It seems to have been Thomas Hart Benton speaking about John C. Calhoun: http://books.google.com/books?id=JLpYAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA34&lpg=PA34&dq=thomas+benton+when+g

It seems to have been Thomas Hart Benton speaking about John C. Calhoun: http://books.google.com/books?id=JLpYAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA34&lpg=PA34&dq=thomas+benton+when+god+lays+his+hand&source=web&ots=cTjIxvRLMb&sig=mThzycHFzB7rihltYzfsCoqIN3E http://books.google.com/books?id=JLpYAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA34&#3... And you actually got the quote pretty close to correct: "No, sir. When God Almighty lays his hand upon a man, sir, I take mine off, sir."