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

tive. the .sitails OF preface l sHssii, uieti
10 the ssnasoi from Nilsson !. - 10 ns .i"ase
the question:, whether this Messy, thus iasois
:. ing "a iaqafp mldesiaily ahse.1s TIC 'ighis 0
the Stats ana bfihs uuion, andthe power an
fls d.,a. oitDe President of the un.aed stairs
ought % he referred TO any of tie orfifaf.
s,s6dinr Committees OF this lionsc. Aud, be
he,iae. =. I do. rat a con,nliilre specially con
,,inted Tor tue .phrpose OF this inquiry, vii mos
.neciuall, acculnplsh the Objects which ever.
one should desire 20 attain the aseertaiainen
Of nail--tfe adnlinistt alton otjastiee-and tb
p,.sef va,ion ofthe cDiiStitutionai rights OF tb
stsiss and II the Eaion I move that the Mes
sage oftlr President Of the United Sta;es an
ibe ccompsasin g documents, be referred TO
Select Committee.
Mr.. II lines said that IL seemed that part o
the message, IN realty belonged TO the Jndicia
" C~ornmitisc, that another part belonged tt
the Committee on Indian Affairs aud that an
other portion fairly belonged 10 the Military
| Committee. There vas another portion Of this
massage. which illustrated an opinion which Mr.
VI. lad long entertained, lie had, for a long
time considered. thai there was a deficiency III
the Standing Committees, and that another
ought 70 be- added 10 those which already exist
cd in the Senate. a Committee 10 decide upon
all questions between the States and the United
| states. would, he thought, be a valuable add
ton; and IT would very properly receive the
name ofthc Committee oftho States. lie would
only say be was sorry any collision should take
place between ,te Federal Government aud any
Of the State Governments and a question OF
sucl n nature ought rather 10 lac referred 10 a
select than a standing committee.
Mr. Johnson, of Kentucky, said. that he
should not be in favor Of referring the message
10 a select committee. II ought TO go to a stand
ing committee not appointed for the purpose OF
considering the subject, but originated before
this matter had been agitatcd. On a subject Of
the nature of this. feeling would necessarily be
excited aud he therefore hoped The reference
would be- made 10 some committee not likely 10
pnrtake ofany excitement thai might be felt III
this instance. lie had hoped that this question
had been finally settled aud dismissed at the last
session. No man wasa more thorough friend
oftho rights of the states than himself, or would
go further TO preserve them from any cncroaoh-
mcni Oh the part of the Federal Government,
when their Governments conducted themselves
with a due regard 10 the other portions of the
Confedcfacy. lie did not, however, approve
OF casting such ire.bfands as this into the Comi-
els of the Nation nor did he wish, by making
such u matte, Of moro importance than il could
Justly c aim, 10 increase a sensation which ought
bllltA u IhsaIbtHs - w illdNfhs lt btf1HiLf
onghl 20 20 10 the Committee on Indian Affairs.
whose ability to decide upon IL could not be
questioned. They would report, and the sub
ject, without further trouble, would be brought
before the Senate IN It's proper light. II the l.
nitcd States Government were wrong, or it tho
Government OF Georgia were wrong, the Senate
would clearly understand il, and the proper
means for rectfying the difference could then
he pointed out. There had been Instances of
interference On the pant of the Federal powers
upon the Statcs, which called for redress even
the state represented by him had been mach
oppressed their Laws had been nulliiied by a
system of Judicial procedure mwarrantcd and
unprecedented But ncvsr had aoy collision
between the Federal and State authorities an.
pcared IN 80 appalling or Sc dangerous . light
nS, at first view, II dld,in this ease. II he tho
roughly understood the Message, here a COLI
SION Of the military force of the Unlted States
with tai of Georgia was threatened, and the
hand VI one ciuzru was TO be raised against an
other ~ deadly strife.
This was a state of things to be dreaded. and
nj almost every risk 10 avoided. lie would give
up, dcatiy as he hello the rights of the States,
alinosrany poipt. before he would consent To-
array the united States against The individual
states. II was from suea a conflict OF powers
that the Union was hereafter, ifeycr, 10 be dis.
solved. He therefore repeated what he had
sad before. that the subject should be referred
to a comfnittee not organized for the purpose
Dht supposing, however, that any committee
"oeld not deal Justly upon il; but regarding the
probability that feeling would bc excited, and
strongly DESTROYS thatit should be weighed with
ealmness aud elaboration. He did not fear
that any great danger would arise out of tlns
maitcr-vit was one of those summer clouds
which sometimes overcast the brightest day
such had darkcned our prospects formerly and
been dispelled, aud so il would be, he trusted, in
this instance, What he principally feared. was.
the moral effect which such n disagreement
would have upon the country, and in the view
Of the world. Farther thnn this, he thought
there could be no fear for il was moi 10 be sup
posed that n collision OF II serious nature could
take place between the General Government and
n state sovereignty, on account ola strip OF land
hardly worth legislation; which, if fomnd with
IN the limits of Georgia, would be readily and
fairly purchased with the national treasure, and
transferred TO Georgia,
Mr.. Harrison moved to lay the Message on
the table, and 10 print it but withdrew his mo
ton at the request of
Mr.. Bcrrien, who said. i'll did not believe
Mr.. Prcsid Mt, thattlc observations of The
Senator from Kentucky would receive an inter.
probation beyond that which he would himselI
give to them, ] would not trespass on your time
by the very brief reply which am now about
TO make. | rely, with entire confidence. on the
assurance which he has given TO the Senate, tina
il was not his intention, in this stage OF this in
qriry, to express any opinion on the merits o
the controversy between the State of Georgia
and the tnitcd States. and the equally explici
declaration, that ne did not design TO ccnsur,
the conduct Of that State in reference to thi
subject but, as his remarks seem to me 20 b,
susceptible OF such an interpretation, aud as smell
n censure would be alike uncalled for and un.
just, | feel myself hound BY every consideration
of duty, TO sindicate the State which | have tn,
hon or to represent on this Aoor.
Sir, if this measure is calculated 70 disturb the
harmony OF our corncils-if the moral effect of
the agitation of sucha question he one, which
every patriot should dep.ore-if, in the Ian
gliagc of the Senator from Kentucky, it is a fire
brand thrown among us-I call upon that honor
able Senator, and on this House, 10 bear wit.
ness, that Geo gia is not the actor on this occa,
sion-she has not revived this unhappy strife
she has acted under a law, passed AT a moment
when. by treaty, she had acquired undisputcd