Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1857-03-13
Inaugural Address of President
Buchanan.
FcRo,c Citizens T.:


United States; and will to the best o
my ability preserve, protect and defent
the Constitution of the United States.
In entering upon this great office
most humbly invoke the God of ou
Fathers for wisdom and frmncss to ex.
cute its high and responsible duties il
such manner as to restore harmon,
and the ancient friendship among the
people Of the Sc. eial States, and to pre-.
serve our free Institutions throughout
many generations. Convinced that
owe my election to the inherent love fol
the Constitution and the Union, which
stlll animates the hearts of the Amcri
can People, let ME earnestly ask theil
powerful support in sustaining all jus,
measures calculated to perpctuate these.
and the richest political blessings which
Heaven has ever bestowed upon any ma
ton. Having determined not to be-
come a candidate for reelection, | shall
have no motive to influence nv conduct
in administering the Government except
;hc desire ably and faithfully to serve
my country, and to live in the grateful
memory ofmy countrymcn.
We have recently passed through a
Presidential contest, iii which the pas
s'ons of our fellow citizens were excited
to the highest degree 6y questions of
deep and vital Importance bat when
the people proclaimed their will. the
tempest at once subsided and all was
calm The voice of the majority, speak
ing in the name rprescribed by the Con-
stitution, was heard and instant submission
followed. Our own country could alone
have exhibited SO gran and striking n
spectacle OF the capacity of man for self
government What happy conception
then was it for Congress to apply this
simple rule, that the will of the majority
governs. to the settlement of the cues
ton Of domestic slavery in the Terrific
rios. Congress is neither to legislate
slavery into Territories or States, nor to
exclude it theretrom, but to leave the
people perfectly free to form and rcgu.
late their domestic institutions in their
own way. subject only to the Constitu-
a
raj consequence, Congress has also pre-
scribed that when the Territory of X an
sas shall be admitted as a State, it shall
be received into the Union with or with
out slavery, as their Constitution may
prescribe at the time of their admission.
A difference Of opinion has arisen in
regard to the time when the people of a
territory shall decide this question for
themselves. This is, happily, a matter
of bnt little practical Importance and
besides, it is judicial question, which
cgitimately belongs to the Supreme
Court OF tie United States. before whom
II is now pending. and will. it is under
stood. be speedily and finally settled. -
70 their decision, in common with all
good itcizenS, shall cheerfully submit.
whatever this may be. Though it has
been my individual opinion that, under
The Nebraska Kansas act. the appropri-
ttc period will be when the number Of
lctual residents in the Territory shall
Justify the formation ofa Constitution,
with a view to its admission as a State
into the Union. But. be this rs it NAV.
it is the imperative and indispensable
duty of the government of the United
States to secure to every resident inhab-
liant the free and independent express
sion of his opinion By his vote. This
Stcrcd right of each individual must be
preserved. This being accomplished.
nothing can be faircr than to leave the
people of a territory. free from all for
cign interference, t. decide the Consti.
tuition. The whole territorial orcstion
being thus settled upon the principle
as ancient as free government itself,
everything Of practical nature has been
decided, and no other question remains
for adjustment, because all agree that,
under the Constitution, slavery in the
States is beyond the reach of any human
power, except that Of the respective
States themselves wherein it exists
May we not then hope that the long
agitation of this subject is approaching
its end, and that the geographical part.
les to which it has given birth, so roucl
dreaded by the Father of his Country
will speedily become extincta Mos
happy will it be for the country whcr
the public mind shall be diverted from
this question to others of more pressing
and practical importance. Throughou
the whole process of this agitation, which
has scarcely know any intermisson 70
more than twenty years. whilst it ha
been productive of no positive good &
any human being, it has been the pro
life source of great evils-to the master
to the slave, and to the whole country
1t has alieEated and estranged the peo
pie CT the sister States from each othc
and has even seriously endangered th
Union. Nor has the danger yet entirel
; ceased. Under our system there is
remedy for all mere political evils in til
cound sense and sober judgment of tn
people. Time is a great corrective =
The political subjects which but fe
years ago excited and exasperated ii
r public mind, have passed away, and Al
nearly forgotten but this question
0 domestic slavery is of far greater impo
tance than ANY mere political question
= because, should the agitation con.inu
n IL NAV nvanfually NJ Ja,oo, ~ , ,>o,,o,