Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-03-13
INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Shall traitors, DC.
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
AHAM LIN COLIN.
Washington, March 4, 1861.
Fsslou- Citizens Of the United States: In CON-
pliance with custom, as old as the government it.
sell, appear before you, to address you briefly,
and to take, in your presence, the oath prescribed
by the Constitution of the United States to be ia
ken BY the President before he enters upon the
ercise of his Office. do not consider it necessary,
at present. for me to discuss those matters of ad-
mnistration about which there is special anxiety
or excitement Apprehension seems to exist among
the people Of the Southern States that by the &C.
cession Of Republican administration their proper
ty and their peace and personal security are to be
endangered There has never been any reasonable
cause for such apprehensions. 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 addresses you. I do but quote from one
of those speeches, when I declare that have no
purpose directly 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 do Those who nominated and
elected me, did so with full knowledge that had
made this and many similar declarations, and had
never recanted them. And more than this, they
placed in the platform for my acceptance, and as
law to themselves and to me- the clear and emphatic
resolution which now read:
Resolued, That the maintenance invioate Of the
rights of the States and especially the right Of each
State to order and control its own domestic nstitu-
tons according to its own judgment exclusively is
essential to that balance Of powers on which the
perfection and endurance of our political fabric de-
peads and We denounce the lawless invasion by
armed force Of the soil Of any State or Territory,
no matter under what pretext as among the gravest
of crimes"
= now reterate these sentiments and in doing so
l only press upon the public attention the most
conlusve evidence of which the is susceptible
that the property peace and security OF no section
are to be in any wise endangered by the now in
coming administration. l add, too that all the pro-
lection which, consistently with the Constitution
and laws can be given, will be cheerfully given to
all the States when lawfully demanded for whatever
cause-as cheerfuly to one section as to another.
There is much controversy about delivering up of
fugitves from service or labor. The clause now
read is as plainly written in the Constitution any
other of its provisions
No person held to service or labor in one State,
under the laws thereof escaping into another, SHALL
in consequence Of any law regulation therein, be
discharged from such service or labor but shall be
delivered, upon claim of the party, to whom such
service or labor may be DUE"
intended by those who made it. Tor the re-claiming
of what We call fugitive slaves and the intention Of
the law giver is the law. All members of Congress
swear their support to the whole Constitutional
this provision as much as to- any other To the
proposition them that slaves whose cases come with
in the terms of this clause shall be delivered up
their oaths unanimous. Now, if they would
make the effort, in good temper, could they not with
nearly equal unanmity frame and pass law by
means of which tn Keen Vood that nnnc .
There is some difference of opinion whether this
clause should be enforced by national or by 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 to others
by which authority it is done. And should any one
in any be content that his oath shall go unkept
on a merely unsubstantial controversy as to hou il
shall be kept?
Again: in any law upon this subject ought not all
the safeguards Of liberty, known in civilized and hu-
name Jurisprudence, to he introduced so that free
man be not in any case surrendered as slave? And
might it not be we'll, at the same tme to provide by
law for the enforcement Of that clause in the Const
tuition which guarantees that the citizens of each
State shall be entitled to all privileges and immuni-
ties Of citizens in the several States!
take the official oath today with no mental re-
servation and with purpose to construe the Con-
stitution or laws by any hypercritical rules; and
while do not choose now to specify particular acts
Of Congress as proper to be enforced, do suggest
that it will be much safer for ALL both in official and
private stations to conform to and abide by all those
acts which stand unrepealed thar to violate anv oil
them, trusting to find impunity in having them held
to be unconstitutional.
It's seventytwo years since the first Inauguration
Of President under National Constitution
During that period fifteen different and greatly dis
tingushed citizens have in succession, administered
the Executive branch of the Government They
have conducted it through many pers, and general
-ly with great success. Yet with all this scope 70,
precedent now enter upon the same task for the
brief constitutional term of four years. under grea
and peculiar difficulties disruption of the Fed
eral Union heretofore only menaced is now formi
daily attempted. l hold, that in contemplation o
universal law and IF the Constitution the Union O
these States is perpetual. Perpetuity is implied i
not expressed in the fundamental law Of all Nation
al Governments. 1t is safe assert that no govern
nent proper ever had provision in its organic Law
for its own termination Continue to execute al
the express provisions Of our national Constitution
and the Union will endure forever; it being impos
sibe to destroy it except by some action not provd
ed for in the instrument itself
Again-If the United States be not Government
proper, but.an association Of States in the nature
contract merely, can it, as a contract be peaceably
uumade by less than all the parties who made it p
One party to a contract may violate it. break it s.
to speak but does it not require all to lawfully re
scind It.?
Descending from these general principles, We fin,
the proposition that in legal contem plation tn
Union is perpetual, confirmed by the history Of tn
Union itself The Union is much older than tn
Constitution. 1t was formed in fact by the Article
Of Association in 1774. 1t was matured and co,tn
ned by the Declaration Of Independence in 1776-
i was farther matured and the faith Of all the the
thirteen States expressly and engaged tina
it should be perpetual by the Articles Of Confeders
ton in IT'S; and, finally, in 1887, one Of the d.
clared objects for ordaining and establishing tn
Constitution was TO form more perfect Union.
But, if destruction Of the Union by one or by
part only Of the States be lawfully possible, til
Union IS less perfect than before the Constitution
Having lost the vital element of perpetuity, it 70
lows, from these views, that no State, upon its ow
mere motion. caI lawfully get ont nf tho IIn;or