Litchfield enquirer., 1861-03-07
The Inaugural Addre,s.,

oath prescribed by the Constitution of the Un;Y tea States to be taken by the President before ne enters on the execution of his office.
 do not consider it necessary at present for ne 10 dlscuss those matters of Administration aoout which there is special anxiety or ex- citement.
 Apprehension seems to exist among the people of the Southern States that by the accession of aiepupllcan Administration their property, and tNeir peace and personal security are to be en- banseieu. tIt @ There has never been any reasons- Die cause for such apprehension Indeed, the most ample evidence to the contrary has all the "hiie existed, and been open to their inspection IL IS found in nearly all the published speechex of him who now addresses you. I do but quote rom one Of these speeches, when declare that nave no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of Slavery in tho ota'es where 1t exists 1 believe have no law lul right to do so, and 1 have no inclination to oo' lhose who nominated and elected me did so Wlth full Knowledge that had made this ana many similar declarations, and had never .eoaii'eu 'isem' Anu more than this, they placed in the platform for my acceptance, and as 4 law to themselves and to me, the clear and empbAtic resolution which now read: Heso!reG, That the maintenance inyiolate of the rights of the States, and especially the right of each State to order and control it's own domes l us institutions according to it's own judgment
 exclusively, IS essential 10 that balanes ofnowar l =
 htlcal fabric depend and we denounee the law
 less ihTGaioa, by armed force, of the soil of any 2t2te or ierfitory, no matter under what pretext l az the grayest of crimes
 | l no" relterate these sentiments, and in doing | so, only press upon the public attention the
 most conclusive evidence of which the case ia suScetibIe, t2at the property, peace and seouri- ! " ol l0 section Ere 10 be in suy wise endancsr- 1 cd by the now incoming AdIninistr 1 add l too, that all the protection which, consistently with the Consultation and the lava. can be ziven,
 will ha cheertulIy given to all tLe States when
 laWI"uy oemandcd. for whatever cause, as cheer | tuLty 10 one section to smother
 | There is mach controversy about the deliver
 ing np oi tugitives from service or labor Tho
 cla"sc now read is ss plainly written in the | Constitution Ss any other of lls provisions
 'No person held 10 service or labor in one State ln!er the ia"s thereof, escaping into an other, shlll, in consequence of any law CT regu- l iattoA thctel0, be discharged from such service ! or labor, but shali be delivered ID on claim of
 the party to whom such service or labor may be
 due
 l. IS scarcely questioned that this provision
 vas ntcated 5y those who made it for the re-
 claiming of what We clll fugitive slaves and the
 intention of tAe lawsiyer i9 the law. All Mem 1 bers Of Congress swear their support to the i whole CoGstt@t:"i.--to this provision as much
 as any otEer. To the proposition. then tbst
 slaves whose eases cone t.ii aa lhe terms ofthia
 chase ''s4!H be dtl;tscel up" tber paths are
 HA,.!l!Ia3us. Sow if they would make the effort 1 ill good temper, could they not with nearly equal
 EnaniM,ity frans a.i pass law by means of
 which 10 keep gooi ina. unaniinous oath. Thero l is some difference f Qu non whether tAis clause
 should be enforced b.. Hat;oual or by State Iu-
 iAority, but surely tl.at difference is not a very i n!&'ersM one. 1T lae slave IS t0 Ge surrendered, il c2a 5s ot but !stta c0G,a Ecnce to him oth- 1 crs hy "h'ch a4;hority il is done. Aai should l any one, in any Case, Ee content thst tais oath i shall so u0A"pt on merely unsutstsntial con- 1 rof"rsy, ls to ho. it sh@il be kept? Again. in l any itW upon t- subj 'ct, ought not sll the safe
 guards of liberty known ia tAs civilized and hu-
 :nane j.rjsac;! ;!-,et ,o te ia;roau,s s3, % that a fre'laeI' "e not, .0 my case, surrendered slave -:ld n gl, i, rot 1e well at the same time to provide by law fer tie enforcement of that clause n t.sa to.stltulcn which gusrant;es inst ''t4e citizens of each State s!au bo entitled ;o aN the privileges a@L i:a:uuEit:ts of citizens m t''e 225aTat States" i take tue official oath to-1.y with 10 llcntsl reservations, and wiih no purpose 10 co3s 3stEaEG thc EonsiiiutiUp or laws by any hJpe"eri,i>aI ru,"5; aud wAil. do Dot choose no" to specify particular acts of Consress t3 l1nqtr to hc enforce. ], Ca suggest inst it vii >o :aue; a@!sr fer II, hoth in oi,ici&l and private s"loNs, 2 ctn-or!n to, and af ite " Sll, t"oaa a@ss which stand uUsepea2e,. taaa to yio- .&:e &uy ol iacn, trusting 10 aad ;mrunity in having ih.;l u&d t9 S2 unconstitutional.
 l. 5 seven y-!ny year since the first insuEu- ration oG T. H.r.i,;'n. un!er .,atonal Cousti~ t1t'ar. IGrnt la't iNrta.l, if zen different and
 greatly i,ls;:a; i,.~.e tita;l.s lave i2 succession
 :s,Ha;5.ts .orti s!e Exacutivs branch Of the Gov s|3l:22At. Ii'T have cvuuct dit through many per,!s, a9" .;"aara2:y with great succsss. Yet W!'h &t' iui3 s~of' tJr precedent, l now entet upon t." same task, pr Jhc brief consti.utonal tosEi of SyGr yr2rs, Cnd great aud Teculiard diff 1 teutF. I disruption of the Federst Union, ! ttgr +.,f,~ l.Ll teia2tsei holi that in contemplation of uni- ysLc4l jaw and of the Constitution, the union of these States is perpetual. Pegpctui,y is implied if n2t expressed in Ike funla.nentAl law of all National t0vcrnueuts. IL is safe to assert that Government proper never had provision in it's organic Ia" tor it's own termination. Continue to execute RI tha express provisions of 0ur na- tional Constitution, and the Union will endure i"Heftf, 1t being impossible to destroy it except 5y aome action net provided for iR the instTu- meet itself. Again, if the United States be not toTernmcnt proper, but an association Of States tn tle nature ofa contract merely, can it, as contract, be r%aeeahly unmajte by lcss than all the parties who made il. One party to a con- tract may violate it-break it, 80 to speak-but does 1t not squire al to lawfully rescind it - Descending from these gene9 al principles, we ind the proposition thst, in legal con tsnlplation, the Union k perpetual confil med hy the tis t,ry of tha Union itself. The Union is much ol Ter
 
 thc articles Of association ill 11Il. It was ma- turel and coH;iaucd in the Declaration of inde- pendencC, in l11G. It furl her matured and the faith of all the then thirteen States, express r pligltcl and CT ,&gsd, that it should be per- petuai b the articles q! Confederation in 117o, and finally in 1787, one Of the declared objects for ortlAiEing and c itLlishing the Con stitution was, to form q more perfect Onion But if the destruction ofthe Uiion by one, or hy part or- ly of the States, be lawfully possible the Union is less than t.io Q, the Constitution having lost the vital element of pcTpetuity. It follows from these views that TO State upon its own mere mo- ton can lawfully get out of the Union that re- solves and ordinances to that effect are legally void, and that acts of violence within any State States against the authority of the United States are insurrectionary or revolutionary sS- cording to circumstances.
 1, therefore, consider that, in view of the Con- stitution and the laws, the Union is unbroken, and, to the extent of my ability, I shall take care, as the Constitution itself expressly enjoins upon me, the laws Of the Union be faithfully ex- ecuted in all the States. Doing this I deem to be only simple duty my part. shall per- -' fectly perform it, so far is practicable, unless my rightful masters, the American people, shall withhold the acquisition, or in some authorativo manner direct the contrary I trust this will not be regarded as a menace but only as the de- ciared purpose of the Union that it will consti- tut1onally defend and maintain itself
 In doing this, there need be no bloodshod or violence, and there shall be none unless it is forced upon the national authority. The power con1ided to me will be used to hold, occupy and possess the pr0Derty and places belonging to the