The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-03-08
THE INAUGURAL.

! At fifteen minutes to o'clock the Judges
of the Supreme Court of the United States
of America were announced by the door
keeper of the Senate On their entrance, all
on the floor arose, and the venerable Judges,
headed by Chief Justice fancy, moved slow
" to the seats assigned them Immediately to
the right of the vice president, each exchan-
ying salutes with tina, officer in passing the
| chair.
AT ten minutes after o'clock an unusual
stir occurred in the chamber, and the rumor
spread like wildfre that the president elect
was in the building. At fifteen minutes past
o'clock the marshal and chief major, b. b.
French, entered the chamber, ushering in the
president and president elect. They had en-
tered together from the street through pr-
vate covered passage-way on the North side
of the Capitol, police officers being in atten-
dance to prevent outsiders from crowding at
ter them.
The line of procession was then formed in
the following order
Marshal of the District of Columbia,
Judges of the Supreme Court and Sergeant
at-Arms, Senate Committee of Arrangements,
President of the United States and President
elect, Vice President, Secretary of the Sen
ate, Senators, diplomatic corps, heads of the
departments, Governors and others in the
chamber.
When the word was given for members of
the House to fall into the line of procession
violent rush was made for the door. accom-
panied by loud outcries, violent pushing and
great disturbance.
After the procession had reached the plat
form, senator Baker Of Oregon, introduced
: MIR Lincoln to the assembly. On Mr. Lincoln
, advancing to the stand, he was cheered, but
not very loudly. Unfolding his manuscript
in loud, clear voice, he read his message as
follows
FeUow Citizens Of the United States:
In compliance with custom as old as the
government itself, | appear before you to adj
: dress YOU briefly, and to take in your pres
ence the oatn prescribed by the constitution
Of the United States to be taken by the pres
ident before ne enters on the execution of the
duties of his office.
do not consider it necessary at present
for me 10 discuss those matters of admins
tration about which there is no special ankle
ty or excitement.
THE RIGHTS OF THE SOUTH NOT ENDANGERED
: Apprehension seems to exist among the
people of the Southern states that by the &C
cesSion of republican administration then
property and their permanent peace and Sc
curity are to be endangered. There has new.
5 er been any reasonable cause for such appre-
tension.
Indeed, the most ample evidence to the
contrary has all the while existed and been
open to their inspection. 1t is found in near
e ly all the public speeches of him who now
s addresses you. do but quote from one o.
those speeches, when declare that have nc
purpose, directly or indirectly, TO interfere
s with the institution of slavery in the states
e where it exists. believe have no Lawful
s right to do so, and have no inclination t.
do so. Those who nominated and elected me
' did so with full knowledge that had made
Il this and several similar declarations and hat
e never recanted them and more than this
they placed in the platform for my accept
ance and as law to themselves and to me
! the clear and emphatic resolution which
o now read
t Eesolrel-That the maintenance inviolat
% of the rights Of the states, and especially tn
right of each state to order and control it
% own domestic institutions according to it
e own Judgment exclusively, is essential to tina
al balance of power on which the perfection am
is endurance of our political fabric depend, an,
We denounce the lawle>s invasion by an arm,
ed force of any state or territory, no matte
under what preteXt, as the greatest of crimes
!" now reiterate these sentiments and, in S
r doing, only press upon the public attento
Is the most conclusive evidence of which tn
" case is susceptible, that the property, peac
. and security of no section are to be in any
III wise endangered by the now incoming ac
" ministration. Add to this that all the pre-
r, lection which, consistently with the constitl
q, ton and the laws,can be given, will be chee
~ fully given to all states when lawfully d.
II manded, for whatever cause, as cheerfuly I
IL one section as to another.
~ THE RENDITION OF FUGITIVE SLAVES A CONST
n TUTIONAL OBLIGATION.
y There is much controversy about the deli,
I'd ering up Of fugtives from service or labor
~ The clause now read is as plainly write
in the constitution as any other of it's provi
ions:
IL "No person held to service or labor in or
RS state under the laws thereof, escaping int
H. another, shall in consequence of any law {
10 regulation therein be discharged from sue
service or labor, but shall be delivered up 0
claim Of the party to whom such service {
~ labor may be due"
nd 1t is scarcely questioned that this prov
~ ion was intended by those who made it ft
~. the retaining of what We call fugitive slave
and the intention of the law givers is tt
"a law. All members of Congress swear the
re support to the whole consttution-to tn
,ia provision as much as to any other. To til
- proposition, then, that slaves whose cas-,
IN come within the terms of this clause. sha
SIS be delivered up, their oaths are unanimou
ms Now if they would make the effort in GOO
bp temper, could they not with nearly ecu
unanimity frame and pass Law by means
~ which to keep good the unanimous oath
to There is some difference of opinion whet
ily er this clause should be enforced by nation,
an or by state authority, but surely that diffe
ence is not a very material one. If the sla,
Go is to be surrendered it can be of but lit
p consequence to him or to others by whie
VS. authority it is done, ana should any one
any case be content that his oath should 6
unkept on a merely unsubstantial controve
NJ sy as to how it shall be kept?
or THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW SHOULD BE HUMAN
We Again, in any law upon this subject, Dug
az, not all the safeguards of liberty known
civilized and humane Jurisprudence to be i