were widely quoted. As an example of what political capital was made of some of these speeches, the Camden Beacon held that because Hugh S. Legaré said that the tariff was not oppressive, and because Petigru said that it was constitutional, the Submission party of the state was one with Daniel Webster, New England, Tariff, Federal party. All this was deduced from Legaré's assertion that the decay of the lower country, the fall of the price of cotton, and the comparative unproductiveness of slave labor had no connection with the tariff.[1] The Journal immediately and justly denied that he and his party were in favor of the tariff.
The committee in charge of the Union celebration in Charleston had invited President Jackson to be present on the Fourth. The President replied to the invitation on June 14 in a letter commending the party. He made some reference to those who might pursue a course not so trustful in the justice of the national councils, which was interpreted by the State Rights party as a threat of coercion to intimidate the people and render them less disposed to "execute their most sacred
- ↑ Beacon, July 19, 1831. Legaré's speech is given in The Writings of Hugh Swinton Legaré, edited by his sister.
