Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-03-07

on Monday in the presence of an immens'
number of people, and, thanks to the PIE
cautions of Gen Scott, passed off withoa
disturbance The document is generally
we'll received in the border States, ane
with the exception of some northern allies
treason approved by the masses as {
Grrl but conservative declaration.
EELLow CITIzsSs OF THE UNITED STATES
In compliance with 2 custom rs I'D - ,...
Government itself, appear before you to ad.
dress you briefly, and to 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 fhls
Office.
/ | DC not consider it necessary at present
/ for me to discuss those matters OF admins
tration about which there is no special anxi
ETY. or excitement.
Apprebension seems TO exist among the
people of the Southern States that by the &C.
eession of q Republican administration their
property and their peace and personal securl
tv are to be endangered. There has never
been any reasonable cause for such apprehen-
sion Indeed the most ample evidence to the
contrary has all the while existed, and been
open TO then Spcc&iUn it is found in near
" all the published speeches Of him who now
addresses you.
do but quote from one Of those speeches
when declare that | have no purpose di
rectly or indirectly to interfere with the in
stitutign oi slavery in the States where it ex
lists. believe | have no lawful right to do
so, aud | have no inclination to do so. Those
who nominated and elected me did so with
the fall knowledge that | had made this and
many similar declarations, and had never re
canted them, and more than this, they placed
in the platform for my acceptance, as law
to themselves and to me. the clear and en-
phatic resolution which | now read.
Resolred That the maintenance inviolate
of the rights of the States and especially the
right of each State to order and control its
own domestic institutions according to its
own judgment exclusively, is essential to that
balance Of power Oh which the perfection and
endurance of our political fabric depend, and
we denounce the Iawless invasion, by an arm
ed force of the soil Of any State or territory,
no matter under what pretext, as among the
grayest of crimes.
| now reiSeTGte these sentiments, and in
doing SO | only press upon the public atten
tion the most conclusive evidence of which
the case is susceptible that the property,
peace and security of no section are to be in
anywise endangered by The now incoming
Administration.
| add, too, that all the protection which
consistently with the constitution and the
laws can be given, will be cheerfully given to
all the States, when lawfully demanded, for
whatever cause, as cheerfully to one section
as to another.
There is much controversy about the delIv
ering Of fugitives from service or labor. The
clause now read is as plainly written in the
Constitution as any other of its provisions:
"No person held to service or labor in one
State under the laws thereof escaping into an
other, shall, III consequence of any law or
regulation therein, be discharged from such
labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of
the party to whom such ser ice or labor may
be due"
It is scarcely questioned that this provision
was intended by those who made it fer the
reclaiming Of what we call fugitive slaves,
and the intention of the lawgiVer is the law.
All members Of Congress swear their sup
port to the whole Constitution, to this pro-
vision as much as to any other.
To the proposition then that slaves whose
cases come within the terms Of this clause
and shall be delivered up, their oaths are
unanimous. Now, if they would make the
effort in good temper, could they not with
equal unanimity frame and pass 4 law by
means Of which to keep good that unanimous
oath? There is some difference of opinion
whether this clause should be enforced by
National or State authority, but surely that
difference Is not 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 any
one in any case be content that his oath shall
be unkept on a merely unsubstantial c0ntrO-
versY as to how it shall be kept?
Again, in any law upon this subject ought
not ali the safeguards Of liberty known in
civilized and human Jurisprudence to be in
troduced so that a freeman may not be in
any case surrendered as a slave? And might
II nor he well at the same time to provide by
law ior ne enforcement Of that clause IN the
Constitution which guarantees that the cltl-
zens Of each State shall be entitled to all the
provisions and immunities Of citizens in the
several States.
take the official oath to day with no men
tai reservations and with no purpose to con-
stTue the Constitution or laws by any hyper
critical rules, and while do not choose now
TO specify particular acts ofCongress as prop
ti " 1S ei'ioICSui w SHs5SSot t[Gt ~ hi1+ "
much safer for all, both in official and private
stations, to conform to and abide by all those
acts which stand unrepealed, than to violate
any of them, trusting to find imppnity in
having them held to be unconstitutional.
1t is seventy-two years since the first inau-
gQration Of a President under our National
Constitution; during that period fifteen differ
ent and greatly distinguished citizens have,
in succession, administered the. Executive
branch of the Government. They hare con-
Quoted it through may perils and generally
win great success, yet With all this scope for
precedent | now enter upQG the same task for
the brief Constitutional term of four years
under great and peculiar difficulty. dis.
ruption Of the Federal Cuion, heretofore only
uensced. is pow forndably attempted. |
hoe that Ia con.sinplation Of universal law