Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 9.djvu/53

 WEBSTER { I understand him to maintain an authority, on the part of the States, thus to interfere, for the purpose of correcting the exercise of power by the general government, of checking it, and of compelling it to conform to their opinion of the extent of its powers. I understand him to maintain that the ultimate power of judging of the constitutional extent of its own authority is not lodged exclusively in the general government, or any branch of it; but that, on the contrary, the States may lawfully decide for themselves, and each State for itself, whether, in a given case, the act of the general government tran- scends its power.^ / 1 understand him to insist that, if the exigency oKthe case, in the opinion of any State govern- ment, require it, such State government may, by its own sovereign authority, annul an act of the general government which it deems plainly and palpably unconstitutional This is the sum of what I unders^nd from him to be the South Carolina doctrine, and the doctrine which he maintains. I propose to consider it, and compare it with the Con- stitution. Allow me to say, as a preliminary remark, that I call this the South Carolina doctrine only because the gentleman himself has so denominated it. I do not feel at liberty to say that South Carolina, as a State, has ever advanced these sentiments. I hope she has not, and never may. That a great majority of her people are opposed to the tariff laws is doubt- 43