Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-06
PRESIDENTS
INAUGURAL ADDRESS |!
sllO,o.oii.snso q tie Unlled STATES:

Ieloae- Cgizensof the U1aled States:
In compliance with q custom as old as tn
Government itself, Iappear before you to address
you briefly and to take in your presence the oati
prescribed by the Constitution Of the United States
taken by the President before he enters upon TIL
execution of his Office. do not consider it neces
sary at present for me to discuss those matters Q
administration about which there is no especial am,
iety or excitement. The apprehension seems to ex
st among the people of the Southern States that b,
the accession Of Republican Administration theil
property and their peace ard personal security ar,
to be endangered. There has never been any rea
sonable cause for such apprehension: indeed. tn,
most ample evidence TO the contrary has all tht
while existed and been open to their inspection /
is found in nearly all the published speeches of hin
| who no addresses you. do but quote from one o.
| those speeches when declare that have no pur
pose directly or indirectly to interfere with the in
stitutoD of slavery in the States where it exists
believe have no lawful right to dose These who
nominated and elected me did so with the full knowI
| edge that had made this and many similar decla
rations and had never recanted them; and more
than this they placed in the platform foI my accept
ance as law to themselves and to me the Gear and
| emphatic resolution which now read:
"ReSolred, That the maintenance inviolate of the
rights of the States and especially the right of each
State to order and control its domestic Insttu
tons according to its own judgment exclusively is
essential to the balance of power on which the per
lection and endurance of 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 pretext as among the gravesi
| Of crime"
Inow reiterate these Sentiments, and in doing so
l only press upon the public attention the most
conclusive evidence of which the caae ia susceptible
that the property peace and security of section
are to be in any wise endangered by the now in
coming Administration. / add, too, that all the
protection which, consistently with the Constitution
H., I.oo llxe rlx
to all the States when lawfully demanded for what
ever oanse rs eheerfuly to che section as to ano-
Their. There is much controversy about the delivering
| of fugitiVes from SERVICE or aabor The clause
now read Is as plainly written In the Constitution
as any other of its provisions.
"No person held to service or labor in one State
under the laws thereof escaping into another shall
in consequence of any law regulation therein, be
discharged from such service labor, but shall be
delivered up, claim, to the party to whom such
service or labor may be due.n
1t is scarcely questioned that this provision was
intended by those who made it for the retaining of
what call fugitive slaves, and the intention of
the law given, is the law all members of Congress
swear their support to-the whole Constitution-.o
this provision as much as to any other. To the pro-
position, then that Slaves whose cases come within
the 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 not with
which to keep good thai unanimous oath, There is
some difference of opinion whether this clause
should be enforced by National or State authority.
but surely that difference is not very material
one if the slave is TO be surrendered it be of
but little difference to him or to others by which
authority ii is done, and should any in any
be content that his oath shall be unkept in merely
unsubstantial controversy as to how it shall be kepf
Again; In sny law upon TINS subject, ought not all
the safeguaads of liberty known in civilized and
humane jur prudence be introduced, so that free
| man may not, in any case, be surrendered a
slave! And might it not be well, at the same time
provide by law for the enforcement of that clause
in the Constitution which guarantees that the citi-
zens of each State shall be entitled to all the prvi
! leges and immunities of citizens in the eeveral
statesg take the ofhcial oath teday with no men
| tai reservations and no purpose to cOnstrue the
Constitution and laws by any hyporcrtical rues and
while do not choose now to specify particular
acts Of Congress as Droper to be enforced, do sug
gest that 1t will be much safer for all IN official and
private stations to conform to. and abide by, al
those acts which stand unrepealed that TO violate
any of them, trusting to find IMMUNITY in having
them held to be unconstitutional 1t is seventy two
years since the first Inauguration of President
der our national Constitution; during that period
fifteen different and greatly distinguished citizens
| have in succession, administered the Executive
| branch of the Goyernment they have conducted il
through many perils, and generally with 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 difficulties
| The disruption of the Federal Union, heretofore
| ONLY menaoed is now formidablv attempted.
hold that in contemplation of universal law and the
Constitution. the Union OF the States is perpetual
Perpeuty is implied if not expressed in the funda-
mental law of all national governments. 1t is safe
TO assert that the government proper never had a
provision in its organic law for its own termination
aud 4 IL continues 10 execute al the express proTI
sions Of our national Constitution the Union will
endure forever, 1t being impossible to destroy it eX
cept bY some action not provided for IN the instru
ment itself. Again. if the United States be not a
Government proper, but association OF States IN
nature of contract merely, can it as contract be
peaceaby unr1ade unless by all the parties whe
made it One party 10 contract may violate or
break it, SO SPEAK, but does require all to
| lawfully rescnd it. Descending from these general
principles find the proposition, that in legal
contemplation the Union is perpetual. confirmed by
the history Of the Union Itself Tie Union much old
er than the Constitution. 1t formed in fact by the
Articles of Association In lf74. Ii was matured and
continued by the Declaration of independence in
I776. 1t was further matured, on the faith OF all
the then thirteen States, expressly pighted and en-
gagged that it should be perpetual by the Articles Of
Confederation in us; and finally in 1881 one of the
declared objects for ord4.nlns and establishing the
Constitution to form more perfect Union by all
or By part Only of the States. If 1t be possible
that the Union il no less than before the Constitu-
Il
ii fellows from these views. that no State, upon its
own mere motion, lawfully get out Of the Union;
the resolutions and ordinances to that effect are e
gay void, and the acts of violence within any State
States against the authority of the United States
aRa psurrectionary and revolutionary according to
circumstances / theHefare consider that, in view
of the Constitution and the laws the Union is I'M
broken; and TO the extent of my ability shall take
care (as the Constitution itself expressly enIoinE
upon me) that the laws of the Union be faithfully
| ali DO,r g
be only simple duty on my part, and l shall per
form it, so far practicable, unless my righttul
| masters-the American people-shal withhold the
requisite means in some authoritative manner di-
rect to the contrary trust this will not be regard
| ed ss menace, but only as declared purpose of
the Union that twill constitptionally defend and
maintain itself IN doing this. There need he no
bloodshed violence and there shall be none,
less it be forced upon the national authority. The
power confided to be will be used to hold. occupy,
and possess the property and places belonging to the
Government, TO COLLECT the DUTIES On imports, but
| beyond what may be necessary for these objects
there will be no using of force against or among
people anywhere where hostility to the United States
in any interior locality shall be 30 great and so
universal as to prevent competent resident
citizens from holding Federal offices. There will be
no attempt to force obnoxious strangers among the
people that object While the strict legal right may
exist in the Government to enforce the exercise of
these offices, the attempt to do so would be irrtat-
ing and so Aeariy illpractlcaple Win all, that
deem il better to forego for time the use of such
offices. The mails qnless repealed will continue to
be furnished in all parts of the Union, far pos
sjbe. The people everywhere shall have that sense
OF perfect security which is the most favorable to
calm thought and reflection. The course here indl-
Gated will be followed unless current events and
experience shall show modification or change to
be proper, and In every case and exigency my best
discretion will be exercised according to the cir
cumstance actually existing, and with view and a
hope of peaceful solution of the national troubles
and the restoration of the fraternal sympathes and
affections That there are persons in one seetian
another who seek to destroy the Union st all events,
and are glad of any pretext to do so, will neither
affirm nor deny. But if there be such, to them
need address no word. To those, however, who
really love the Union, may not speak before en-
tering upon so grave matter the destruction of
our national fabric. with all its benefits its memo,
ries and hopes. Would it not be wise to ascertain
previously what to do! Will we hazard des-
perate step while there is any possibility that any
portion of the ills you fly from have real exist
ence? viii you, while the certain ills you fly to
greater than all the real ones you fly from-will
you risk the commission of 30 fearful q mistakes
All profess 70 be content IN the Union if all eousti-
l.. r. A.