The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-03-09
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
PRESIDENT LINCOLN.

YOU to address you briefly, and to take in
your presence the oath prescribed by the
of the United States, to be
taken by the President before he enters
on the execution of the duties of his
Office.
do not consider it necessary, at pre-.
sent, for me to discuss those matters of
administration about which there is no
special anxiety or excitement Apprehen-
sion seems to exist among the people OF the
Southern States, that by the accession OF a
Republican administration their property
and their pc. ce aad personal security are
to be endangered. There has ne7er been
any reasonable cause for such apprehen-
sion. Indeed the most ample evidence to
the contrary has all toe while existed, and
in nearly all the published speeches of
him who Row addresses you. | do but
quote from one Of those speeches when
declare that | have no purpose, directly or
indirectly, TO interfere with the institution
of slavery III the States where It exists
believe | hare no lawful right to do so, and
should have no inclination to do So
Those who nominated and elected me did
SO with the full knowledge thst ] had
made this and many similar declarations,
and had never recalled them; and, more
than this, they placed in the platform, for
my acceptance as a law to themselves and
to me the clear and emphatic resolution
which, now read:
Resolrcd, That the maintenance invio-
late OF the rights of the States, aNd espe-
cIally the ri ghts OF each State to order and
control its own domestic institutions &C
cordiug to its own Judgment exclusively is
essential to that balance OF power on which
the perfection and endurance OF our poll
teal fabric depend, and we denouuce the
lawless invasion by an armed force OF the
soil OF any state or territory, 10 matter on
VIVA. pretcNt, as among the craycst crimes
nov reitcrate these sentiments, and do.
Ing 50, only press upon the public atten-
ton the most conducive 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 now in
coming administration.
| add, too, that all the protection which
consistently, with the Constitution and the
Laws can be gwen, viii be cheerlally given
10 ali the States when lawfully demanded,
for whatever cause, as cheeiiUlly 10 one
section as TO another. There i much con.
troverzy about the delivering Of fu-itives
from service or labor The clause | now
read Is As plainly written in TIE Coustitu.
tica as any other Of il. provisions "No
person held TO service or labor in one State
under the laws thereof, escaping into auo-
Their, shall, IN consequence Of any law OF
regulation therein, be DISCHARGED from
such service OF labor, but shall be deliver
ed W On claim Of the party to whom such
service or labor mag be due
II was intended by those who made it
for the rccaitning OF what we call fugitive
slaves, and the intention Of the iawgiycr is
the law. All member, of Congress swear
their support To the whole Constitution,
to this provision u, much a to 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, ii they would make the
effort IN good temper could shcy not. WIKI
nearly equal unauIInty, frame and pass a
Law By means OF which 10 keep good that
unanimous oath? There : some difference
OF opinion whether this clause should be
enforced by national or State authority
bat surely that difference j. not very ma
,vriai one II the slave Is - be surrender
ed. ii can he OF ljtt,e Consequence 10 him
or 10 others 10y which authority it i. done.
and should any one, in any case, be CON
tent that his cath shall be uakypt. or a
merely unsIbs:antj2l controversy as 10 how
it shall be kept. A-lin, IL 4 Law upon this
subject, ought not all the safeguards Of
l!Jel:v known IN civilized and human iu
rl>Drl,ucuce 10 bs Introduced, 50 that >
freeman may not He in any case sl.rTeHi der
cd =. a slave. and M -;it II not lie well al
the same ,..ae 10 pro,!o@ by Ia" Tor the
enforcement OF that clause - tae Constr
tuition which guarantees thar the citizens
81 each safe shall BE- entitled 70 a.: the
pro?.s.oU- and !ml..n:t.es u citizens q
tIe seward States?
take Tie oath today with 10 mental
reservations AID with un purpose 10 con
strue the Constitutions OF laws by any Ivy
poclit.cal rules, s.li while l do not choose
now 10 specify particular acts OF Congress
4. proper 10 be enforced, do suggest that
it will be much SAFER for all both in official
and private stations to conform 10 and
abide by all those acts which stand unre
pealed, than - violate any of them trust
ins ID :iad l,nPunity in having them held
10 be unconstitutional
II Is - Year. since the first Inauguration
of 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 con
dIe;-i ], through many perils, AID gene
rally wish great success. Yet with all tn is
scope toT precedent, ! now enter upon the
SANE task 10. the bret coasti utiou5l term
Of four years, under lrea and peculiar diff
ficGlyy. Disruption OF the Federal Union,
heretofore ouly meE9ced, Is now fogm;la-
bly, attempted hold that. IN con;empla-
t:on Of universal law and o! the Constitu-
ton, the Union Of these States is perpetual
Perpetuty i implied, if not expressed in
the fundamental law OF all national gov
ernments. it is safe to assert that govern
ment proper never lad provisions in its
organic Law TO: lis own termination Con
:inue to execute ali the express provisions
of our national Constitution, and the Union
viii endure forever, it being impossible to
destroy 1t, except by some action not pro-
yided for In the instrument itself Again,
II the United States be not government
proper, but an association OF States, in the
nature OF contract merely, can it, As a con-
tract be peaccsbly unmads by less than
all the parties who made il? One party 10
81 contract may break 1t. so to speak, but
does it not require all to lawfully rescind
it? Descending from these general prin-
ciples, we find the prol osition, that in
legal contemplation the Union is perpetual,
confirmed by the history of the Union
itself. The Union is much older than the
Constitution; it was formed in fact by the
articles OF association in lI11f 1t was ma
tUred and continued by the Declaration
OF independence in 1915. 1t was farther
matured, and the faith Of all the then thir-
teen States expressly plighted and engaged,
that 1t should be perpetual by the articles
OF confederation in I1IS: and finally. in
1871, one Of the declared Objects for or
daining and establishing the Constitution
was to form more perfect Union If Sc
cession by one or by part only of tie
States be lawfully possible, the Union is
less than before the Constitution, having
lost the vital element OF perpetuty. 1t
follows from these views that no State up
on its own mere motion can lawfully Get