The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-03-12
PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S
INAUGURAL Address !
Fellow Citizens of tie United States ::

before you 10 auufesS you OFleilV, ana 10
take in your presence the oath provided
by the Constitution of the United States
to be taken by the President before he
enters on the duty of his Office.
| do not consider it necessary at pres
ent for me to discuss those matters of
administration about which there is no
especial anxiety or excitement. Appre-
henslon seems to exist among the people
of the Southern States that by the ac-
cession of a Republican administration
their property, their peace and personal
security are to be endangered, but there
has never been any reasonable cause for
such apprehension. Indeed the most
ample evidence to the contrary has all
the while existed, and been open to their
inspection. 1t is found in nearly all the
published speeches of him who now ad
dresses you. ! do but quote from one
of those speeches when l declare that |
have no purpose, directly or indirectly,
to interfere with the institution of Slav
cry in the States where it exists. | be-
lieve | have no lawful right to do so, and
have noinclination to do so. Those
who nominated and elected me did SC
with the ull knowledge that had made
this, and many similar declarations, and
had never recalled them; and, more than
this, they placed in the platform for my
acceptance, as a law to themselves and tc
me, the clear and emphatic resolution
which now read
Resobed, That the maintenance invi.
olate of the rights of the States and es-
pecially the right Of each State to order
and control its own domestic institutions
according to its own judgment exclusive
ly, is essential to that balance of power
on which the perfection and endurance
of our political fabric depends, and we
denoun3e the lawless invasion by an
armed 'orce of the soil Of any State OF
| Territory, no matter under what pretext,
as among the gravest of crimes.
| nov reiterate these sentiments, and
in doing 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 sec
ton are to be in any wise endangered by
the nov incoming Administration. |
add, toe 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 de-
manded for whatever cause, as cheer
fully to one section as to another
There is much controversy about de-
livering 'ugitives from service or labor.
The clause | now read is as plainly writ
ten in tht Constitution as any other OF its
provisions.
mo prison held to service or labor in
one State, under the laws thereof, escap-
ing into another, shall in consequence of
any law Or regulation therein, be dis
charged from such service or labor, but
shall be delivered up on claim OF tlie pax
ty to whom such service or labor may be
due"
1t was intended by those who made it
for the reclaiming Of what we call fugit-
i've slaves, and the intention Of the lawgiy-
er is the law. All members Of Congress
swear to give their support to the whole
Constitution, to this provision as well as
to any other. To the proposition, then,
that slaves whose cases come within the
terms Of this clause, shall be delivered
up their oaths are unanimous.
Now, if they would make the effort in
good temper, could they not with near
ly equal unanmity, frame and pass a
law, by means Of which TO keep good
that unanimous oath There is some
difference Of opinion whether this clause
should be enforced by a National or State
authority, but surely that difference is
not very material one. If the slave is
to be surrendered, it can be Of little con-
sequence to him or to others by what au
thority it is done and should any one
in any case be content that his oath shall
be unkept, on merely unsubstantial con
troversy as to how il shall be kept .
Again, in law upon this subject, ought
not all the safeguards of liberty known
in civilized and humane jurisprudence tc
be introduced, so that a free man may no
be in any case surrendered as a slave .
And might it not be we'll at the same
time to provide by law for the enforce
ment Of that clause in the Constitution
which guarantees that the citizens 0.
each STATE shall be entitled to all the priv.
ileges anda immuniies OF the citizens o.
the several States
l take the official oath to-day with nc
mental reservations, and with no purpose
! to construe the Constitution or laws by
any hYpocrilical rules And while | DE-
not choose now to specify any particular
acts Of Congress as proper to be enforced
do suggest that il will be much safer
for all in both official and private stations {,
CONFORM to, and abide by. all those acn
which stand unrepealed, than to violate
any Of them, trusting to find impunity
in having them held to be unconstitu
tional.
l. IS seyenty-two years since the frs
Inauguration Of President under our na
tionaI Constitution. During that period
fifteen ditieFsn. and greatly distinguished
citizens have administered the executive
branch Of the Government. They have
CONDUCTED Is through many perils, and
generally with great success. Yet witt
all tbs scope ~ precedent. now enter
upon Die same AK for the same con..i.
tut.ouaI term n four years. under grea
and peculiar difficulty.