Litchfield enquirer., 1837-02-02

lceedings of the Senate. It is no lOnger true.
 It is, in short, nO journal of the real and ac- ltual proceedings OL Ine Senate, such as the
 The Constitution, therefore, is, in our deli berate judgment, violated by this proceeding in the most plain and open manner.
 The Constitution, moreover, provides that the Aeas and nGyS, on any question, shall, at inc request of One-ffth of the members pres ent, De entered On the journal This provision, most manifestly, gives personal right to those members who may demand it, to the entry and preservation of their votes on the record of the proceedings of the body, not for one day or one year only, but for all time. There the yeGs and mays are to stand forever, as permanent and lasting proof of the manner in which members have voted on great and important questions before them. But it is now insisted that the votes of mem- bers, taken by yeos and nayS, and thus enter, ed on the journal, as matter of right; may still be expunged; so that that, which it requires more than four-fifths of the Senators to pre- vent from being put on the journal, may, ne- vertheless, be struck of, and erased, the next moment, or at any period afterwards, by the will of a mere majority; or, if this be not admitted, then the abSurdity is adopted of maintaining, that this provision of the Con- stitution is fulfilled by merely preserving the yeas and ndys on the journal, after having ex- punged and obliterated the very resolution, on the very question, on which they were given, and to which alone they refer; leav- ing the yeas and nGys thus a mere list of names, connected with no subject, no question, no vote. We put it to the impartial judgment of mankind, if this proceeding be not, in this respect also, directly and palpably inconsis- tent with the Constitution?
 We protest in the most solemn manner, that other Senators have no authority to de- prive us of our personal rights, secured to us by the Constitution, either by expunging, or obliterating, or mutilating, or defacing, the record of our votes, duly entered by yeas and nays; or by expunging and obliterating the resolutions or questions on which those votes were given and recorded.
 We have seen, with deep and sincere pain, the Legislatures of respectable States instruct ing the Senators of those States to vote for and support this violation of the journal of the State and this pain is infinitely increased by our full belief, and entire convection, that most, if not all these proceedings of States had their origin in promptings from Wash ington; that they have been urgently reques- ted and insisted on as being necessary to the accomplishment of the intended purpose; and that it is nothing else but the influence and power of the Executive branch of this Gov ernment which has brought the Legislatures of so many of the free States of this Union to quit the sphere of their ordinary duties for the purpose of cooperating to accomplish measure, in our judgment, so unconstitutional, so derogatory to the character of the Senate, and marked with so broad an impression of compliance with power.
 But this resolution is to pass. We expect hot soh hoo hoo1, novz,orf,,l enough to influence so many State Legis- latures, will show itself powerful enough, es- pecially with such aids, to secure the pas- sage of the resolution here.
 We make up our minds to behold the spec tacle which is to ensue.
 We collect ourselves to look on, in silence, while scene is exhibited which, if we did not regard it as ruthless violation of sacred instrument, would appear Co s.s Co be lis'te aie vated aDove the character ot . contemplate farce.
 This scene we shall behold, and hundreds of American citizens, as many as may crowd into these lobbies and galleries, will behold it also: with what feelings do not undertake osay.
 But we PROTEST, we most solemnly PRo- TEST, against the substance and against the manner of this proceeding. against its object, against its form, and against its effect. We tell you that you have no right to mar or mu- tilate the record of our votes given here, and recorded according to the Constitution; we tell you that you may as we'll erase the yeas and nays on any other question or resolution, or on all questions and resolutions, as on this we tell you that you have just us much right to falsify the record, by so altering it as to make us appearto have vo:ed on any question, as we did not vote, as you have to erase re- cord, and make that page blank, in which our votes, as they were actually given and recorded, now stand. The one proceeding, as it appears to us, is as much a falsification of the record as the other. ,. Having made this PROTEST, our duty is performed. We rescue our own names, char acter, and honor, from all participation in this matter and whatever the wayward char acter of the times, the headlong and plunging of power, may have been able to bring about elsewhere, we desire to thank God that they have not, as yet, overcome the love of Liber- ty, fidelity to true republican principles, anda sacred regard for the Constitution, in that State whose soil was drenched, to a mire, by the first and best blood of the Revolution
 massachusetts. us yet, has not been conquer ed: and while we have the honor to hold
 seats here as her Senators, we shall not con-
 sent to sacrifice either of her rights, or our
 own; we shall never fail to oppose what we
 regard as plain open violation of the Con.
 stitution of the country; and we should have
 thought ourselves wholly unworthy of her if
 we had not, with all the solemnity and ear.
 nestness in our power, PROTESTED against the adoption of the resolution now before the Se-
 nate. ... .
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