Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-03-07
Teegraphed to the South Carollnan.
Inaugural of President Lincoln.
WASHINGTON, March 4,

WASHINGTON, Marcu +.
FsUo,o Citizens ofthe United States:-
In compliance with custom, as old as the
Government itself, I appear before you to ad-
dress you briefly, and to take in your pres
ence the cath prescribed by the Constitution
of the United States, to be taken by the
President before he enters on the execution
of his Office. I do not consider it necessa-
~, at present, for me to discuss those mat
ters of administration about which there is
no special anxiety or excitement. Appre-
hension seems to exist among the people of
the Southern States that, by the accession
of Republican Administration, their prop
erty and peace and personal security are to
be endangered. There has never been any
reasonable cause for such apprehension
Indeed, the most ample evidence to the
contrary has all the while existed, and been
open to their inspection. It is found in
nearly all the public speeches of him who
now addresses you. do but quote from
one of those speeches when I declare that
have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to
interfere with the institution of slavery In
the States where it now exists, and believe
have no lawful right to do so, and l have
no inclination to do so Those who nomi-
mated and elected me, did so with full
knowledge that I had made this and many
other similar declarations, and had never
recanted them; and, more than this, they
placed in the platform for my acceptance,
fxas law to themselves and to me, the clear
and emphatic resolution which now read !:
"Rssolusd, That the maintenance, inyiolate,
Of the rights of the States, and especially the
right of each State to order and control its own
domestic institutions according to its own Judg
ment, exclusively, is essential to that balance OF
power on which the perfection and endurance OF
our political fabric depend; and we denounce
the lawless invasion by armed force OF the SOIL
of any State or Territory, no matter under what
pretext, as among the gravest of crimes"
now reiterate these sentiments, and, IN
doing so, only press upon the public atten-
ton the most conclusive evidence of which
the case is susceptible, that the property,
peace and security of no section are to be in
any wise endangered by the incoming Ad.
ministration. I add to that all the protec-
ton which, consistently with the Constitu-
ton and the laws, can be given, will be
cheerfully given to all the States, when law
fully demanded, for whatever cause, as
cheerfully to one section as to another.
There is much controversy about the de.
livering up of fugitives from service or Ia
Dor. The clause I 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 az
other, shall, in consequence of any law or regu-
larion 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" ...
1t is scarcely questioned that this provis-
ion was intended, by those who made it, for
the reclaiming of what We call fugitive
slaves, and the intention of the law given,
is the law. All members of Congress swear
their support to the whole Constitution, to
this provision, as much as any other. 10
the proposition, then, that slaves whose Ca
ses come within the terms of this clause,
shall be delivered up, their oaths are unan-
imous. Now, if they would make the et-
fort in good temper, could they not with
nearly equal unanimity, 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 by State authority;
but surely that difference is not material
one; if the slave is to be surrendered, it can
be but of little consequence to him or to
others by which authority it is done; and
should any one in any case be content that
this oath shall 60 uukept on merely un.
substantial controversy as to how it shall be
kept? Again, in any law upon this sub
iect, ought not all the safeguards of liberty
known in civilized and humane jurispru-
dence to be introduced, so that free man
be not in any case surrendered as aslave, and
might it not be we'll, at the same, to pro.
vide by law for the enforcement of that
clause 10 the Constitution which guarantees
thar "the citizens of each State shall be
entitled to all the privileges and immunitles
of citizens in the several States"
take the official oath to-day with DO men,
tai reservations, and with no purpose to con-
strue the Constitution or laws by any hypo-
critical rules; and while l do not choose
now to specify particular acts of Congress as
proper to be enforced, I do suggest that it
will be much safer for all, both in official
and private stations, to conform to and abide
by all those acts which stand unrepealed,
than to violate any of them, trusting to find
immunity in having them held to be uncon.
stitutional
It's seventy-two years since the first inau-
guratiop of President under our National
Constitution. During that period, fifteen
different and greatly distinguished citizens
have in succession administered the Exec
utive branch of the Government. They
have conducted it through many perils, and
generally with great success. Yet, with
all this scope for precedent, [ now enter
upon the same task for the brief Coustitu-
tional term of four years, under great and
peculiar difficulties. A disruption of the
Federal Union, heretofore menaced, is now
formidably attempted. 1 hold that in con-
temptation of universal law and of the Con-
stitution, the Union of these States is per,
petual Perpetuity is implied, if not ex.
pressed, in the fundamental law of national
Governments. 1t is safe to assert that no