Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-03-08
the court uniforms were gorgeous and at.

the court uniforms were gorgeous and at
tracted much attention. .
The scene in the Senate, while waiting
the arrival of the Presidential party, seemed
to realize s'the lying down Of the lion and
lamb together" OF mixing oil and water.
Messrs. Chase, Wigtall, Crittenden, Wilson
ana others were opposite, chatting with tho
utmost cordially. Senator Breckenridge
Familiarity with the extremi,t
members of the Republicans, while ladies OF
all political sffini,ies, Mrs. Hamlin among
them, looked smilingy down on tho anima-
ted scene below.
At IL minutes to l p. M. the Judges of
the Supreme Court of the United States
Senate. On their entrance, all ON the floor
rose, and the Honorable Judges, headed by
Chic. Justice Tanney, moved slowly to the
seats assigned them, Immediately to the
right of the Vice President each exchanging
situations with the officer in passing the
Chair.
AT 10 minutes after one o'clock, an unu-
sual stir was occasioned in the Chamber,
and the rumor spread like wildlire that the
President elect was in the building. At Is
minutes past O'Clock, the Marshsl.in Chief,
Maj. B. b. French, entered tho Chamber,
us.iering in the President and the President
elect. They had entered together from the
street, through private covered passage way
on tho north side of the Capitol. police
officers being in attendance to prevent out
slders from pressing after them. The line
Of procession was then formed In the fol-
lowing order: Marshal of the District,
Judges of the Supreme court, Sergeant at
Arms of the Senate Committee Of Arrange
menis, President of the United States and
tho President elect, Vice President, Score
tary of the Senate, Senators, Diplomatic
Corps, heads of the Departments, Govern
ors and others, in the Chamber.
When the word was given Tor the House
to fall into line of procession, violent rusl
was made for the door, accompanied by
lond outcreS, violent pushing and grea
disturbance.
After the procession had reached the
platform, Senator Baker, of Oregon, intro
iuced Mr.. Lincoln to the assembly.
Ga Mr.. Linco!ns advancing to the stand
he was cheered, but not loudly. Unfolding
his manuscript, amid loud >l9ering, h,
read his message as follows:
FELLOW. CITIzsNs CT THE UNITED STATES
In compliance with a custom as ancient u
the Government ITSELF l appear before yo'
to address you briefly, and to take, in you
presence, the cath prescribed by the Consti
,ution of the United States to be taken b,
the President before he enters on the execu
ton OF his Office. | do not consider it nee
essary ut present for me to discuss thos
matters of administration about which Their
is no special anxiety or excit ment.
| Approximations seem to exist among tn
people of the Southern States that, by tn
accession of Republican Administration
their property and their peace aad persona
security are to be endangered. Tnere ha
never been any reasonable cause for sue
apprehensions. Indeed, the most ampl
evidence to the contrary has all the whil
existed aid been open to their inspection
1t is found in nearly all the publishe
speeches CT him who now addresses you.
do but quote from one Of those speeche
when | declare that have no purpose
directly or indirectly, to interfere with tn
institution of slavery in the States where
exists. believe have No lawful right {
do 80, and l have no inclination to do SO
Those who nominated and elected me did 8
with the full knowled ge that had made thi
and many similar declarations, and ha
never recalled them and, more than tLis
they placed in the platform for my accept
ance, as a law to themselves and to me, tn
clear and emphatic resolution which l no,
read:
"Resolped, That the maintenance inyiolat
of the rights of the States, and especially tn
right OF each state to order and control it
own domestic institutions according to it
own judgment exclusively, is essential to tina
balance of power on which the perfectio
and endurance of our political fabric depend
and we denounce the lawless inv sion by a
armed force of the soil of any State or Terri
tory, no matter under what pretext, rs on
of the greatest of crimes"
l now reiterate these sentiments; and il
doing so | only press upon the public atten
ton the most conclusive evidence of whc
the case is susceptible that the property
peace and security of no section are to be il
any sense endangered by the now incomin
Administration. l add, too, that all th
pro ection which, consistently with the Con
stituton and the laws, can be given will b
checrfully given to all the States, when law
fully demanded, for whatever cause a
cheerfully to one section as to another.
There Is much controversy about the de
livery of fugitives from service Or labor. Tn
clause now read is as plainly written in tn
Constitution as any other of its provisions
"No person held to service or labor in on
State, under the laws thereof, esca ling int
another, shall in consequence Of any law Q
regulation therein, be discharged from sucI
service or labor, but shall be delivered upol
claim of the party to whom such service c
labor may be due" 1t was intended by thos
who made it, for the retaining of what W
cali fugitive slaves and the intention of tn
lawgiver is the law. All members of Con
gross swear their support to the whole Con
stitution to this provision as much rs an
other. To the proposition, then, that slave
whose cases come within the terms of th
clause, and shall Ee delivered I'D, their oath
are unanimous. Now, if they would max,
the effort in good temper, could they not witt
nearly equal unanmity, form and pass Law
by means Of which to keep good that unani
nous oath? There is some difference y
opinion as to whether this clause should b.
enforced by National or State authority; bu
surely that difference is not very materia
one. Ii the slave Is TO be surrendered 1t COR
be of but little consequence to him, or t,
others, by which authority it is done Ant
should any one, in any case, be content tina
his oath should be nnkept? or enter into ,
merely unsubstlntial controversy as to how
it shall be kept? Again: In law upon thi
subject, should not all the safeguards of lilo
erty known in civilized and humane jurispru
dence to be introduced, so that freeman
may not be in any case surrendered as
slave? And might 1t not be well, al the sam,
time to provide by law for tho enforcement
of that clause in the Constitution which guar
antces that the citizens of each State shall bt
entitled to all the privileges and immunities
of the citizens of the several States?
take the official oath to-day with no men
til reservation and with no purpose to con
strue the Constitution or laws > ), any hyper
critical rules. And while | do not choose te
specify particular acts Of Congress as prope,
to be enforced, do sssgest that it would be