Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1861-03-13
THE PRESIDENTS INAUGURAL,

Fel'oto Citizens Of the United .Stdfes.-Tn
compliance with custom old as the gov
ernment itself. | appear before you. to ad-
dress you briefly ard 70 take in your pres
ence the oath prescribed By the Constitution
Of the United States, to be taken by the Pres
Ident before he enters on the execution Of his
Office. | do not consider il necessary at the
present, for me to discuss those matters Of ad-
miuistration. about which there Is DO special
anxiety or excitement Appel ension seems
to exist among the people Of the Southern
States that, by the accession of Republican
. administration, their property and their peace
and personal security are TO be endangered.
There Eeyer has eeeu-auy reason or cause for
such apprehension. Indeed. the most ample
evidence to the contrary has all the while ex-
listed, and been open to their inspection. It
! Is found in nearly all the published speeches
Of him who now addresses you. [ do but
. quote from one of those speeches when I de-
clare to you that | have no purpose. directly
/ or Indirectly, to interfere with the institution
/ Of slavery in the States where 1t exists l
/ heieive I have no lawful tight to do so. and I
/ have no inclination 10 10 so Those who
nominated and elected me, did 50 with the
/ full knowledge that had made this and many
/ similar declarations. and had never reoanted
I them; and more than this, they placed in the
platform for my acceptance, rs law to them
T selves and TO me. the clear and emphatic res
olution which now read
Resolre3. That the maintainaBce invio-
late Of the rights Of the States. and especially
the right OF each State to order and control
its own domestic institutions according to is
own Judgment, exclusively. Is essential to that
baIarcc Of power on which the perfection and
endurance Of our political fabric depend. and
We denounce the lawicss invasion by an arm
ed force. of any State or Territory, no matter
under what PreteEt, as among the Cravest Of
crimes
[ now reJterate these sentiments and in do
ing so, | only press upon the public attention
the most conclusive evidence of which the
case is susceptible. that the property, peace
and security Of no section are to be in anv-
wise endangered by the incoming admiuistra-
tion [ add. too that 81! the protection which
consistently with the Constitution and the
laws can be given. will be cheerfully given
to ail the States, when lawfully demanded.
! for whatever cause, IS chccrCuily % one Sec
ton as 81 another.
There Is much controversy about the deliv-
err Of fugjtivcs from service or labor The
clause I read Is as plainly written in She Con
stituJion as any other of its provisions
No person held 30 service or labor in one
State. under the laws thereof, escaping in
another. shall. in consequence Of any law or
regulations therein, be discharged from such
labor or service but shall be delivered up
on claim Of the party to whom such service
or labor may be due.
1t is scarcely questioned that this provision
was intended by those who made It for the
reclaImiug of what we call fugitive slaves.
and the intention of the law givcr is the law
All members Of Congress swear their support
to the whole Constitution-to this provision
as much as to any other To this PROPOSE
tion then, that slaves whose cases come with
in the terms Of this clause shall be delivered
Ut. their oaths are unanimous. Now, if thcv
would make the effort in good temper, could
thev not, with nearly equal unaDimity, frame
and pass a law, by means of which TO keep
good that unanimous cath
There Is some difference Of opinion as to
whether this clause should be enforced by na-
tional or State authority, but surely that diff
ference is not a very material one. If the
slave Is to be surrendered it can be of but
little consequence to him or to others by which
authority it is done and should auy one. in
anv case, be content that his oath shall be
unkert on a merely unsubstantial controversy
qs 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 hu-
name jurisprudence to be introduced. SO that
a freeman may not be in any case surrender
ed as n slave And might it not be well. at
the same time, to provide by Law for the en-
forcement Of that clause in the Constitution.
which guarantees that the citizens of each
State shall be entitled to all the privileges aud
iumupities of citizens IN the several States 2
[ take the official oath to-day with no men
tai reservation, and with no purpose to con
strue the Constitution or laws by any hyper
critical rules and while DO not choose now
to specify particular acts Of Congress as prop
or TO be enforced. | do suggest that It will be
much safer for all, both in Official and private
stations, to conform to and abide h7 all those
acts. which stand unrepealed. than to violate
anv Of them. trusting to find impunity in hav-
ing them held to be unconstitutional.
It Is seventy-two years since the FIRST inaug-
uration Of President under our national
constitution During that period fifteen diff
ferent and greatly distinguished citizens have
in succession administered the executive
branch of this Government. They have con
Quoted It through many perils, and generally
with great success yet with all this scope for
nrecedcnt, [ now enter upon the same task.
for the brief constitutional term Of fou. years.
under great and peculiar difficulties y dis
ruption of the Federal Union, heretofore only
manaccd IS now formIiably attempted. [
hold that, IN contemplation of the universal
law. and Of tho Constitution, the Union Of
these States IS perpetual. Perpetuity is i'm
plied. if not expressed IN the fundamental
law of all national governments. It is safe to
assert. that no government proper ever had a
provision in its organic law for its own termi-
nation. IF we continue to execute all the ex-
press provisions of our National Constitution,
the Union will endure forever it being i'm
-a.s:hla a dast-or n eEcanL by soma n.iinn