Year: 1861

administrative prudence to advise sus-
pension Of so much of the act of March
9, 1799, "for the collection of duties on
imports and tonnage" as makes George
town, Charleston, and Beaufort, in South
Carolina, ports of entry. The repeal or
suspension Of the thirteenth and other
sections of this act, so far as it relates to
South Carolina, would have for its effect
to relieve the President from the duty OF
collecting the revenues in those ports,
and would, at the same time, relieve
South Carolina from what she regards as
the odious domination of Federal laws.
The legal effect Of such course on the
part Of the Federal government would
be that, if any foreign vessels should
thereafter enter or attempt to enter these
ports with dutablc goods she wonld be
subject to seizure by onr revenue cutters,
and forfeiture under our laws. And it
the effect of such liability should be to
place South Carolina, with regard to
foreign nations, in state of commercial
isolation, it would be nothing more than
the natural and inevitable consequences
Of the position she has assumed in the
eve and under the public law OF the CIV
ilized world. 1t could not be properly
constructed into an act OF hostility on
the part of the Federal Government,
which cannot reasonably be expected to
allow to South Carolina all the conven!
fences Of our laws, while she refuses to
acknowledges the authority from which
Al al
people of that State if they do not now
resent the necessity under Which they are
placed to respect Professionally the postal
and revenue lave of hateful Govern
ment. AS it appears, however, that the
Postmaster of Charleston, in reply to a
letter from the Postmaster General, states
that he still considers himself as holding
his Office under the Government of the
United States, aud will account to the
| United States for all moneys coming into
| his hands as Postmaster, it may be held
that the same considerations of public dig


nity do not call for repeal or suspension
of the postal service in Sonth Carolina.
70 withhold from her people the benefit
of the Federal laws which she acllnow-
edges, might seem like an attempt to
punish her for Theoretical oontumsoy, and
! the United States can well afford, in be-
inc Just to themselves, to be generous to
disallectcd Commonwealth, which has
already sufficiently punished herself in
pursuit Of al ideal independence.


If the movement in South Carolina
should spread to other Southern States,
and if they, in like manner, should pass
ordinances Of secession, the lapse OF Fed
eral authority might be retrieved in each,
and in the same way. Then, when the
"secession fever" has run its course in the
case of each infected State, it might De
hoped that returning spbriety and calm
ness at the South would be met by ialr
and frank dealing on the part of the
Northern people. In the mean time, the
suspension of the Federal laws would al
ford slight foretaste of the disadvan-
tages and perils consequent on o perm
anent separation of these States, and II
the latter condition should still DO pre-
ferred to a restoration of public tranquil
itv and civil union, Convention of all
the States might ultimately be called to
recognise, by q constitutional arrange


mcut. the Independence Of the seceding


members 1f Tho Goniedpracy. Without


such assent on the part OF the Federal


Government, representing all the States


Il is apparent that no State can absolvC


herself from the obligations incurred un
der the present Constitution.