Daily national Democrat., 1861-03-19
Lincoln's Inaugural.

he sOIJ OF lOfCC NHlch HC CoHtcih l'ihl'9 V'"-
ploying will probably be the manning of such
forts as are in the possession Of the Govern
meut, and throwing them into defensive in
stead Of an offensive attitude, and next the
collection Of the Federal revenues upon sea-
The seeding States having 20 novics, this
will be effected without the possibility Of
bloodshed.
An afectation of wonder ai the position Of
Mr.. Lincoln, with regard to his declarations OF
intention to enforce the authority q the
United States, is hardly worthy of any IN
teIigent man. AS President of the United
States. he is sworn "to see that the laws are
faithfully executed" There is DO discretion
left him in the premise' Were he Democrat
or Wing, as he is Republican, his Obligations
in The high Office which he fills, would Ge the
same. He cannot escape the responsibility.
Within the limits Of his constitutional oath,
he has no power to recognize the validity OF
any Secession ordinance, no matter with
what solemnitics it may have been enacted.
His position is peculiar one, but 1t Is one
into which he has been forced, actually
forced, by the preciptate action of the seced
ing States. If war is to ensue, they have
brought it upon themselves The ablest men
in their ranks urged them TO refrain, in order
that Compromise might be Effected aud that
both the power Of the administration and its
purpose to do them injury might first tie
demonstrated, before any act Of hostility to
the Federal Government should be committed
by a seeding State But no, they could not
wait. They must thems ylves begin the at
| tack-themselves inaugurate the war. 10y
sczing upon property which did not belong
to them, by openly denying the authority Of
the General Government, and proclaiming
their independence Of the Federal Union.
They did not wait to be struck. They seem
ed TO be afraid that they would not be struck
and that no excuse would be afforded them
for revolution or secession. Mr. Lincoln finds
himself President with bodies Of men in open
rebellion against those laws which he is sworn
to execute lie, in his official capacity, has
committed no act Of hostility or unfriendli-
ness against the South. lie has had no op-
portuuity OF manilesting the least disposition
to DO SO. He is allowed no chance TO make
move Of aggression against Southern Rights,
which would give Southern States an excuse
for aiming for war. They themselves have
assumed the hostile attitude, ard the issue
which should have boeu-Resistance Of the
South TO the unconstitutional policy of Re
publican President, ukoing war upon
to an issue in which the President must be
recognized 10y the whole civilized world as
standing simply in the position of the head Of
great Government contending against in
! suircction and rebellion.
| This was great and fatal error on the
part Of the seeding States. They should
have waited for the grievance, before they
acted. They should have waited for the Ad
ministretion to strike its blow against them,
especially as the lends of that AdministIa-
ton had earnestly declared that no such blow
would be struck, and the opponents of the
Administration, who were yet lovers Of th,
Union urged rpon them the indispulablc fact
hat no such blow couid be struck were the
Administration ever SO willing How much
better would it have been to be able now, in
their revolutionary attitude TO say, I'VE are
coutcnding against Government which, in
the hands of the Chief Magistrate, with n
controlling party at his back, is lending its
power TO our OPPRESSION and doing its utmost
to crush out our rights and liberties!' How
much better than TO have now no grievance
to name. when asked by the authoritative
voice of the civilized world "lFhdt has the
Federal Government done against You ,
IIhai has Mr. Lincoln done, as President, to
which you object and against which you rev
olutionize?" To have to make the humiiat-
ing reply-"The Government has done noth-
ing, Mr. Lincoln has done nothiag,' it se9ms
to us is position to which no people, acting
under great emergencies and with great ex-
pectations before them, ought ever of their
own votion to be reduced and degraded.
No sophistry can change the estimate OF
reason and common sense, in this business.
The issue is net a Black Republican President
against People struggling against his OPP
preston, as it might have been, and should
have been, before Secession took place, but it
is plainly an issue of Rebellion against the
Government of the country.
The sympathies of men, especially the men
of the Border States, will lead many to es-
| pouse the cause of the seeding States, not
wiIhstandng they regret the necessity which
impels them; but they will feel the eternal
pang at their hearts of consciousness that
they are engaged in a conflict against Gov
ernment which has never injured but always
protected them, and against President who
has actually done nothing, been permitted by
the inexorable force of the circumstances
around him to do nothing, but carry out or
attempt to carry out the Constitutional oath
with which he was inducted into l,ce
The living hell with which thousands Of
men, forced into this unnatural movement OF
the seeding States, will be beset, in their re
Elections, will be that the starting point, the
starting point of the Revolution was wrong
No list of grievances! No act of oppression !
They rebelled in time of profound peace
and made war upon Government which had
shown no disposition to oppress them.
What may be the termination of events