Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-03-11
Inaugural Address
PRESIDENT BUCHANAN.


PRESIDENT BUCHANAN.
FELLOW CITIzESs Il appear befcrt
you this day TO take the solemn oath tina
/ will faithfully execute the Office of Pres
ident Of the United Ststes-and will t.
the best of my ability preserve, prolec
and defend the Constitution of the UniteC
States. In entering upon this great off
ice | most humbly invoke the God Of on
Fathers for wisdom and frmness to exc.
cute its high and responsible duties, il
such a manner as to restore harmony and
the ancient Friendship among the people
of the several Safes, and 10 preserve oul
free institutions throughout many gener.
atoms. Convinced that l owe my cleo.
ton to the inherent love for the Consti
tuition AMI the Union, which still animates
the hearts of the American people, let me
earnestly ask their powerful support il
sustaining all kt measures calculated to
perpetuale these, the richest political
blessings which Heaven has ever beslow.
ed upon any nation.
Having determined not TO become a
candidate for reelection, / shall have nc
motive to influence my conduct in admin.
istering the government, except the de-
sire, ably and faithfully. to serve my
counlrymen. We have recently passed
through a Presidential contest in which
the passions of our fellow ciliEins we're ex.
cited TO The highest degree, by questions
of deep and vital Importance, but when
the people proclaimed their will, the TEN
pest at once subsidized, and all was calm.
The voice Of the majority speakinsi in lie
manner prescribed by the constitution,
was heard, aud instant submission fol-
lows.
Our country could alone have exhib-
tied SO grand and striking a spec
tacle Of the capacity of man for selEgov-
eminent. What a happy conception,
then, was it for Congress 10 apply this
simple rule, that the will Of the majority
shall govern, in the settlement Of the
question of domestic slavery in the Ter
%ritories. Congress is neither to legisIa,e
slavery into any Territory OF State, nor
to exclude il therefrom. but to leave the
people thereof perfectly free to form and
regulate their domestic institutions in
their oHn way, subject only to the Con-
stiiution Of the United States.
As a natural consequence, Congress
has also prescribed that when the Terri.
tori OF Kansas shall be admitted az a
State. it shall be received into the Union
with or without slavery, as their consti-
tuition may prescribe at the time of their
admission.
A different opinion has arisen in re-
gard 10 the lime when the people Of a
Territory shall decide this question for
themselves. This is happily a matter
of but little practical importance, and be-
sides it is sjudicial question which Iegit-
imately belonges to the Supreme Court
of the United States before whom i. is
now pending. and will, it is understood,
be speedily and finally settled, 70 this
decision. in common with all good ciIi-
Eens, l shall c~heerfully submit. whatever
this may be. though il has been my midi
vidual opinion that under the Nebraska
Kansas act. the appropriate period will
be when the number of actual residents
in the Territory sh all justify the forma-
ton of a constitution with q view to its
admission as a State into the Union; but
be this IS it may, it is the imperative
and indispensable duty of the Govern
ment of the United States 10 secure to
every resident inhabitant the free and in
dependent expression of his opinion BY
his vote. This sacred right Of each indi
vidual must be preserved. This being
accomplished, nothing can be fairer than
to leave the people Of a Territory free
from all foreign influence 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 pop
ular sovereignty; a principle as ancient
as free government itself, every thing Of
a practical value has been decided and
no other question remains for adjustment
because all sgree that under the, consti
tuition slavery in the States is beyond the
reach of any human power except that OF
the respective States themselves where
in it exists. May we not then hope that
the long agitation on this subject is ap-
preaching its end and hat the geograph-
ical 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 diverted
from this question TO others Of more
pressing and practical Importance.
Throughout TIE whole progress OF this
agitation Ehich has scarcely known any
intermission for more than twenty years.
while it has been productive of no posi-
tive good to any human being, it has
been the prolific source of great evils to
the master, to the slave and 10 the whole
country. 1T has aiienated and estrang
ed the people of the sister States from
each nther. and endangered the very ex-
of the Union. nor has the danger
yet entirely ceased. Under our system
is a remedy for all mere political
evils 10 the sound sense and sober Judge.
nent of tie people. Time is a great cor
!