\"DidthenameofWashingtonsanction，didthestatesdeliberatelyratifysuchananomalyinthehistoryoffundamentallegislation？No。Wewerenotmistaken。Theletterofthisgreatinstrumentisfreefromthisradicalfault：itslanguagedirectlycontradictstheimputation：itsspirit，itsevidentintent，contradictsit。No，wedidnoterr！Ourconstitutiondoesnotcontaintheabsurdityofgivingpowertomakelaws，antianotherpowertoresistthem。Thesages，whosememorywillalwaysbereverenced，havegivenusapractical，and，astheyhoped，apermanentconstitutionalcompact。Thefatherofhiscountrydidnotaffixhisreverednametosopalpableanabsurdity。Nordidthestates，whentheyseverallyratifiedit，dosoundertheimpression，thatavetoonthelawsoftheUnitedStateswasreservedtothem，orthattheycouldexerciseitbyimplication。Searchthedebatesinalltheirconventions，examinethespeechesofthemostzealousopposersoffederalauthority；lookattheamendments，thatwereproposed；theyareallsilent；notasyllableuttered，notavotegiven，notamotionmadetocorrecttheexplicitsupremacygiventothelawsoftheUnionoverthoseofthestates，ortoshowthatimplication，asisnowcontended，coulddefeatit。No；wehavenoterred！Theconstitutionisstilltheobjectofourreverence，thebondofourUnion，ourdefenceindanger，andthesourceofourprosperityinpeace。Itshalldescend，aswehavereceivedit，uncorruptedbysophisticalconstruction，toourposterity；andthesacrificesoflocalinterest，ofstateprejudices，ofpersonalanimosities，thatweremadetobringitintoexistence，willagainbepatrioticallyofferedforitssupport。
\"ThetworemainingobjectionsmadebytheOrdinancetotheselawsare，thatthesumsintendedtoberaisedbythemaregreater，thanarerequired，andthattheproceedswillbeunconstitutionallyemployed。
\"Theconstitutionhasgivenexpresslytocongresstherightofraisingrevenue，andofdeterminingthesumthepublicexigencieswillrequire。Thestateshavenocontrolovertheexerciseofthisright，otherthanthat，whichresultsfromthepowerofchangingtherepresentatives，whoabuseit，andthusprocureredress。Congressmayundoubtedlyabusethisdiscretionarypower，butthesamemaybesaidofothers，withwhichtheyarevested。Yetthediscretionmustexistsomewhere。Theconstitutionhasgivenittotherepresentativesofallthepeople，checkedbytherepresentativesofthestates，andbytheexecutivepower。TheSouth—Carolinaconstructiongivesittothelegislatureortheconventionofasinglestate，whereneitherthepeopleofthedifferentstates，northestatesintheirseparatecapacity，northechiefmagistrateelectedbythepeople，haveanyrepresentation。
Whichisthemostdiscreetdispositionofthepower？Idonotaskyou，fellowcitizens，whichistheconstitutionaldisposition；thatinstrumentspeaksalanguagenottobemisunderstood。Butifyouwereassembledingeneralconvention，whichwouldyouthinkthesafestdepositoryofthisdiscretionarypowerinthelastresort？Wouldyouaddaclause，givingittoeachorthestates，orwouldyousanctionthewiseprovisionsalreadymadebyyourconstitution？Ifthisshouldbetheresultofyourdeliberations，whenprovidingforthefuture，areyou，canyoubereadytoriskall，thatweholddear，toestablish，foratemporaryandalocalpurpose，that，whichyoumustacknowledgetobedestructiveandevenabsurd，asageneralprovision？Carryouttheconsequencesofthisrightvestedinthedifferentstates，andyesmustperceive，thatthecrisisyourconductpresentsatthisdaywouldrecur，wheneveranylawoftheUnitedStatesdispleasedanyofthestates，andthatweshouldsoonceasetobeanation。
\"TheOrdinance，withthesameknowledgeofthefuture，thatcharacterizesaformerobjection，tellsyou，thattheproceedsofthetaxwillbeunconstitutionallyapplied。Ifthiscouldbeascertainedwithcertainty，theobjectionwould，withmorepropriety，bereservedforthelawsoapplyingtheproceeds；butsurelycannotbeurgedagainstthelawslevyingtheduty。