Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-03-08
PRESIDENT LINCoLN's
ADDRESS.

the Government itself, appear before you
90 address YOU briefly. and 30 take in your
prc-.ncc the oath prescribed by the Consti-
tuition of the United States. to bo taken by
the President before be enters on the exc
cu,ion of hi. Office. | do no, consider II
necessary at present Tor me To discuss those
matters OF administration about which there
" no anxiety or excitement.
Apprehensions seem 10 exist among the
people of the Southern States that. by the
accession Of a Republican administration.
their property and their permanent peace
aud security are To BE- endangered. There
has never bc,n any reasonable caase for such
apprehensions. Indeed. the most ample
evidences 10 the contrary have all tho while
existed. aud been open TO their inspection.
u, !. found in nearly all the r ublished speech
C. Of him who now addre.so. you. do but
quote from one OF these speeches when
declare that have no purpose, directly or
/ indirectly. to interfere with the Institution
Of slavery in the States where IL exists. l
believe have no lawful right 10 do 80. aud
I have no inclination 10 do -. Those who
nom lnated and elected me, did % with the
/ full knowledge that had made this and
many similar declarations. and have never
rec,nied them and NOR. than this. they
placed in the platform for my acceptance.
and as a las 90 themselves aud 20 me, the
clear and emphatic resolution which now
read.
Resolved. That the maintenance in,iolaic
of the right. u the States. and especially
the right Of each State 20 order and control
u. own domestic institutions, according 10
il. own Judgment exclusively, !. essential 20
that balance Of POWER on which the pcriec.
ton and endurance Of our political fabric
dcIend, and We denounce the lawlcss inSa.
.pn by an armed force OF any State or Ter.
ritory. no matter under what prcicxt. rs
the greatest OF crimc-
now rciterat~ these sentiments, and in
doing 90, only pres uron the public at.
teniiou the most conclusive evidence OF
which the cas-. /. susceptible. tina, the prop.
crty. peace and security 81 M section are TO
IL IN any wise endangered by the now In.
coming administration. add 20 that all
the protection which consistently with the
Constitution aud the laws can b. given,
will Dc chccrfully given 20 all State, when
lawfully demanded for whatever cause, a.
chccrfully 90 one section ne 20 another.
There .. much CONTROVERSY abou, the dc.
l,vrring up Of fugiti,cs from service OF la
bOr. The clause now read ls as plainly
written in the Constitution as any other OF
IL. provisions. "No rrrsiu held 10 service
OF labor in any State under the Law, there
", escaping into another. shall in conse-
qusncc II any law or regulation therein, -
discharged from such service or labor, but
shall b. delivered OPP ON claim Of the party
t. whom such service or la,'or may - due. "
Itp SCARCELY questioned tha, this rroyis-
ION, Va, Intended ~ those who made 70.
Tor the retaining OF what NC call fue,lr'e
slaves. and the intention the law gives, ~
the law Al members Of Congress swear
their support 20 tho whole Constitution, TO
thu. provision a. much a. O. any other, To
the PROPOSITION then that slaves. whos. ca.
80 come within the terms Oi thi. clause,
shall ~ delivered up.
Their oath- arruuauimOus, Now II they
would make The effort IN good temper. could
they not with nearly equal nnanimliy frame
and pass law. by means of which 90 keep
sOpt that UNANIMOUS oath. There is some
difference OF opinion whether this clause
.houlI b. enforced by national or by State
authorliy-bui surely that difference !, not
a very material one II the slave u 10 b.
surrendered. 1, can 10 Of but little con-~-
Qucncc g. him or o. other. hy which au.
thotiiy IL u done and should any one, IN
any ca-c. D. content iha, his oath should
g unkepi On merely unslhstant'l con.
uptrr,y a. 20 how !, should ~ kept
AGAIN. m any law upon this suhJcct, ought
not all the safeguard. OF liberty known IN
cNilIel and humane Jurisprudcnco % be
introduced, 80 that = TIE" man may not b.
in any casr .uTrcnIrrci as n slave?
And might u not be well, at tho same
time, o. provide ilr the enforcement oi that
clause in the Constitution which guarantee
that The citizens ~ each State shall t. en-.
titled 70 all the privilege, and immuni,ies
II ciiu,n. Ia the several Sn,e.'
take the Official oath 20 day With no
mental reservation. and with no purpose 90
c1usirue the constitution or laws by any
hyrocriiical rules. aud while DO not
choose nov 20 succ,iy particular acts OF
evngrrs, ~ utupcr 10 Dc enforced. 10 .ug-
90, iha. u will De much saier Tor all, both
IN oIhcial aud private stations TO conform
to and abide by all those acts whic', stand
unrcpsllci. than 10 violate any OF them (,
trusting TO end impuniiy IN having them
bel q D. Unconstitutional.
IL j. scveniytw year. since the first in.
ancuraiion ola President under our Ma.
tional Constitution. During tina, period
fifteen different and greatly distinguished
citizens have Ia succession administered the
Executive branch of the Government. they
have conducted ~ through many pcril,. and
generally with great success. Yet, with all
thi. scope Tor prscedeut, | now enter upon
the .ame task for the brief Constitutional
term OF four year. under great and peculiar
dificultIe. 4 disruption OF tn, Felenl
Union heretofore menaccd. !. now formula
bly, attempted. | hold that ia contempla.
ton vi universal law, and IL the Con.,itu'
tiOn, and the Union ot these States - per.
retUsl, p-r.~,a,ty ~ implied II no, express
Ell in the Fundamental law Of all national
Governments. u IL safe u assert that no
Government proper ever had q provision IN
it, organic law for its own termination.
Continue TO execute a'lihe cxprvs. rrovi'
sions Of our National Constitution, and the
Union will endure forever IL being impos'
able 90 destroy 10 except by some action not
provided tor IN the instrument itself.
Again, II the United States be not CIV.
eminent proper, but an association ofStaies
I in the nature oi q contract merely, can IL,
as a contract. be peaccably urmade by less
than all the parties who made 70? One
party to contract may violate II, break IL,
50 10 speak. bat does /, no, require oil TO
lawfully rcscitd it7
/ Descending from these general principles,
We find the proposition. that, ia legal con.
temptation, the Union is perpetual. con-
hrnei by the history OF the Union itseli.
The Union is older than the Constitution.
IL va. formed. IN Tact. by the articles Of
association IN TIA.
IL was ma,ured and continued by the
Declaration Of Independence. in l7T6. II
was further matured. and the faith Of all