Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-03-05
INAU GU RAJ. ADDRESS
OF
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
WASHINGTON, MARCH 4, 1856

a ABRAHAM IL IN GUL IN.
WASHINGTON, MARCH 4, 1861.
Fslloo- Citi=ens Of the United States In
compliance with custom, as old Is the
government itself, appear before you, TO all
dress you briefly, and TO take, in your presence,
the oath prescribed by the Constitution Of the
United States, TO DC taken by Tie President
before he enters upon tho exercise Of his
office | do not consider it NECESSARY,
at present, for Inc to discuss those matters Of
administration about which there is no special
anxiety or excitement. Apprehension seems to
exist among the penplr of the Southern States,
that by The accession Of Republican admins
trat!on their property and their peace ard per.
sonal security arc to be endangered. There has
never been any reasonable cause for such ap.
prehensiuns. Indeed, tho most ample evidence
to the contrary has all the while existed, and
been open to their inspection. 1t is found III
nearly all the published speeches OF him who
now addresses you. I do but quote from one
Of those speeches, when declare that | have
no purpose, directly or indirectly. 10 interfere
with the institution ufsllvery in the States where
it exists believe have no Lawful! right to DO
SO; and have no inclination to do so. Those who
nominated and elected me, did so with full
knowledge that ha'i made this and many SIM
liar declarations and had never recantcd them.
And, more than This, they placed in the plat
form Tor my acceptance, and Is law ~ them
selves ard 10 me, the clear and emphatic rcso
luton which now read
"Resulvcd That the maintenance invioIale
Of the rights of the States, and especially the
right OF each State To order and control its own
doncs tic institutions according to its own judg-
mrnt exclusively, is essential to that bnlance
OF powers on which the perfection and entu-
rance Of our political fabric depends and we
drnounce the lawltss invasion by armed force
of the soil Of any State or Territory, no matter
under what prctcxt, US aulong the graSest Vi
CRIMES"
now reiterate the sentiments, and in do
ing 50 only press upon the public attention
the ,uust conclusive evidence of which! the
case is susceptible, that the property, peace
and security Of no section IRE To be in anywISe
endangered by the now incoming admiuistra-
ton. | add, too that all the protection which,
consistently with the Constitution and laws
can be gwen will be cheerfully given 10 all the
States. when lawfully demanded for whatever
cause-as cheerIully to one section ms 10
another
There is much controversy about delivering
I'D of iugitives from service or labor The
clause now read is as plainly written in the
Constitution, as any other ut its provisions:
No person held 10 service or labor in one
State, nader the laws thereof, escaping into
another, shall, in consequence ol any law OF
regulation therein, be discharged from such
service or labor, but shall DO delivered, upon
claim OF the party, TO whom such service or
labor may be uu-."
1t is scarcely questioned, that this provision
| was intended ny those who made it, for the re-
Claiming Of What We cal! fugitive slaves, and
| the intention Of the law gver is the law. All
! members Of Congress swear their support TO
| the whole Cunsllluti0n-to this provision as
much rs 10 any other. To tho proposition then,
that slaves whose cases come within the terms
o! this clause shall be delivered up, their oaths
| are unanimous Now, if they would make
the effort in good temper, could they not %ith
nearly equal unnrilnty, frame and pass iaw by
| means OF " hich to keep good that UNANIMOUS
oar!i !? There is some difference u! opinion
whether this clause should bn enforced
by national or by State authority, but
surely that difference Is not very material
one II the slave is TO he surrendered, it can
be- Of bur little consequence 10 him or 10 others
| By which authority ii is done. And should
| any one IN any case he content that his oath
| shall 90 unkcpt Oh q merely unsubstant!al
| controversy as to how it shall be kept!
! Again-In any Law upon this subject, ought
not all the safe guards Of liberty, known IN
| civilized and humane Jurisprudence, to DC IL.
| truduccd, 50 that free man be not IN any case
| surrendered as 4 slave. And might it not he
we'll at the same time, to provide 10y law Tor
the enforcement, Of that clause in tie CcnSti-
tuition which guarantees that the citizens Of
each State shall he entitled 10 all privileges
and inlnunitieS OF citizens in the sc"crul States
take the official oath to-day with no men
tai reservation, and with no purpose to cOli-
s,rue the Constitution or laws by any hypo.
critical rules; and while 10 not ciuoSe no~
| 10 specif; particular acts vi Congress AS proper
! TO be enforced, / DO Suggest that II VIII DC
much safer for all. both IN official and private
stations, to cnnform to and abide ny all those
! acts which stand unrepcaied, Than 10 violate
any OF them, trusting TO find iinpunty IN hay
! iny them held - lie Constitutional.
Ii is scventy.two years since the hrst i;au-
gurat;ou Of President under Our National
Constitution. During that period fifteen dill
ferent and greatly distinguished citizens have
in succession, administered the Executive
| branch Of the Government They have con.
Quoted it through many perils, md generally
| with great success Yet, with all this scope
| for precedent, ! now enter upon the same task
| for the brief constitutional term Of four years
under great and peculiar difficulties. 4 dis.
ruvtou Of the Federal Union, heretofore only
menaced, is now Ior.pdahly attempted. hold
that in contemplation Of universal law and Of!
the Constitution, the Union of these States is
perpetual. Pcrpctuity is implied, il not en-
PRESSED in the fundamental law Of all Ma
tion.l Governments 1t is sale 10 assert
tia, 10 government, proper, ever had II pro.
| vision in Its organic law for its own terin.
na,iony CouIinuc 10 execute all the ca
nress provisions of Our national Constitution
and the Uuiun will endure forever; it being
impossible, to destroy it except BY some action
| not provided for in tho instrument itse'i.
Again-lf the United States be not Gov
eminent proper, but an association Of States in
the nature Of contract merely, can 1t, rs con.
tract. he peaceaLly unmade by less than all the
parties who made it? One party 10 contract
may violate it. break it so to speak; but docs IL
not REQUIRE all to lawfully rescind it:
Descending from these general principles,
| ne find the proposition that, in legal contern-
plat;op. the Union is perpetual, confirmed By
the history Of the Union itself. The Union is
mach older than the CONSTITUTIONS. 1t was
formed in fact Ey the Articles OF Association
in l174 Ii wuS inatured and continued 10y the
Declaration Ct Independence in 1918. II was
farther rusturcd. and the faith Of all the then
thirteen States expressly plghted and engaged
that it should TIC perpetual bf the Articles Of
Confederation in lI?S; and, finally, IN 1857,
one Of the declared objects for ord"nIng and
establishing tie Constitutions, was 10 iorm a
more perfect Union.
Bur, if destruction Of the Union by one or
by Il part only Of the States be lawfully posi-
bic, the Union is less perfect than before the
Constitution. Having lost the vital element
of perpetuty, it follows, from these views, that
no State upon its own mere motion, con law,
fully get ont Of the Union; that resolves and