New York has
taken strong ground in vindication of the constitution; South Carolina
had already done the same. Although I was against our leading, I am
equally against omitting to follow in the same line, and backing them
firmly; and i hope that yourself or some other will mark out the track
to be pursued by us.
You will have seen in the newspapers some proceedings in the
legislature, which have cost me much mortification. My own debts had
become considerable, but not beyond the effect of some lopping of
property, which would have been little felt, when our friend ---- gave
me the coup de grace. Ever since that I have been paying twelve hundred
dollars a year interest on his debt, which, with my own, was absorbing
so much of my annual income, as that the maintenance of my family was
making deep and rapid inroads on my capital, and had already done it.
Still, sales at a fair price would leave me competently provided. Had
crops and prices for several years been such as to maintain a steady
competition of substantial bidders at market, all would have been safe.
But the long succession of years of stunted crops, of reduced prices,
the general prostration of the farming business, under levies for the
support of manufacturers, &c, with the calamitous fluctuations of
value in our paper medium, have kept agriculture in a state of abject
depression, which has peopled the western States by silently breaking
up those on the Atlantic, and glutted the land-market, while it drew off
its bidders.
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