, 1861-04-05
Inaugural Address Of President Lincoln

FeilOU- Citizens Of The United lStatcs: In
compliance with custom as old as the gov
ernment itself, l appear here to address
you briefly, and take, in your presence, the
oath prescribed by the Constitution Of the
United States, to be taken by the President
before be enters on the execution Of his
office. ! do not consider 1t necessary of
present for me to discuss those. matters Of
administration about which there is no spe-
cial excitement. The apprehension seems
to exist among the people of the Southern
Stutes, that, by the accession of Repub
lican Administration, their property and
their peace and personal security ore to be
endangered; but there has never been any
reasonable cause for such apprehension
Indeed, the most ample evidence to the
contrary oil the while existed, and was
open 10 their inspection. 1t is found in
nearly all the published speeches Of him
who now addresses you. do but quote
from one of those speeches when i declare
that l have no purpose directly or indirect.
ly TO interfere with the institution of sla-
very where it exists. / believe l have no
lawful right to do so. have no inclina-
tion to do so. Those who nominated and
elected me, did so with the full knowledge
that | had made this and may similar dec
larations, and never recanied them, and
more than this, they placed in the platform
for my acceptance, us law to themselves
aud to INC, the clear and emphatic resolu-
tion, which l now read:
"Res0lued, That the maintenance invio-
late Of the rights Of the States, and espe-
cially the right of each State to order and
control its own domestic institutions nccor-
ding 10 its own judgment exclusively, is cs-
sential to the balance Of power on which
the perfection and endurance Of our polit-
ical fabric depends, and we denounce the
lawless invasion by an armed force Of the
governmen; Of any State or Territory, no
matter under wbut pretext, as among the
gravest of crimes"
now reiterate these sentiments, and in
doing so, only press upon the public atten-
lion the most conclusive evidence Of which
the case is susceptibIe-that the property,
peace and security OF no section are to be
in anywise endangered by the incoming ad'
ministration--I add, too, that oil the pro-
lection which, consistently with this Consti'
tuition aud the laws can be given, will be
cheerfully given to oil the States which
lawfully demanded, for whatever cause, as
cheerfulIy to one section as to another
There is much controversy about the de
livery Of fugitives from service or labor
The clause now read is as plainly writer
in the Constitution as any other Of its pro
visions:
mo person held to service or labor il
one State, under the laws thereof, escaping
to another, shall in consequence of any law
or regulation therein be discharged iron
such service or labor, but shall be delivered
upon claim to the party to whom such ser
vice or labor may be due"
Ii is SCARCELY questioned that this proyiS
ion was intended, by those who made it
for the reclamiug Of what we call fugitiv'
, slaves, and the intention Of the law giyel
is the law. All members Of Congress swea
their support to the whole Consultation, t
this portion as much as to any other. II
} the proposition then that slaves whose case
, come within the terms Of this clause an
} shall be delivered up, their oaths are unar
/ imous. Now, if they would make the e.
! fort in good temper, could they not wit
nearly unanimity, frame and pass law b
means Of which 10 make good that uuan