Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-03-08
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
or
ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
SIDENT
+ r Il SID E N T
UNITED STATES.


compliance with custom as old os the gov
eminent ITSELF appear before YOU to address
you and to take in your presence the oath
prescribed by the Constitution Of the United
States, TO be taken by the President before
he enters ON the duties Of his Office | do not
consider It necessary, at present, for me to dis
cuss those matters Of administration about
which there is no special anxiety or excite
ment
STATE RIGHTS TO BE MAINTAINED.
Apprehension seems to exist among the
people Of the Southern States that by the ac-
oession of Republican administration their
peace. property and personal security are to
be endangered. There never has been any
reasonable cause for such apprehension; in
deed 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. | do but quote from one OF those speech
es when ] declare that have no purpose
directly or indirectly to interfere with slavery
in the states where it exists.
l believe ] have no lawful right to do so,
and have no inclination to do so. Those
who nominated and elected me, did so with
full knowledge that | had made this and many
similar declarations and had nevcr recanted
them and moro 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. inviolate
Of the rights Of the States, and, especially,
the right Of each State, to order and control
its own domestic institutions acct riding to its
own judgement exclusively is essential 20 that
balance Of power on which the perfection and
endurance of our political fabric depend and
we denounce the lawltss invasion by an arm
ed force OF the soil of any State or Territory,
no matter under what prctext, as the gravest
Of crimes
now reiterate these sentiments and in do
ing so | only press upon the public attention
the most conclusive evidence of which the
case is susceptible, that the property, peace
and security OF no section are to be in any
sense endangered by the now incoming adj
ministraton | add to this, that all the pro-
lection whch--consstently with the Consti-
tuition and the laws can be given-will be
cheeriully given TO all the states, when law
fully demanded for whatever cause as cheer
fully 20 one section as to another
FUGtU1vE SLAVE LAWS
There is much controversy about the doliy-
oring up of fugtivcs from service or labor
Tie clause | now read is as plainly written
in the Constitution as any Other of its provi-
sions, =" No person held TO service or labor
in ono state under the laws thereof escaping
to another shall, in consequence Of any law
or regulation therein be discharged, from such
service or labor but shall be delivered up on
claim Of the party to whom such service or
labor may be due II is scarcely questioned
that this provision intended by those
who made it for the retaining of what we
call fugitive slaves, aud the intention Of the
law-gvers is the law. All members of Con-
gress swear their support to the whole Con-
stitution, to observe this provision as much
as any other. To the proposition, 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 equal unanimity frame and pass a law,
by means of which to keep good that oath
There is some difference of opinion whether
this clause should be enforced by national OF
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 diff
ference to him or others by which authority
it is done. Should any one, in any case, be
content that this oath shall 90 unkept on a
merely unsubstantal controversy as to how
it shall be kept? Again, in any law upon the
subject ought not all the safeguards Of liber-
ty known in civilized and humane urisprud-
ence be introduced, so that free man be not,
in any case surrendered as a slave, and might
it not be we'll, 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 citizens in
the several states?
take the official oath to-day with no mem
tai reservations, and with no purpose to con
strue the Constitution or laws by any hyper
critical rules, and while do not specify any
particular acts of Congress as proper to be
enforced, do suggest that it will be much
safer for all both in official and private sta
tons, to conform to and abide by all those
acts which stand unrepealed, than to violate
any of them, trusting to find IMMUNITY in hay-
ing them held to be unconstitutional.
THE UNION DESIGNED TO BE PERPETUAL.
1t is seventy-two years since the first inau-
guraton ofa President under our national con-
stitution. During that period fifteen different
and greatly distinguished citizens have, in
succession, administered the executive branch
Of the government. They have conducted il
through many perils and generally with grea
success. Yet with all this scope for prece
dent now enter upon the same task for 9
brief constitutional term of four years, under
the Federal Union, heretofore only menaced
is now formidably attempted hold that il
contemplation Of the universal law and Of the
Constitution, the union of these States is per
petual. Its perpetuity is implied if not ex
pressed in the fundamental law Of all national
governments. 1t is safe to assert that no govern
ment proper ever had provision in its organ
ic law for its own termination. Continue to ex-
ecute all the expressed provisions of our ma
tional constitution and the Union will endure
forever; it being impossible to destroy it,exoep
by some action not provided for in the instru
ment itself. Again, if the United States b
not a government proper but an association
of states, in the nature of contract merely
can it as a contract be peaceably unmade b.
less than all the parties who made it On,
party to contract may violate It and breal
it, but does it not require all to rescind it :
SECESSION is ISsURREoTIoN OR REVOLUTION
Descending from these general principles
we find the proposition that in legal contem