M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-03-07
INAUGURAL
PreSi eSidentAincOln.
Fs1or-caseas qt re O. ed Sta, 5:

tore you To address you briefly and IL
take in your presence the oath pre-
scribed by the Constitution o! the
United States, to be taken by the
President before he cutters on tho ex
ccution uf his office. | do not con-
slider it necessary at present for me IL
discuss those matters OF administra.
ton about which there is no special
anxiety or excitement
The apprehension seems to exist
among tho people OF the Southern
States that by the accession of a Re.
publican Administration their prop.
erty and their peace and personal Sc.
curity are to be endangered, and there
never has beer any reasonable cause
for any 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
ofhim who now addresses you. do
but quote from one Of these speeches
when | declare that have no purpose,
directly or indlrectly,t to interfere with
the institution ofslavery in the States
where it exists. believe | have no
lawful right to do so, and have NO
inclination IL do 50. Those who
nominated and elected me, did so with
the iull knowledge that had made
this and many similar declarations,
and had never recanted them, and,
moro than this, they placed in the
platform for my acceptance, as a law
to themselves and me, the clear and
emphatic resolution which | now
read:
"ReSolrsQ, That the maintenance
inviolate ofthe rights Of the States,
and especially the right of each State
to order and control its own domestic
institutions according to its own judg-
ment exclusively, is essential to its
balance Of power on which the periec.
tion and endurance Of our political
fabric depend, and we denounce the
lawless invasion, by an armed force,
OF the Government Of any State or
Territory, no matter under what pre-.
text as among the gravest OF crimes. "
Inow reiterate these sentiments, and
in doing SO only press upon the
public attention the most conclusive
evidence Of which the case is suscep
tble, that the property, peace and Sc.
Curity of no section are to be in any
wise endangered by the new incom
ing 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 de-
manded, for whatever cause, as cheer.
fully to one section as to another.
There is much controversy about
the delivery Of fugitives from service
Or labor. The clause which will
now read is as plainly written in the
Constitution as any other OF its pro.
ions: No person held to service or
labor in one State, under the laws
thereof, escaping into another, shall,
in consequence Of any law or regula
ton thersin, be discharged from such
service or labor, bit shall be delivered
up on claim to tue party to whom such
service or labor may be due" 1t is
scarcely questioned that this poviS.
ion was intended by those who made
1t for tue reclaiuing OF what We call
fugitive slaves, and the intention Of
law given is the law. All members Of
Congress swear their support to the
whole Constitution, to this provision
as much as to any other. 70 the prop,
osition, then, that slaves whose cases
come within tho 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 notwith nearly equanimity frame
and pass a law by means Of which to
keep good that unanimous oath9
There is some difference of opinion
whether this clause should be enforc-
cd by National or State authority but
surely that difference is not a very ma,
teriaI one. If the slave is to be sur.
rendered, it can be of bnt little conse.
qusnce 10 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 mere un-
substantial controversy as to how it
shall be kept. Again, in any law up
on this subject, ought not all the safe
guards Of liberty, known in civilized
and humane jurisprudence, to be in
troduced so that q freeman may, in
any case, be surrendered as a slaves
and might it not be we'll, at the same
time, to provide by law for the en-.
forcement fthat clause in the Con
stitution which guarantees that the
citizens Of each State shall be entitled
to all the privileges and lmmunities
of citizens in the several States! ]
take the official oath to-day, with nc