The Van Buren press., 1861-03-08
MR.. LINCOLN'S INAUGURAL.
WAsHINGTos, d. G. March 4

w A5HISGTOS, ~. ~. AhattA r.
Citizens of the United States, in COM
pliance with custom a. old as the Gov
srnment itself, 1 appear before you to ad-
dress YOU briefly, and to take in your pres
ence the oaths prescribed by the Constitu-
ton Of the United States, to be taken by
the President before he enters in the execu-
ton of the duties OF his office. l do not
consider it necessary at present, Tor me 10
discuss those matters OF administration
about which there is no special anxiety or
excitement. The apprehension seems to
exist among the people Of tho Southern
States that by the accession of a Republican
administration, their property and their
peace and their personal security are to be
endangered. There has never been any
reas enable cause for such apprehension, in
deed the most ample evidence to the con
trsry has all the while existed and been op-
en- to their inspection-it is found i'll nearly
all the published speeches of him who now
addresses you. l do but quote from one OF
those speeches, when l declare have no
purpose, directly or Indirectly to interfere
with the institution of Slavery in the States
where it exists. / believe have no lawful
right to do SO, and have no inclination to
lido so. Those who nominated and elected
me, did SO with the full knowledge that l
had made this and many similar dec..ara-
tions, and had never recsnted them and
more than this. they placed on the platform
for my acceptance, as 1. Jaw to themselves
and to me the Gear and emphatic resolution
whlc..u / now read:
ei Resolred, That the maintainance invio-
, late of the rights of the States, and especi-
G ally the rights Of each State to order and
I control it's own domestic institutions &C
:: cording to it's own judgment exclusively, is
h essential to the balance Of power. on which
the perfection and endurance Of our politl-
cal fabric depend, and we denounce the law
less invasion by an armed force OF the gov
o ernment CT any State or Territory, no mat
ter under what pretext, is amonS the grav
I est OF crimes.
t / now reiterate these sentiments, and il
doing SO i only press upon the public at
It tention the most conclusive evidence o
= which the case is SUSCEPTIBLE, that the pros
It petty, peace and security of no section are
y currrng ADMINISTRATOR. 'suu TO rna,, IN
Q the protection which consistently with tn
Constitution and the law can be, will b.
e cheerfully given to all the States, whel
: lawfully demanded for whatever cause, o.
=. cheerlully to one section as to another
) There Is much controversy about the deliv
. ering up of fugitives from service or labor
}; The clause l now read is as plainly writer
= in tho Constitution as any other OF its pro
visions
n " No person held to service or labor il
n one State under the laws thereof, escaping
'i into another shall in consequence OF any
i law or regulation therein, be discharged
: from such service or labor, but shall be de-
+ livered upon claim to the party to who
such service or labor may be due.'
v 1t is scarcely questioned that this provis
e ion was intended by those who made it, fol
: the reclaiming of what we call fugitive
II slaves, and the intention of the law given
: is the laval members of Congress swear
y their support to the whole Constitution
to this provision as much as to any other
i to the proposition then that slaves whose
case Genes within the terms of this clause
shall be delivered up-their oaths are unan-
, imous. Now, if they would make the effort
a in good temper, could they not with nearly
equinimity frame and pass law, by means
: Of which to keep good that unanimous oath
There Is some difference of opinion whetk-
er this clause should be enforced by Ma
tional or State authority-but surely that
difference is not a very material one Ii
the slave Is to be surrendered, it can be OF
but little consequences to him or to others.
by which authority it is done, and should
any one in any case, be content that his
oath shall be unkept or q merely unconsti
tutlonal controversy as to how it shall be
kept. Again, in any law upon this sub
Ject ought not all the safeguards OF liberty
known in civilized and humane jurisprud-
ence to be introduced SO that free man NAV
not In any case be- surrendered as q slave.
And might it not be we'll at the same time
to provide by law for the enforcement OF
that clause in the Constitution, which guar
antees that the citizens OF each State shall
be entitled to all the privileges and immu-
mites o; citizens in the several States.
take the official oath to -dcy with no
mental reservations. and no purpose to
construe the Constitution and laws by anv
hypocritical rules.
do not choose now to specify part;cu.
lar acts to Congress proper to be enforced
l do suggest that it will be much safer for
all IN official and private stations to con.
form to and abide by all these acts which
stand unrepealed, than to violate anv of
them, trusting to find security in having
them held to be unconstitutional. It is 70
years since the first Inauguration of a Presi-
dent under our National Constitution. dur.
ing that period Is different and greatly dis
tinguished citizens. have in succession adj
ministcred the executive branch Of the Gov
eminent. They have conducted through
many perrils. generally with great success
yet with all this scope for PRECEDENT.
now enter apon the same task. for the
brief constitutional term of four wears
under great and peculiar difficulties. Dis.
Eruption Of the federal union, heretofore onIv
menaced is now formidably attempted
hold that in contemplation OF univers-
al law and the Constitution, the Union of
the States. perpetual perpetuity il implied.
If not expressed in the fundamental law Of
ell national governments. 1t is safe to "A.
sert that the government properly had
prosision in its organic law for its own
terminstion. CONTINUE to execute all the
expressed provisions OF our national Con.
stisution aud the Union will endure forever
lit being impossible to destroy it. excen,
BY some action not provided for in the in
strumcnt itself.