The Book of Nullification/Chapter 1
THE BOOK OF NULLIFICATION.
CHAPTER I.
1. Now it came to pass that in those days John of Quincy reigned over all the land of America.
2. And in the third year of his reign, John commanded to gather together the governors, and the captains, and the rulers and all the counsellors of the realm.
3. And the governors, and the captains, and the rulers, and the counsellors of all the land, were gathered together, and they stood before John, in the city called Washington.
4. Then stood forth a counsellor from the provinces of the East, and he spoke aloud and said:
5. "O, men of the East, and of the West, and ye from the provinces towards the middle; verily the land wherein ye dwell produceth abundantly the fruits of the earth, and your flocks yield increase, and your labourers are weary with toil.
6. "Yet ye prosper not, neither do ye partake of the abundance of the earth; that which ye have, your neighbour also hath, and that which ye want, ye must send for afar off; and ye exchange not with your neighbour, but with the stranger that is without your gates.
7. "Wherefore let us take counsel together, and make to ourselves a statute, to be ordained by John the King, even an ordinance to shut out the stranger and his merchandize, and let us make to ourselves all that is needful to the body."
8. And the name of this counsellor was Mallary; which being interpreted is, "that which causeth Pestilence."
9. And his voice was sweet to the ears of the rulers, and the captains, and the counsellors, from the East, and from the West, and from the provinces down about the great city, and they hearkened unto his counsel.
10. But the rulers and the counsellors from the provinces of the South, would not hearken thereto, but they rent their raiment in vexation, and were made sorely wroth.
11. And the rulers, and the captains, and the counsellors from the East, and from the West, and from the central provinces, bowed before John the King, and besought him to ordain the statute which Mallary had devised; and John commanded that it should be so.
12. Now, it came to pass, that before those days, a certain great prophet had arisen in the South, and his name was called George.
13. And in the reign of James, of Virginia, the word was proclaimed by George, that lo! a time should come, when the Kingdom, of America would be unable to give sufficient honor, and distinction; and power, to all the rulers, and the captains, and the counsellors of the land.
14. And that certain men should strive to rend in twain the realm, and to set over each portion thereof another Chief Governor, and other rulers and captains.
15. Now, when John had commanded the statute to be ordained, the men of the South remembered the words which George had prophecied, and they had faith, and believed that the fulfilment thereof was at hand.
16. And the rulers, and the captains, and the counsellors of the South, gathered together even in the city called Washington, and George, the prophet, was in the midst of them.
17. Then George stood forth and said: "Ye men of the South, if ye be minded to fulfil all that is written in the book of my prophecies, even the book called "One of the People," this day shall ye see made manifest the truth thereof.
18. "Arise, now, and go straightways to your people, and cry aloud against the statute which John hath ordained, and say that ye have been betrayed, and oppressed, and ruined, and undone. Declare that ye must break the yoke of the King, and lo! I will give you a King to reign over yourselves, even John my kinsman, the magician from the South."
19. Now the words of George seemed good unto many of the wise men, and the rulers, and the captains of the South; and they took counsel together to rebel against the power of John of Quincy, and to rend asunder the provinces of the South from the provinces of the East and West.
20. But a certain wise man, a ruler of the people, called William, purposed in his heart to do that which was just in the sight of Heaven, and he gave no faith to the words of George, and he refused his counsel.
21. And Thomas, of Winyaw, would not bow down before John the magician; but he turned aside, and he opened his mouth, and spake to the people of the South the whole counsel of George, and all the words which the evil counsellors from the South had uttered.
22. Then the wise men, and the rulers, and the captains, who had hearkened to the words of George, took counsel together to slay Thomas before the people, and they sent up to destroy him one of their captains, even Robert, who was afterwards surnamed "The Nullifier."
23. Now Robert stood up before the people, and with many words declared the saying of Thomas to be false, and he besought the people to cast stones at Thomas, so that his voice might no more be heard.
24. But Thomas had the fear of the Lord before his eyes, and his heart was strengthened.
25. Then called he aloud on William the just, to verify the words which he had spoken of Robert, and of George, and of John, the sorcerer, and of the other evil rulers and counsellors from the South.
26. And William being a just man had respect unto the truth, and verified the words of Thomas which he had spoken, and set before the men of the South the design which their evil counsellors had in their hearts against the Union of the realm of America.
27. So Robert, the Nullifier, was put to manifest shame before all the people.
28. And it came to pass that James, the son of James, was a captain over the provinces of the South, and was one of those who had conspired with George, the prophet, and with Robert, and with John, the sorcerer, in the plot which they had devised against the people of the South.
29. Now when Thomas, of Winyaw, had spoken to the people the counsel of George, James was sorely troubled, and his heart smote against his breast, because it was he of whom the word had been given by the mouth of the prophet George, "that one Government over all the land of America, would not be sufficient for the ambition of all its princes, and rulers, and captains."
30. And James arose and stood before Robert, and said to him: "Verily, O Robert, we are in great peril; we have in the days which are past, caused to be made statutes and ordinances like unto those which now spare not the people of the South, and which cleave asunder their rights.
31. "We have given counsel to John, and to the King before him, even to James, of Virginia, to eschew the voice of the wise captain from the South, even of William, from the province of Georgia, and we have turned into outer darkness the men who are called 'radicals.'
32. "Wherefore, O Robert! the people of the South may not put faith in the cry which we must raise against the statute of John, of Quincy, and against the words of Thomas, of Winyaw—but be not cast down, Robert!
33. "For I, even I James, will forthwith put from me for a time, all honour, and distinction, and power, and I will return to the people of the South, and will say unto them, Lo! I have laid aside all power and might, and have become as one of the most humble of these my countrymen.
34. "And I will declare to them that the counsel which we gave to James the King was evil, and that in those days I, James, was under 'a natural delusion;' and I will say that I have repented thereof; and then we will cry aloud against the ordinances of John of Quincy, and spare not.
"Then, O Robert! the people who have hearkened unto the words of Thomas, will again put their trust in us, and they will make me a Governor to rule over them, and then we shall have wherewithal to slay Thomas before the people, and to cast out William the just, and to make John the conjurer to reign over the land."
36. And Robert hearkened unto the counsel of James, and his soul was comforted, and his countenance was lighted with joy.
37. And in the fourth year of the reign of John of Quincy, James, the son of James, performed the promise which he had made to Robert the Nullifier, and returned home with fear and trembling to his people.