The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-03-13
THE INAUGURb ADDRESS.

I
stitutiOn of the United itps.
In entering upon this eat Office, must
humby invoke the Godf our fathers for
wisdom and firmness toecute its high and
responsible duties in su,a manner as to re-
store harmony and aneis friendship among
the people of the sweepstakes, and to pre-
serve our free insiituiiur throughout many
generations. COIyincethat owe my elec-
ton to the interest love or TN Constitution
ard the Union whid still anlntrs the hearts
OF the American people, et ne earnestly ask
their powerful suppet in sstaiAing all just
measures calculated o perriuate these, the
richest political blessings 'hich Heaven has
ever bestowed upsa my rtion. Having de
termined not to become candidate tor re
election, ] shall havi no piive TO influence
my conduct in aduiisterg the government
except the desire ally an faithfully tc serve
my country, and toIve 1.-THE greateful mem
DRY OF my conntryuen.
We have recently pased through Pres.
idential contest in N,clhe passions of our
fellow citizens wen. txced to the highest
degree BY questions d dep and vital imPor.
lance; but when thepeole proclaimed their
will, the tempest at ncsubsidrd and all was
calm.
The vote Of the ntioity, speaking in the
manner prescribed b, pc Constitution, was
heard, and instant Submission followed
Our own country ctiId alone have exhibited
so grand and slriki spectacle Of the Ca
pacity of man for 81 government.
What happy CONCEPTION, then, was it for
Congress to apply tAs simple rule-that the
will Of the mnjoritysIaIl govern-to the set.
Element of the queson of domestic slavery
in the territories! congress is neither "lo
legislate slavery intany Territory or State
nor to exclude it thefrOm; but to leave the
people thereof peredly free to form and reg.
ulate then dOmestitnstiutions in their own
way, subject only 1.-THE Constitution of the
United States" Aa natural consequence
Congress has also described that when the
Territory of Kanss~h hall be admitted Ms II
State, it "sl,all be Heiyed into the Union
with or without slaTy, as the constitution
may prescribe Mt thelme oftheir admission
A different opnioIhas arisen in regard to
the point of time whp the people OF terri
tory shall decide the uestion for themselves
This is. happily, analter of bul littepra
teal Importance. bides, it is judicial
question which legiihatclv belongs to the
Supreme Court of u Unitrd Stat s, before
whom it Is now peHing. and will, it is under
stood, be speedily I'D finally settled. To
their decision, in cpmon with all good cit
liens, shall cheer ly submit, whatever this
may be, though it hs ever bren my individ
nal opinion that uder the Nebraska Kansas
act the appropriation will BE- when the
number of actual PSI ents in the territory
shall justify the fothation of Constitution
with view to itsldmlssion MS State into
the Union. But ! this as it NAV, it is the
imperative and Indispensable duty of the
government of thUnited States to secure
to every resident ihnbtant the free and in
dependent expressn of his opinion by his
vote. This sacrpd right of each Individual
must br preserved That being accomplish
ed, nothing can b(fairer than to leave the
people Of terriior, free from all foreign in
reference, to drcie their own destiny f"l
themselves, subjet only to the Constitution
of the United Stats
The whole territorial question being then
settled upon lheprinciple of popular sover.
eigntv--a principe M ancient as free govern
ment itself--everybing Of a particular ma
ture has been decided. No other question
remains for adjustment; because all agree
that, under the Constitution, slavery in the
States is beyond he reach of amy human
power, except thai'f The respective States
themselves whereilit exists. May we not,
then, hope that the|ong agitation Of the sub.
ject is approachingts end, and that the ge
ographical parties t which il has given birth
so dreaded by tn Fathr of his Country
will speedily becoIr extinct! Most happy
will it be for the cuntry when the public
mind shall be diveted from the question Ia
others of more pressing and practical impor
lance. ThroughoL the whole progress of
this agitation, whie has scarcely known any
intermission for hore than twenty years,
whilst il has heen productive of no positive
good to any huma being, it has been the
prolific source of treat evils to the master,
to the slave and 1.-THE whole country. II
has aienaied and estranged the people OF
the sister States firm each other, and has
even serionslv endangered he very existenc,
of the Union.
Nor has the danger vet entirely censed.-
Under our systenithere isa remedy for nl
mere political evil in the sound sense and
sober judgment of the people. Time is I
great corrective. Political subjects which
but Few years an excited and exasp"ratcd
the public mind hive passed away and are
now nearly forgotten. But this subject OF
domestic slavery i of far graver importance
than any mere plitical question, because
should the agitati,n continue. it may eventn
ally endanger theprrsonal safely ct a large
portion OF our comirymcn where the lnstliu
ton exists. In tint event no form ct gov
eminent, howeve admirable in itself. anc
however productive of material benefits, car
compensate for tn loss of peace and domrs
tic security around the family altar. Let
every Unionlovine man, therefore, exert hi
best influence L suppress this agitation
which, since the ectnt legislation of Con
gress, is without my Legitimate object.
II Is an evil om,n Of the times that mel
have undertaken h calculate the mere ma
terial value of the Union. Reasoned esti
mates have ben presented of the pecuniar'
profits and local advantages which wonlC
result to different States and sections from
its dissolution, and Of the comparative injn
rirs which such an event would inflict o,
other States and sections. Even descend
ing to this low and narrow view of tn
mighty question, all such calculations are n
fault. The bare reference to single consid
Grafton will be conclusive on this point W.
at present enjoy free trade throughout on
extensive and expanding country. snch as th'
world never witnessed. This trade is con
dncted on railroads and csnals-on n"bl
rivers aud arms of the sea; which bind ia
gether the North and the South, East mt
the West of our confederacy.
Annihia,e this trade, arrest its free pro-
gress by the peographcal lines Of Jealous an,