New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-06


country of which his prophetic words had already
given solemn warning
few restless and discOntented spirits in the South
had indeed agitated the subject Of Free-Trade "a
against protected manufactures early 1897, and
hand in hand with it the doctrine OF States RIghts
Aud Jefferson himself although, as we have already
SEEN attached to the American system of Protection
and believing in its constitutionaity, unwittingy
played into the hands of these Ere Traders by draw
ing up the famous Kentucky Resolutions of 1913 touch
ing States Rights. which were closely followed by tns
Virginia Resolutions of 1897 In the vein BY
Madison, also out-and-out Proteetonist. 1t was
mainly in condemnation OF the Alien and SeditiOn
Laws then unpopular everywhere, that these reso-
lutions professedly Illuminated, hut they gave to
the agitatiDg Free Traders states Rights Secession
weapon Of which they quickly availed themselves.
The doctrine of States Rights formulated in these
resolutions including the assumed right OF State to
nullify laws Of the General Government naturally led
up as shall see, not only to threats of disuniOn bat
ultimately to dread full sectional waved in the
effort to secure it, That jefferson, when he penned
them foresaw the terrible results to flow from these
aud pernicous doctrines is not to be supposed
for instant; but that his conscience troubled him
NAV be fairly erred from the fact that he withheld
n ON the world for twenty years afterward the knovl
edge that he was their author Ii probable that in
this case in Others he was victim OF that easuistry
which teaches that the end justities the means y:
that he hoped and believed that the assertion of these
baleful doctrines would act solely as check upon aoy
tendency to further Capitalization of power the gen.
eral Goyernmeut and that strict construction az
the Constitution whoh-thou2h afterward violated by
himself at the time that be for the moment threw
aside his scPuplss touching African slavery when he
added to domain the great French Slayery Colony
of LOusiana-was none the less the great aim of his
commanding intellect; that he cautiously believed in
the saving sense" OF his race and country
caps BILE of correcting existing evil when it shall
have developed into i'll effects
Mr. Jefferson takes this very ground, IN almost ths
same words in his letter, 1903 to Wilson e. Nichols
ia the Louisiana Colony purchase ease, when, after
proving by his own strict construction OF the Constitu
ton that there was power in that instrument 60
make such purchase anc conessng the Importance in
that very case OF setting ian example against road
construction he concludes IT, however our friends
II al
satisfaction; cOnfding that the good sense OF the
country will correct the evil Ct construction when il
st all produce ill effects"
IL was the passage of the Tariff Of 1924 that gave
these crafty FIee-Traders their first great success ia
spreading their doctrine of by coupling il
with questions of slave labor States rights, and Dnll
6cation, as laid down IN the Kentucky and virginia
resolutions These arguments created great excite
ment throughout the SOuth-esPeciay 10 South Caro-
Ina and GeOrga-whieh still fur her Increased by
the passage of the Tariff of 1873 snce declared by
eminent authority Mr. Greeley, la his History OF the
American Conflict ITO have been the highest and
most protective adopted in this country" Prior
to the passage of this Tarif Act excited assembses
met in of the Southern States and protested
against outrage upon their nights, arrayllg tho
South in sedtious and reasonabe attitudes against not
oDly the North but the Union with threats OF secession
At one of these meetings in South Carolina In 1877,
one of their leaders declared that druied and man.
aoed majority in the House of Representatives had
determined at all hazards to support the elams OF
Northern manufacturers and to offer up the plant
ing interest on the altar Of monopoly"
Tte.e infnmmatory utterances in South Carolina
especially stirred the Southern heart more or less
throng the whole cotton belt and the pernicous
principles which they embodied found ardent sdvo-
Gates in the halls of Congress- In the Senate mr.
Hayne of South Carolina. their chief and most
| vehement spoke sman, and in 1880 occurred mat
| memorable debate bel him and Daniel Webster,
which forever put end to all reasonable lustlhcaon
of the doerlne oil huliaestlon. ana Tnlcn iSrnsned
denouneing and crushing 1t o1t with the strong
| arm of the Government.
Ths Tariff Act of 1892 essentially modifying that Of
!
| southern clam0r.
But the Southern cotton States refused to be moi.
fed on the contrary the Free Traders OF SOOth Caro-
lima proceeded to extreme measures. putting III action
that which they had before but threatened On Noyem
J Der 10 1852 the leading men OF South Carolina met
in convention and few days thereafter. Nov ember
"a 1892, unanimously passed an ordinance OF nuillf
c,tio1 which declared the Tariff Acts Of ISIS and
1882 unauthorized by the COnstitr tIon," and null
void and no law nor binding this state. its odcers
4 or citizens" The people OF the STATE were forbidden
by il to paw after the ensuing February the import
duties therein imposed under the provisions of the Or-
nance the State Legislature was to pass an act ny
inc tne,t tarH laws, aud any appeal to the Jnited
sites supreme Court against the validity OF such nut
living prohibited. Furthermore, IN the event
of the Federal Government attempting 10 enforce these
tariff laws the people OF south Carolina would thence
forth consider themselves of the Union. and viii
forthwith proceed 10 organize a separate Government.
and do all other acts and things which sovereign and
! independent states may of II hit do.'
At the subsequent meeting Of the Legislature, Mr..
Haync, who had been a member OF the convention,
having resigned his seat in the United States Senate.
was elected Governor of the State. he declared IN bis
ne,,tpp that he recognized allies para
mount To that whic the citizeUs of S"un Carolina
to the state Of their birth their adoption the doc
trae of paramount all giance TO the state which in
after years gave 20 much trouble to the Union and to
Inion-l loving SoutheueIs-dnd dec!a Il that he held
hur self bound 10y the highest Of all obi cations 70
eaiIy into effect only the ordinance OF the
ion but every act of the legislature and every udg
ment of our own courts. the enforcement OF which
may deyOl,e upon the Executive, aud IT, continued
he the sacred sell OF Carolina should be polluted by
tle iOl b
blood O her citizens. shea Ia her defence trust IN
amss CIe for Sge %bsrV
by her enemies that there will not be found in the
wide limits of the State, one recreant son who will not
Nv TO the rescue and be ready 10 lay down his life in
her defence In support OF the contemplated treason,
he even the length OF Hing for an enrolling OF
volunteer forces and to hold thu u ready TOR service
Rat while South Carolina stood this reasonable and
defiant attitude armng tor war against the Union,
there happened to be iii the Presidential chair OF
her own sOns-Geueral Jackson. Eoreseeing what
was coming he ha1. prior TO the citing OF the
vention that framed the NullIhcatiOn ordinance,
ordered General Scott Charleston 10 look after To-
safety the ports of the United States thereabOuts
and had sent to the Collector of that port precise in.
strucons to his duty TO resist in all ways any and
all attempts under such ordinance to defeat tho
operation of the tarid laws aforesaid Having thus
quietly prepared the arm o the general GoNernmeut
for rhe OF its power he issued in December
proclamation declaring his unalterabe resolution 10
treat notification treason, and 10 crush it, .
The firm attitude of General jackson, together vita
the wise precautionary measures he had already tasen
and the practical unanmiy with Nhich his declaration
crush out the treason was baIled IN most OF the
southern well the Northern States almost at once
broke the back of nulhication. The nullihers hailed
with pretended satisfaction the report from the House
Committee oniWays and Means of . bill making great
! reductions aud eQuaZatOns of tariff du ie- a
! uro complying with their demands and pos pohed the
execution the ordinance of Modification until the adj
lOunmeut OF Ongress aud almost immediately alter
ward Mr. Cay's compromise Tarif-Act of 1885
whereby one-enth of the excess 20 per cent Of
each aud every existing mpost to be taken OF At
the close OF that year. another tenth two years there
after; so proceeding until the Both OF June, 1872
when all duties should be reduced maximum OF ~
per agreed to by Calhoun and other nulliters
was passed, became law without the signature Of
President jackson, south Carolina more DO
came, to all appearances, u con;ented aw-abidins
State of the Union.
But after events proved cOnclusiyely that the enact
mcnt CT this compromise tariff a terrible blunder