Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-06-30

allow me the privilege Of assigning my
reasons for my vote on the resolution this
morning, the remarks that I have now
made might have been deemed more ap1
propriate to those topics of discussion, than
to the question more Immediately now be-
fore the committee. They are reflections,
however, which deem it not less indis-
pensable to make than they are painful to
be made-extorted from me by condition
of public affairs unexampled in the history
of this country. Heretofore, calls upon
the Executive Department for information, !
such as that which l have proposed to
make, were considered as among the
rights of the members of this House,
which it was scarcely deemed decent to re-
slst. A previous question, smothering all
discussion upon resolutions reported by
committee, affecting the vital principles of
the Constitution, moved BY one of the
members who reported the resolutions, and
sustained by the members of that commit
tee itself, is an occurrence which never
before happened in the annals of this Gov
eminent The adoption of those resolu-
tons ofthe House had not even been nov
ed. Upon the mere question whether an
extra number of the report OF the commit
tee should be printed, a member moves
the recommitment of the report, with in
structIons to report new resolution. On
this motion the previous question is moved
and the Speaker declares that the main
question is not on the motion to recommit,
not on the motion to print an extra num-
Der OF copies of the report, but upon the
adoption ofthree resolutions, reported, but
never even moved in the House. If this
IS to be the sample of our future legisla-
ton, Ais time to awake from the deIusion
that freedom ofspeech is among the rights
of the members of the minority of this
House.
To return, Mr. Chairman, 10 the resolu-
ton before the committee. | shall vote
for this application of moneys, levied by
taxation upon my constituents, to feed the
suffering and starving fugitives from In
dian desperation and revenge. How
deeply searching in the Golfers of your
Treasury this operation will ultimately
be, no man can at this time foretell The
expenditure authorized by this resolution
may be not in itself very considerable =
but In its progress it has already stretched
from Alabama TO Georgia-how much
further it will extend, will be seen hereaE
ter turn my eyes away from the pros
; Pect OF 1t now; but am prepared to meet
the emergency if it should come, with all
: the resources of the Treasury
: But sir, shall not vote for this relief
> to the suffering inhabitants of Alabama,
and of Georgia, upon the ground on which
the gentleman from Alabama, (Mr Lewis)
and the gentleman from South Carolina,
(Mr thompson have been disposed to
r. place it. Little reason have the inhabit-
? ants of Georgia and of Alabama to COM
= plain that the Government of the United
/ States has been remiss or neglectf1l in
7 protecting them from Indian hostilitles -
f the fact is directly the reverse. The peo-
2 pie ofAlabama and Georgia are now suf-
7 ferlng the recoil of their own unlawful
/ weapons Georgia, sir, Georgia, by
= trampling upon the faith of our national
}, treaties with the Indian tribes, and by sub
D Jectlng them to her State laws, first set the
. example of that policy which is now in
b the process of consummation by this In
: dian war. In setting this example, she
u babe defiance to the authority of the Gov.
o eminent OF the nation she nulIifed your
b laws; she set at naught your executive
n and Judiciary guardians of the common
Constitution of the land. To what ex-
IS tent she carried this policy, the dungeons
h OF her prisons and the records of the Su-
It Preme Judicial Court of the United States
o can tell. TO those prisons she committed
l. inofensive, innocent, pious ministers OF
e the Gospel of Truth, for carrying the
At hight, the comforts, and the consultations
l. of that Gospel to the hearts and minds oil
n those unhappy Indians. A solemn decis
IS ion of the Supreme Court of the United
n States pronounced that act a violation Of
n your treaties and OF your laws. Georgia
l. dehed that decision: your Executive Gov.
lie eminent never carried it into execution
y the imprisoned missionaries of the Gospel
were compelled to purchase their ransom
v from perpetual captivity by sacrificing
is their rights as freemen to the meekness Of
ID their principles as Christians and you
E. have sanctioned all these outrages upon
L Justice, law, and humanity, by succumb
is ing to the power and the policy of Geor
" gia, by accommodating your Legislation
r to her arbitrary will by tearing to tat
es tiers your old treaties with the Indians
O. and by constrainiGg them, under pein'
p forte ct dure, to the mockery of signing
re other treaties with you, which, at the frs
l. moment when it shall suit your purpose
re you will again tear to tatters and scatter
D. to the four winds of Heaven, till the In
lg dian race shall be extinct upon this CONT
ne nent, and it shall become problem be-
ne yond the solution of antiquaries and his
is torical societies wh0t the red man of tn.
s. forest was.
ne This, sir, is the remote and nrimitiv,