Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 9.djvu/66

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I THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS spectively espouse them; and both sides usually ! ^ grow clearer as the controversy advances. South

  • ^- Carolina sees unconstitutionality in the tariff;

<- she sees oppression there also, and she sees dan-

  • ^ ger. Pennsylvania, with a vision not less sharp,

X looks at the same tariff, and sees no such thing in it; she sees it all constitutional, all useful, V. all safe. The faith of South Carolina is strengthened by opposition, and she now not ' .. only sees, but resolves, that the tariff is palpably unconstitutional, oppressive, and dangerous ; but r-^-'Pennsylvania, not to be behind her neighbors, "N^nd equally willing to strengthen her own faith ^ By a confident asseveration, resolves, also, and ^ gives to every warm affirmative of South Caro- t lina, a plain, downright, Pennsylvania negative. 4 South Carolina, to show the strength and unity '^ of her opinion, brings her assembly to a una- nimity, within seven voices ; Pennsylvania, not to be outdone in this respect any more than in others, reduces her dissentient fraction to a single vote. Now, sir, again I ask the gentleman, What is to be done? Are these States both right? Is he bound to consider them both right? If not, which is in the wrong ? or rather, which has the best right to decide? And if he, and if I, are not to know what the Constitution means, and what it is, till those two State legislatures, and the twenty-two others, shall agree in its construction, what have we sworn to when we have sworn to maintain it? I was forcibly 56