John MacPherson Berrien (August 23, 1781-January 1, 1856) was a U.S. Senator, 1824-29, 1841-52; served in the War of 1812; was a Georgia State Senator, 1822-23; and was attorney general under President Jackson, 1829-31. He stated:
<I have an abiding confidence that the God of our fathers will be the God of their children-that He will be our God; that He will graciously enable us to preserve that glorious fabric, which His mercy and His goodness, not the might of and strength of our ancestors, enabled them to construct;
and that countless generations, enjoying the rich heritage which they have transmitted to us, and which, by His blessing, we will transmit to them, will in distant ages unite in the tribute of gratitude to their memories, which, in this our day, is our privilege to offer.> 1781JB001
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American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement.
Endnotes:
1781JB001. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). John M Berrien, 1850, statement he made as a U.S. Senator. Our American Heritage (NY: Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 1970), p. 201.