Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-01-15
THURSDAY, JANUARY Is, 1929.
3 SPEECH OF MR.. BERRIEN.

Delivered in the Senate on Monday, on the
occasion of the presentation Of the protest Of the
State of Georgia, against The Tariff act.
Mr. Berrien said tina, the enumeration made
from tie Chair, imposed duty on MS COLI
league and himself, which, with his assent, he
would perform, by giving direction, with The
sanction fthe Senate, TO the document, which
had been Just announced. ] am not willing,
Sir, said Mr. b to see an act SO grave and
Interesting in its character, pass away with
those mere every day events which are forgot
ten almost IT the instant of their occurrence
10 order, therefore, tina, il may be distinctly
presented to he notice of the Senate, SefoIe
submit, the motion which i, calls for, win STATE
its purport, and avail myself Of the occasion TO
make very brief remark.
That document, sir, Of which an official copy
has been transmitted to my COLLEAGUE and nv
self is the 2rotes, OF the State Of Georgia, made
through her constitutional organs, TO this
senbly of the Representatives al States, agains'
The "ac,; in alteration Of the several sG's Iayiug
duties on Imports passed at the late se ssion
Of the Congress oil The United States In her
, sovereign character, as one Of The original
members Of this confederacy, by whom tins
Government was called into existence, that
STATE protests against this act, on the several
grounds, which are specifically setfor,h, IN tia,
instrument, which is a,,ssted BY the signatures
Of her Legislative and Executive func:iouaries
and authenticated under her public seal.
l, is now delivered to this Department OF the
Federal Government, to be deposited in its
Chiyes, IA perpstudm rei memoriam, 10 ser'e
whenever the oco aston may require il, as an
authentic testimony Of the solemn dissent Of
one Of the Sovereign States of this Union from
the act therein protested agains', as an iutrac
tion of the constitutional compact by which
she is united to The other members Of tins Con-
frderacy.
IL rs difficult, Sir, to repress-u is, perhaps,
still more difficult appropriately to express the
feelings which belong to such an occasion as
the present, lhavc been educated in sentiments
of reverence fer our Federal Union, and, thro'
life, have habitualIy cherished these semi,
49, "uIviuuaI CITIZEN, therefore, 1t
is painful to recur 10 that DISASTROUS policy
which has imposed on the stare in which
live the sternnecessiIy OF assuming This relation
TO the Government Of this Confederacy.
As one pf,hr Representatives on this noor Of
that State, whose citizen have always been FOR
ward to NANTES, "a profound and devoted al
tachmen, To- this Union-of patriotic Sc gal
liant People, who would freely yield their trea-
SUR, and unsparingly shed their blood in its
Gefence; the occasion is one Of deep and unmi"
gled Humiliation, which demands the dep"si,r,
in the Registry Of the Senate, of This record OF
their wrongs. There may be those, sir, who
will look 10 this act with NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
with hv,y; who will consider il as the RI sui, 4
monetary northumberland see, or think they
see in il. merely, the effusion Of impassioned,
but evanescen, e cling. implore 'huse gentle
men no, 20 deceive then elves, on subject, in
relation 10 which error may be alike dangerous
to US al
Forty years Of successful experiment have
proved the efficiency Of this Goveromen, TO
sustain uS in an honorable inIere curse, with the
other nations &c the world. Externally in p~ace
and in war, amid the fluctuations Of commerce
and the strife Of arms, il has projected our in
teres,s, and defended our rights. One trial,
one fearful trial, ye, remains 10 be made. tits
one, under the apprrhe nsion OF which the osa-
YES, may trembe which the wise * the good
will anxiously endeavor TO avoid. II is that ex.
pertinent which shall test the competency of
this Government to preserve our internal peace
whenever question vitality affeciiog the bond,
which uni,es us as one People, shall come 10
be solemny agitaied between the sovereign
members OF this coniederacy. IT. proportion
to its dangers, should b. our soicit0de to avoid
il, by aSsiaining on the one hand from acts OF
doubtful legislation, As well as by the manner,
Of resistance on the other, to those which are
deemed unconstitutional. Between the inds-
pendent members ofthis Confrderacy, sir, there
can be no common arbiteI. They are neces-
sarilv RENTED to their own sovereign will, de-
lieeraely expressed, in the exercise OF their re-
served rights oil sovereignty the delegation OF
which would have been an act OF political sui
eide. The designation OF such an a. bitter, sir,
was, by The force of insincible necessity, casus
0nissms. among the provisions Of a constitution
eohierring limited powers, the Interpretation
cf which was to he con6ded 10 the subordinate
agents, created by those who were entrusted to
administer IL.
earnestly hope that the wise and conciia-
tory spirit OF this Governa,ert, and Of those of
the several Safes, will pos pone. to aperiod far
dis,snt, the day which will summon US 10 SO
fearful trial. five are indeed doomrd to -u-
counter II, 1 as earnestly hope that j, may be-
snirred upun in The >piri' Of peace. and with
cher ishrd recoIecuons oi former amiiy. But