The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-02-16

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y lpfce Of The Union la feso1I 10 tie Ju,iea
iiibnaals was peoper, aud viii be available, VII,
threaten iief Nitii lie use oi inilin4ry fprce , ia
.he yai refused To submit herself 10 JuJ,csd ar
~biramenfl farms are 10 be- usi j. why rcsor
10 he miserable farce Of JndieaI lrlal I o,lci
Georgia has moi yet resisted the cipti authority
OF the Unfed States, VII, agiista the councils 0
the Union. by anticipating a conflict, which
hos ever unequal, inay nevertheless be fatal n
The happiness Of this toBtederaev ! call upoi
The Senator from Kentucky 10 bear witness. tina
this Is not the act ofncofgla. ash him to =,
serve las opinion Tor the full INVESTIGATION
Of this case. II. on that investigation, i
shall appear, the Executive Government o.
the Taiied States could al any time have ternin
ated this unhappy controversy, by an act Of
perfect justice 20 Georgia, 10 the Greek Indians
and TO the United Stales-l viii call upon him
10 say. under the influence OF what motiy.. this
subject has, IN this form, been thus obiruded
Oh the harinapy Of our councils. / agree that II
Is a frebrand- | repeat 10 him, Georgia has not
thrown i'll trust the reference 10 a select Com.
mittee will prevail.
Mr. Benton observed, thai, on the first hear.
inR Of the message, lie had thought the Judieia.
ry Committee o proper reference but on fur
fhcr consideration OF the various questions in
1870 ~ hFHf 'HA'ihAitB IF bda btsIfb1fl W I=
gree with the gentlemen from Georgia, that the
proper course would he IL refer it TO select
Committee. lie would, therefore, withdraw the
motion hc had made.
Nj. Hanisonsaid, thai. as there were a grea
diversity Of opinions on the subject, and as il
seemed 10 hun. that the message, having but
once beeenfead. was not Thoroughly uudefstondt
and as he thought even the gentleman from Mis-,
sour was not altogether correct Ia MS concep--
ton OF ITS Character, he would again move TO lay.
II ON the table but he again Nithdrew the mo-
tlon Mt the request oi.
Nj johnson, ofkeniucky. who snid in ex-
planatlon, that, SO far from taking upon himself
10 hfstow censure on the Government of Geor-
gla, he had not intended 10 express any opinion
upon the merits Of the case He certainly did
not sufficiently understand the subject to take
SIDES. His design, IN moving the reference 10 a
Standing Committee, was that more ut,hiasscd
decision might be obtained. As to the subject 10
dispute, he hoped soinc adjustment would be
speedily made, so that the line of the disputed
territory inieht be run aud that an appropria-
;ion nigh III then he made by Congress. and the
land bought up, that they might have done with
the matter.
Some further conversation took place, when
the motion Of Mr.. Harrison, to lay the message
on the table, was negatived--lS to 20.
The question, ON the motion Of Nh. Berrien,
OF refer II to a Select Committee of five, was then
pat and carried and the following gentlemen
were elected 10 compose the Committee Me-
srs. Benton. Bctuen, Van Burcn, Smith, of 5.
c. and Harrison.
The Senate then adjourned.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Mr.. Forsyth moved the reference OF TINS COM
lnunicntion 10 a Committee of the Whole
House on the state Of the Uniou. lie said that
he reJoiced that, at length, the strange eircur -
stances Of this case had been presented 10 the
House IN such a form as to compel the rcnlcrln-
of n solemn decision between the Executive an
the Stat OF Georgia, and that il was called +
at tins Time mot By them, for they had bee d..
mand'ng it for wears past-~but tina, now IN car
came from the Executive. He could not, hor
ever, rs u Representative of Georgia, consent ju
sii and quietly hear the charges brought for.
ward IN tins communication against the authort-
ties of thai state. They had done nothing
which violated The Constitution of their country.
lie would say this IN tie face OF the Executive.
Here some member called Mr.. Forsyth to
order, bat the Speaker decided that he was moi
out ofordef.
Nh +. then proceeded to say that he also re.
loiced TO porrvivc, that the Chief Magisrates in
the execution of what he conceived Ia be. his du.
y, had not, this time. made his appeal 10 military
force. He denied, however, the existeacc OF a.
ny Constitutional authority 10 employs such force,
either IN the present case, or in any other which
had occurred within that State; and he r~efo.ced
to see that the Executive had now lhoaght pro.
per 10 resort 10 the Civil Authority.
MIR. j. here denied that the Governor of Gror.
Gia vas guilty OF transcendng the authority.
vested in him by law. He acted under the Soye
reignty Of his state, and had exercised only that
discretionary power which was vested in him by
her laws. lie had acted under rights exercised
IN every part of The Union, and which had neye1
been resisted, except in the case of Georgia a
lone.
MI, L. said that ii would be easy To dilatc OF
this subject, but he perceived that thee existed
in respect to it some sensIbility in the .lglsc, and
he would iorbear.
Mr.. Powell, ofVirsinia, inquired whether IL,
gentleman from Georgia anticipated any lcgisla
ton IN reference 10 the communication Just re
ccis6d and whether il would not be more expe
dlnnt to refer it to one of the standing Commit
tees OF the House, rather than to a Committee o
the Whole.
Nj. FORSYTH replied, that since the inquiry hat
been SO directly put. he would frankly reply
that he did not anticipate any legislation. an,
u 80 'hti' w ANlsi'' NJ III 'iIt hSt IA "
necessary or proper. He considered the Execu
tive ms aSking the opinion of tins House in rola
ton TO certain rights of the State OF Georgia, |
the opinion of the House should be ip aili rnanc,
of those rights, no other act than n declaration
of such opinion, need ensue. Very false i'm
preSsions were entertained on this matter. |
was only for the United States 10 will, and he
will would be instantly obeyed. There was no
thing TO be apprehended if the General Govern
ment did not interfere, andundcr the seinblanc
of protection, stimulate the Indians TO a resist
ance oftlle authority Of the State. An the diff
cnl'Ies which had existed from the beginning u
this business, had been created by this interior
enCc. Those unfortunate beings would Ions
since have done THEN duty to the county, an,
10 themselves, if had not been for the base in
reference ofinianouS white men, who exercise,
an influence over them. Was it not sufficient L
refer 10 the scene which had taken place at thi
very spot during the last Wmter--to the has
and infamous conduct of those who came witt
the Indians, under the prctencc OF protectin,
them There could be no need OF any farthe
Legislation on the subject. Ifthe rights of tn
Indians had been violated, existing laws provide,
an ample remedy, and the Courts OF the Unite