Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-03-08

by the dry legal obligation in both cases and
o few break over in. each. This, l think.
cannot be perfectly cured, and itwould be
worse in both eases after tho separation of
the sections than before. The foreign slave
trade, now impsrfectly suppressed, would no
doubt revive through restrictions, while fugi-
tive slaves, now only partially surrendered,
would not be surrendered at all by the other
States. Physically speaking, we cannot
separate. We cannot remove our respect
i've sections from each other, nor build an
impassable wall between them.
Husband and wife may be divorced, and
go out of the reach of each other. But tho
different parts OF our untry cannot do this.
They cannot but remnin face to face. In
tercourse aInicntle or social must continue
between them. Is it possible, then, to make
that Intercourse more advantageous or salts.
factory after separation than before? Can
allies make treaties better than friends can
mako laws2 Can treaties be more faithfully
enforced between allies than laws can among
friends2 Suppose you 90 to war, you eau
not fight always, and when, after much loss
on both sides, aad no gain on either, you
cease fighting, the identical question as to
terms of controversies are again upon you.
This coSntry, with its institutions, belongs
to the people who inhabis it. When they
shall grow weary of the existing government,
they can exercise their constitutional rights
IN attending or the revolutionary right to
dism einber Or overthrow it. We cannot be
'g"or"nt Of the TACT that many worthy and
patriotic cisizeus ace DESTROYS Of having the
National Constitution amended. While
| make no Recommendations Of amendment,
fully recognize the iul authority OF the
poople ever The whole subject, to be eser-
oiseI Ia either oi the modes prescribed in
| the Instrument i.-elt, aad | should under
existing circumstances, favor rather than
| oppose fair opportunity being offered the
people TO act upon it. will venture to add
| that with me the Convention seems peob1-
bic In that it deems amendments to origin ate
| with the people themselves, Instead OF Gully
| permitting them to take or reject PROPOSE
| tons originated by others, not specially
| chosen tor the purpose, and which might
not precisely be such as they would wish
others to accept or refuse.
understand a proposed amendment to the
| Constitution, which amendment, however, |
have not seen, has passed Congress, to the
never interfere with the domestic institutions
of the States, including that Of persons held
| 10 service. 10 avoid misconstruction Of what
[ have said, | will depart from my purpose
not to speak of particular amendments SO far
as to say that, holding such provision to be
now implied constitutional law, have no
objection to it being made express and ire,
vocable. The Chief Magistrate derives all
his authority from the people, and they have
conferred none upon him to fix the terus for
the separation of the States. The people
themselves, alone, can do this if they choose;
the Executive, as such, has nothing to do
with it. His duty is to administer the pres
ent Government as it came to his hands, and
to transmit it, unimpaired by him, to his sue
cessor. Why should there not he a patient
confidence in the natural justice Of the PEG.
pie? Is there any better or equal people in
the world? In our present differences, is
either party without faith of being in the
right? If the Almighty Ruler Of naticrs ),
with his eternal truth and justice, be On the
side of the North, or on the side of the south,
that truth and justice will surely prevail. BY
the judgment Of this great tribunal the great
American people framed the Goyernu ert
under which we live. This same people have
wisely given their public servants but little
power, ard have with equal wisdom provided
for the return of that little to their her Us al
very short intervals. While the people re-
tain their virtue end vigilance no Admins
tration, by any extreme wickedness or folly,
can very seriously injure the Government in
the short space of four years.
My countrymen, one and all, think calmly
AID well upon this whole subject Nothing
valuable can be los. by taking time. If there
be an object to hurry any of y on in hot haste
to step which you would never take DELHI
taking time; but no good object can be ffus-
trated by it. Such Of you as are now dis
satisfied still have the old Constitution
unimpaired, and the laws Of your own franz
ing. Under it the new Administration will
have no immediate cause to change Neither
if it were admitted that the dissatis led hold
the right side of the dispute, there is still no
single reason for precipitate action. Intell;-
gencc, patriotism, christianity, and firm
reliance on Him who has never yet forsaien
this favored land, are still competent to a:s-
just, in the best way, all Our present difficult
ties. In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow
citizens, and not in mine, is the momentous
issue Of civil war. The Government will not
assai you. You will have no conflict without
being yourselves the aggressors You have
no oath registered here to destroy the Gov
eminent, while | shall have the most solemn
one to preserve, protect and defend it. an
10th to close. We are not enemies, but
friends. we must nos be enemies. Though
passion may have strained, it must not break
our bonds of action. The mystic chords of
memory, stretched from every battle field
ard patriotic grave to every living heart and
hearth-stone, all over this broad land, will
yet swell the chorus Of the Union, when
again touched, as shortly. they will be, by
the better angels Of our nature.
During the delivery OF the inaugural
which commenced at half past O. clock, he
was much chaered, especially at any alIu-
sion to the Union. President Ruchanaf, and
Chief Justice fancy listened with the utmost
attention to every word Of the address, and
at its conclusion the latter administered tho
usual oath, in taking which Mr. Lincoln was
loudly cheerod. Tho Chief Justice seemed
very much agitate5, and his hand shook very
perceptibly with emotion. ....
4he Inauguration to-day makes the eighth
ceremony Of the Kind at which Chief Justice
fancy has officiated, having administered
the oath of office successfully to Presidents
Van Buren,, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore,
Pierce, Buchanan ard Lincoln.
The ceremony was exceedingly impressive.
At the conclusion Of the Inauguration cere-
monies, the President was escorted to the
Senate chamber; and thence to his carriage.
The military, forming as in ne procession of
this morning, accompanied him with the
Committee of Arrangements and ex-Presi-
dat Buchanan to the White House. On
reaching the Executive Mansion, tho troops
isrmed in double line on the main avenue,
and the barouchc containing the Presiden-
tial party passed through TO the mansion.
MIR. Buchanan accompanied Mr.. Lincoln to
the main hall, and there took his farewell
leaving of him, expressing tho hope in cor
dial terms that his administration might
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