The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1861-03-13

l
delivered up; their eaths are unanimous
Now if they woaid make the effort in
good temper could they not. with nearly
equal unanimity, frame and pass law b5
means ofsyhieh to, keep good that uaan,
imeus oath.s ait 7 .nsgasr5rs
ii There is some difference of opiniaa as
to whether the clause should be seuiorcse
by national oristate rhority, bat fureiy
that diferenceis not avery material one.
1.-THE slave is to be surrendered itcan be oi
little consequences to him or others By
which authority it is done; and should
any one in any cease be escontent that his
oath shall be unkept, or q merely unsub7
stantial controversy as to how it shall be
kept Again, in any Law, Upon this sub.
ject, ought not all the Safeguards of liber.
ty known in civilized and humane iris.
prudence to. be introduced, SO that free.
msa may not in any case. be surrendered
as slave; and might it no. be as well. q,
the same time, to provide by law for the
enforcement Of tha. clause in the Constir
tuition which guarantees that tbs citizens
of each State shall be entitled to al, priv
ileges and immunilies of ,ciliz@ns 10 the
several States. ,if,., :, .:a-. -. :.
Il I take the official oath to-day, With no
mental Reservations and with no purpose
to construe the Constitution or laws By
any hypecritieal rules. and while / do not
choose now 10 specify particular acts 81
Congress as proper to be enforced, dc
suggest that it viii be much, safer for all
but in official and private stations to con.
form to and abide by oil these acts, which
stand unrepealed, than to siolste lahy 81
them; trusting to fad impunily ia having
them held to be Unconstitutional 9 an! rs
It is seventy two years since the FIRST
Inauguration Of a President under our
national Consultations During that pc
riod fifteen different and greatly distiA'
guished citizens have Ia succession admin.
istered, the Executive hrahchaof the Gov
ernmeHt. The y have. esndnetedi,throngt
many 2erils, and geherally with great.sse,
cess iYet,q with alldhis scope for pre-,
cedent, i now 9eaterhapon the same task
forithe brief Constitutional term OF: fou,
years. under great and peculiar difficult
ties. u The Federal Unien, heretofore only
menaced, is now formidably attacked j
hold that in contemplation of the univer
sal law of thu Constitution the Uaion o.
these States, as perpetual Ga Perpetuity i.
implieds if not expressed, 10 the funda
mental law of all national governments
1t is safe to assert shat a governmen,
proper never has provision in its organic
law for it's own term nation. II We mus
continue to execute all the express pro.
visions of eur national Constitution .anG
| the Union will endure forever, it being
impossible to des.rog it. except by isom.
action not pro vidsd forin the instrumen
itself. eAgain ,ifithei United States bs
not q gorefnmentiproper, hut an associa
sion OF States in the nature of q CONTRACTS
merely, can it, as a costract bepeaceably
uumade by less than all athe parties who
madeiH. s lo bss6gssoo Il zeuids9 3dT
One party to o contract may violate it.
break it, SO to speak-:bnt does it not re
quire all to lawfully rescind il? From
these general principles we fad the prep
'oshlon' tnats iin9 'ega'a contemplation the
Union ts peepetaa''.c cohnr'asaipy g.he MS
tory of the Union itself.ia The Uaien is
impena oiaes tnaa !neo pons'liunoon. 4 II
was formed 10 tact y NE artieles ehsS q as
sociatlon el 10 was mstared a. aaIe1 aho
conunoso oy the ascia:a'ien q silpeuspsn.
uesce 'n.! 80 ~. - vas 20 luI.uel "a.ureo u
sle 'ne ta.'l =, on ms Ar''tssA ,pss'e'
expressly phgateu ana engaged tna. maj, y
snoela oe Perpe.uai oy the ,l. articles o. o.
eonieoeraslon, Ia Ite' ana nnahy III
i1s! one OF the Aoeoiafeo on]ects tof or
Gaming ana .estaei'sning the. Oonstita'
ylop' was g losn = more psllecs on'on
II q union 0, par. only OF the states states o e
,aw1ul'! Poss'ole: !ns a = o,on Is less tnal
o.lu1e .uo Soass'sa.'on, aa''Ds ,os. % .ne
e''a. :" .'e"e1s y. UP '1'sy 'o'o"'
IRON ''ueso slsss' 'nas Ho o,ase' apou -
OWE .h Tp;o. !nses aystn vsI VA wv =
- .os tbat sffsc. ara lss,il, SSoSid and 1Ss,
at. - r;a,.no. .;eh;, lf.n. s,..a.ass, -
Il 6Ct6 vi tlOlCuCC Wltutl 6uy otdtC8,s vi