The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-03-12
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.

Our space will not permit us TO give entire the
Inaugural Address of Mr.. BucmANAS. We must
be ccntcnt with making some extracts from, il
In opening his address he has the following:
81 appear before you this dav to tnko ,hc
solemn oath that | will faith fully execute the
office of President Of the United States and
WILL To the best OF my ability, preserve pro.
tec,, ana defend the Constitution Of the United
| Suites.
"In entering upon this great office, must
humbly invoke the God of our fnthers for wis.
dOm ana hrinness to execute its high an, rcspon- :
sible duties III such II hummer as to restore har-
nony aud uncient friendship among the people
OF the several Stntes, aud to preserve o,r free
institutions throughout many gcneratio"s Con.
vIhccd TINT owe my election e, the inherent
love for the constitution and the Union which
still unnintcs the hearts of the American pcople
let me earnestly ask their powerful support in
sustaining nll just measures calculated to perpct
uaic these. the richest political blessings which
Heaven has ever bestowed upon any nu,iun-
Having determined not TO become 4 candidate
Tor recollection, shall have no motive to intlrnce
| my conduct i'll administering the uovrrn,uont
except the desire ahl, and faithfully 10 serve INV
country, and To live in the grateful memory of
| my countrvmcn."
| Mr.. BrciiANAN asserts the doctrine, that Con-
grcss is neither ito legislatc slavery into any
Territory or State, nor to exclude. it. ,brr..rr,n,
but To leave the people thereof perfectly free TO
form and regulate their do nestle institutions in
their own way, subject only to the Constitution
Of the United States"
He ,lludes to the difference of on;uon unop
the question as TO when, or at what time In. r.o
III" "i Territory shall decide the slavery uncs-
for themselves This, SAYS he, is Il matter of
but little practical import mcc Besides it is II
Judicial question, which lcgitnatcly belongs to
the Supreme Court of the United States before
whom it is now pending. and it will, il is under
stood, he speedily aud finally settled. lie will
submit to their decision, but holds as M ndivul-
"al opinion, that the appropriate period will Lc
when the uumber of actual residents in the Ter
ritory shall Justify the formation of cons,itu-
ton, with view to its admission rs II State into
the Union. lie dcprccatcs slavery agitation and
holds that throug ghout the whole pr..rrcss of
tins agitation, which has scarcely known any
inirrinission fer more than twenty Years whilst
II has been productive of no positive good Ia any
human being 1t has been the prolific source of
great evils t" the master, TO the slave and to the
whole country. 1t has alicnated and csranur,l
the people Of the sister States from each
other, and has even seriously endangered
the very existence q: the Union. Nor has the
danger Yet entirely ceased. Uudcr our system.
there is remedy for nll mere political evils in
the s"''nd sense and sober Judgment of the pco-
pie lime is Il great corrective. Political suh.
Jrcts which, but ii few years ago excited and
ex;sP"ratcd tl'" public mind, have passed nwnv
and are now nearly forgotten. But this uue.;i,u
of domestic slavery is of far greater innor,,ucc
than any mere political Question, because. slould
% TAFT -
ger thr personal safety of large portion of our
couhtrytncn where the institution exists In that
event. mo :;'T of i;c"y.;;:iieii:, however a,iin;,.
bic i'll ITSELF and however productive Of material
benefits, can compensate for the loss of peace
and domestic security around the family uI,ar
Let every Cnion-loying man, therefore, cxer, his
t'st niti nee to suppress this agitation, which.
since the recent legislation of Congress- is with.
OIL any legitimate object"
lie nlludcs 10 the dung"rs of an ovcrflowinu
treasury, and concludes as follows:
The federal constitution is a grant r,nm ,I,o
:'i'.;es /" C"iig"e*: ui certain si.r.i;., i.vwr,.
aud the question whether this gran. should H..
literally or strictly construed, has, more or less
divided l'":ilIcal parties from the cginnnr-
Ithout entering into the argument, I d,sirs. 10
state, at the commencement Of my administers |
ton, that long experience and observation hovc
convinced me that II strict construction of the |
powers OF the government is the only true, ,,s |
well as the only safe, theory Of the cuuSt tuition
W henevcr, IN o,ir past history. doubtful powers !
have been exercised 10y Congress, these have !
never failed To produce injurious and unlappy |
consequences. Many such instances ni.lt he |
h,d,cc.l. if this were the proper occnson. Nci- !
cr IL It necessary for the public service TO s.,un
the language Of the constitution; because MI The
great and useful powers required for u success.
NJ fIsnItlfr a.
peace and III war, have been granted, either in |
express terms Or by the plnnesl implication.
whilst deeply convinced of these truths vet |
consider it clear that, und,r tho war making
power, Congress may appropriate money towards
The construction of II military road when this is
absolutely necessary for the defence of any State
or Territory Of the Union against foreign invn-
sion. Under the constitution Congress has now
err 'Fto d, clare war;" "tO raise aud sllpport an
miles,, Ito provide and maintain a navy" and
TO cal fnrth the militia to "repcl invasions"-
Thus endowed, in MI ample manner, with the
wnr-mnking power, the corresponding duty is
required that "tfc United Siutes shall protect
each Of them lt,e Statcs] against inyusion"-
Now, how is it possible 10 afford this prot lection
to California and our Pacific possessions, except
by means ofa military road through. the Terrific
rics Of tire United States, over which men md
munitions of war may he speedily transported
from the Atlantic States to meet and repel the
invader? In the event of a war with IL naval
power much stronger than our ova, we should
then have 10 other available ACCESS 10 the Pacific
coast because such n powc would instantly close
the route ncross the isthnus Of Central America
1t is impossible to conceive l,ut, whist the con-
stitntion has expressly required Congress to dee
Tend all the States. il should deny TO them, by
nny inir construction. the only possible means by
which one Of these States be defended Be-
sides, the government, ever since its origin, has
been in tho constant practice OF constructing
military roads 1t might also be wise to col,sd-
er whetker the love for the Union which now
our follow citizens the Pucifc coast
mny not be impaired by neglect or refusal to
provide for them N their pemate and isouted
condition. the only means by which the power of
the States. on this side Of the Rocky Mountains,
can reach them in sufficient time to ttprotect'
them "against INVASION ] forbear for the
present from expressing an opinion aa to the VII
sest snd most economical mode in which The gov.
ernment eau lend its aid in accomplishing this
great and necessary work. believe that many