The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-03-05
NEWS BY TELEGRAPH.
BY TIE z. LINE.
Exclusively for the Journal.
LINCOLNS INAUGURAL.

to address you briefly, and to take, IN your
presence, the oath prescribed by the ConSti-
tuition of the United States TO be taken by
I the President before he enters on the execu-
ton Of his office. | do not consider it ne
cessary at the present, for..me to discuss those
matters Of the administration about which
! there is no special anxiety or excitement
/ The apprehension seems to exist among the
people of the southern States that by the
! accession of a Republican administration,
! their property and their peace and their
| 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 inspec-
/ ton. 1t is found in nearly all the published
! speeches of him who now addresses you
/ | 10 but quote from one of those speeches,
when / declare that have no purpose, di-
, rectly or indirectly, to interfere with the in
! stitution Of slavery in the States where it
exists. ! believe | have no lawful right to
do 50, and have no inclination to do so.
Those who nominated and elected me did
so with the full knowledge that had made
this and many similar declarations and bad
never recanted them, and more than this,
they placed in the platform for my accept
| ance, as q law to themselves and to me,
clear and emphatic resolution which | now
read:
"Resolced, That the maintenance Inviolate
of the rights of the States, and especially
the right of each state to order and control
lis own domestic institutions according to
its own judgment, exclusively, is essential
to that balance Of power on which the pertec
ton and endurance of our political fabeic
depends, and we denounce the lawless in
{ Of 4, Of
state or territory, no matter under what
pretext, as among the gravest of crimes"
I now reiterate these sentiments, and in
doing SO | only press upon the public at
tention the most conclusive evidence of
which the case is susceptible, that the prop
erty, peace, and security of no section are
to be in anywise endangered. l add too that
all the protection which, consistently with
the Constitution and the laws, can be given,
shall be carefully given to all the states
when lawfully demanded and for whatever
cause, as cheerfully to one section as to
another.
There is much controversy about the de-
Iivering of fugitives from service or labor.
The clause I now read is as plainly written
in the Constitution as any other of its pro-
visions. % No person held to service or la
Dor in one state, under the laws thereof, and
escaping 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 the party to
whom such service or labor may be due"
1t is scarcely questioned that this provis-
ion was intended by those who made it for
the retaining of what we call fugitive
slaves, and the intention of the law givers is
the law. Al members Of Congress swear their
support to the whole Constitution, this pro-
vision us much as to any other. Should it be
the position 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 nearly una
nimity frame and pass 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 differ
ence is not a very material one. If the
slave is to be surrendered, it can be but lit
tie difference 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 merely unsubstantial controver-
| 81 as to how it shall be kept?
Again In any law upon this subject
ought not all the safeguards of liberty
known in civilized andhumane jurisprudence
be introduced, SO that freeman may not in
any case be surrendered as II slave and
might it not be well at the same time to
provide by law for the enforcement of that
clause in the constitution which guarantees
that the citizens of each state shall be
entitled to all the privileges and immunities
| of the citizens ofthe several states
| take the official oath to-day with no men
| tai reservations and no purpose to construe
| the constitution and laws by any hypocriti-
! cal rules. And while do not choose now
! to specify particular acts of Congress as
! proper to be enforced, | do suggest that it
! will he much safer for all in official and
| private stations to conform to and abide by
| all those acts which stand unrepeaIed, than
to violate any of them, trusting to find i'm
| punity in having them held to be unconsti-
| tutional.
| II is u years since the first Inauguration
| of a President under our national constitu-
ton. During that period fifteen different
and greatly distinguished citizens have in
| succession administered the executive branch
| Of the government. They have conducted
| it through many peris, and generally with
| great success. Yet with all this scope for
| precedent, now enter upon the same task
! for the brief constitutional term of four
years under great and peculiar difficulty
| Disruption of the Federal Union, heretofore
only menaced, is now formidably attempted.
| hold that in contemplation of universal
law and the constitution, the union of the
states is perpetual. Perpetuity is implied
If not expressed in the fundamental law of
all national governments. 1t is safe to as
! sert that the government proper never had
= provision in its organic law for its own
| termination.
Contlnne to execute all the express pro-
| visions of our Constitution, and the Union
will endure forever it being impossible to
destroy it except by some action not pro-
vided for in the instrument itself Again;
Ii the United States be not n government
proper, bu; an association of s ates in the
nature of a contract merely, could it, as a
contract be peacefully annulled unless by
all the parties who made it? One party to
a contract may violate it--break it, so to
speak-bu, does it not require all to lawful
iy rescind it
Descending from these general principles