Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-03-14

mostly explanatory, ana not deniihcia'ois
of the contrary practice.
Yours Truly and Fraternally,
LEWIS DopGE.
TO BE CONTINUED.
PRESIDENT BUCHANAN's INAUGU-
RAJ ADDRESS.
FELLOW CITIZENS -
l appear before you this day to take the
solemn oath that ! will faithfully execute
the Office of President of the United States,
and will to the best of my ability preserve,
protect and defend the Constitution of
the United States. In entering upon
this great Office, / must humbly invoke
the God of our fathers for wisdom and
firmness to execute its high and response
bic duties in such manner as to restore
harmony and the ancient friendship
among the people of tho .-SSt2tes.
and to preserve our free institute.
throughout many generations. Convin-
ccd that l owe my election to the inherent
love for the Constitution and the Union
which still animates the hearts of the
American people, let me earnestly ask
their powerful support in sustaining all
just measures calculated to perpetuate
these the richest blessings which Heaven
has ever bestowed upon any nation.
Having determined not to become a
candidate for reelection, shall have no
motive to influence my conduct in ad-
ministering the government, except the
desire ably and faithfully to serve my
country and to live in the grateful mem
DRY of my countrymen.
We have recently passed through a
Presidential contest in which the passions
of our fellow citizens were excited to the
highest degree by questions of deep and
vital importance but when the people
proclaimed their will the tempest at once
subsidized and all was calm. The voice Of
the majority speaking in the manner pre-
scribed by the constitution, was heard,
and instant submission followed. Our
own country could alone have exhibited
so grand aud striking spectacle of the
capacity Of man for self-government.
What a happy conception, then, was it
for Congress to apply this simple rule
that the will of the majority shall govern
Ito the settlement Of the question of do
mestic slavery in the Territories. Con-
gress is neither to legislate slavery into
any Territory or State, nor to exclude it
therefrom, but to leave the people there
fore perfectly free to form and regulate
their domestic institutions in their own
way, subject only to the Constitution Of
the United States. As natural conse-
quence, Congress has also prescribed that
when the Territory of Kansas shall be
admitted as State, it shall be received
into the Union with or without slavery,
as their constitution may prescribe at the
time of their admission. A different opin-
ion has arisen in regard to the time when
the people of the territory shall decide
this question for themselves. This is,
happily, matter of but little importance,
and besides, it is judicial question,
preme Court OF the bnftcd states, before
whom it is now pending, and will, it is
understood, be speedily and finally set.
tied. To their decision, in common with
all good citizens, l shall cheerfuily sub
NIT, whatever this may be, though it has
been my individual opinion that under
the Nebraska Kansas act, the appropriate
period will be when the number of actual
residents in the Territory shall justify the
formation of a constitution with view tc
its admission as State into the Union
but be this as it may, it is the imperative
and indispensable duty of the government
of the United States to secure to every
resident inhabitant the free and indepen.
dent expression of his opinion by his vote.
This sacred right of each individual musl
be preserved. This being accomplished,
nothing can be fairer than to leave the
people of Territory free from all foreign
interference, to decide their own destiny
for themselves, subject only to the consti
tuition of the United States. The whole
Territorial question being thus settled
upon the principle of popular sovereignty
la principle as ancient as free govern.
ment itself-everything of a practical ma
ture has been decided, and no other ques.
ton 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
on this subject is approaching its end,
and that the geographical parties to which
it has given birth, so much dreaded by
the Father Of his country will speedily
become extinct? Most happy will it be
for the country when the public mind
shall be delivered from this question to
others of more pressing and practical i'm
portance. Throughout the whole progress
Of this agitation, which has scarcely
known any intermission for more than
twenty years, whilst it has been produc-
tive Of no positive good to any human
being it has been the prolific source Of
great evils to the master, the slave, and to
the whole country; it has alienatcd and
estranged the people Of the sister States
from each other, and has even endangered
the very existence of the Union, nor has
the danger yet entirely ceased.