The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-03-14
Mr.. Buchanan,s inaugural.


Mr.. Buchanan's inaugural.
FSlloo Citizens:-I appear before yo,
this day to take the solemn cath that vii
faithfully execute the office Of President O
the United States, and viii, to the best 0
my ability, preserve, protect and defend til,
Constitution of the United States In en-
tcring upon this great office | mus; humbl,
invoke the uod of our Fathers fer wisdom
and iirmness to execute its high ard respon
sibic duties in such q manner vas 10 restore
harmony and the ancient friendship among
the people of the several States and to pre-
serve our free Institutions throughout many
generations. Convinced that I owe my
election TO the inherent love for the Cons;i-
tuition and the Union which still anmatcs
the hearts af the American people, lot me
earnestly ask their powerful! support in sus.
tanning all just measures calculated 10 per-
petuate these, the richest political blessings
which Heaven has ever bestowed upon ANY
nation. Having determined not to become
candidate for reelection, | shall have 10
motive TO influence my conduct in admins
tering the government, except the desire
ably and faithfully TO serve my country and
to live in the grateful memory OF my coun-
trymen. We have recently passed through
4 Presidential contest, in which the passions
( of our fcllow-ciiizens were excited to the
highest degree by questions Of deep and
vital importance; but when the people pro-
claimed their will, the tempest at once sub
sided, and all was calm. The voice Of the
majority, speaking in the manner prescribed
! by the Constitution, vas heard, and instant
Submission followed Our own country
could alone have exhibited SO grand and
ct, .s..r ,f, L. e..
! for seli-government.
What happy conception then was ii for
, Congress TO apply this simple rule, that the
will Of The majority shall govern, to the set
ilemeut of the question Of domestic slavery
IN the tcrrit Iries. Congress is not TO legis-
ate slavery into any Territory or State, nor
70 exclude il thcrefrom, Lu. to leave til peo-
PIE thereof perfectly free to form and regu-
late their domestic institutions in their own
way, subject only to the constitution Of the
United States As natural consequence,
Congress has also prescribed that when the
Territory OF Kansas shall be asimsited as 4
Ststc, il shall he received into tEe I-slies,a.
with or without slavery, as their constiIu-
ton may prescribe at the time Of their 4 J.
mission. 4 different opinion has arisen in
regard 10 the time when The people of
Territory shall decide this question for them
tic practical Importance, and besides, it is 4
judicial quc>tina y, which iegitimately belongs
to the Supreme Court Of i.e United States,
before whoa it is now pending, and will, it
Is understood, be speedily and finally set
tied. To their decision, in common with all
good citizens, shall clccriui'y submit. -
Whatever this may be, though it has been
NY inGiv:dua! opinion thai, u,dcr the Ne
b.aska Kansas act, the appropriate period
Will DC when the number OF actual residents
in the Territory shall Justify the formation
Oi constitution, with view TO its admIs-
sion as State into the Cnion. But be lhis
As it may, i; is the imperative and ndispen-
sable duty olfRe Government of the United
States to Ito every resident, nhabi,snt
the free and Independent expression Of his
opinion by his vote. This sacred right OF
each individual must be preserved. This be-
ing accomplished, nothing can be fairer than
10 leave the people Of territory free from
all foreign interference to decide their OWN
destiny for themselves, subject only TO the
Constitution of the United States. The
whole territorial question being thus settled
upon the principle of popular sovereignty
principle as ancient as fee government
self-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 be-
yond the reach of any human power, cx.
cept that OF the respective States themselves
wherein it exists. May we not then hope
that the long agitation on this subject is ap-
preaching 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 happily will
it be for the country when the public mind
shall be diverted from this question to
others Of more pressing and practical i'm
portanne. Throughout the whole progress
OF this agitation, which has scarcely known
any intermssion for more than twenty
years, whilst it has been productive Of no
positive good TO any human being, it has
been the prolific source of great evils to the
master, to the slave and to the whole coun-
try; it has alienated and estranged the peo-
pie Of the sister States from each other, and
has even seriously endangered the very ex-
istence Of the Cnion-nor has the danger
yet entirely ceased. Under our system there
is remedy for all mere political evils in the
sound sense and sober judgment of the peo-
pie. Time is great CORE ctivc. The po
litical subjects which but few years ago
excited and eXaSperated the public mind
, have passed away and are now nearly for
lsg0tten-but this question of domestic slave
IIy is Of far greater importance than any
| mere political question, because, should the
| agitation continue, it may eventually endan-
ger the personal safety of large por ion of
our countrymen where the institution ex-
/ iatgt Tn that event no form of government,
However admissible in itself, however pro-
! ductive of material benefits, can compensate
| for the loss of peace and domestic security
around the family altar Let every Union
loving man, therefore, exert his best influ-
once to suppress this agitation, which, since
the recent legislation Of Congress, is without
| any legitimate object. 1t is an evil of the
| times that men have undertaken to calculate
! the mere material value of the Union. Rea-
soned estimates have been presented of the
pecuniary profits and local advantages which
would result to different States and sections
from its dissolution, and of the comparative
| injuries which such an event would infiict
ON otherStatcs and sections. Even descend
| ing to this low and narrow view OF the
mighty question, all such calculations are at
fault. The bare reference to single con-
sideratioh will be conclusive, on this point.
We at present enjoy free trade throughout
our extensive and expansive country, such
as the world never witnessed. This tfSde IS
conducted on railroads and canals, fnnoble
rivers and arms of the sea, which biaN- to-
gether the North and the South, the East
and the West, of our Confedcracy. Anni-