.
When Mexico revolted from Spain, and
under the pretense Of collecting revenue
her ports were closed, the nations inter-
ested in that trade protested against it,
and treated the blockade as of no validity
whatever. When Texas revolted from
Mexico, and under the operation of a
system for collecting revenue, an attempt
was made to cut off all the trade OF her
ports, the United States, with other ma
tons, resisted it, upon the well-establsh-
ed ground that in this age of the world,
be'ligerent rights, however well ascertain
| ed, must be exercised in subordination to
the superior equity Of the rights of neut-
rails. You will not collect dollar of
revenue by this system; nor have you the
excuse for passing this bill, that unless
you do so, Charleston will become free
port, and the trade of New York, Balti-
more, and New Orleans will be thereby
injured. The port of Charleston is now
subject to revenue laws imposing the same
duties as are imposed by the laws of the
United States; and there is no reason to
believe that further importations will be
made there, than are necessary for the
city itself and the ad accent country.
But, gentlemen tell us that they must
enforce the laws. | have shown that
they cannot enforce the revenue laws
Y, hat other laws do they propose to en-
force? Do they propose to carry the
mails through the State of South Caro-
lima, or any other seeding State? No,
sir; they are willing to suspend those
laws, although it may be as necessary 20
the people OF the country, to have free
postal communication with the interior
of the seeding States as to collect a few
h,, J,ol ar n fnu, III boucopJ dollars al thair