The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-03-05
'he streets Guarded by SoIdiers..Rigeme,
on the Houxetops

I
H'ai'S' lie was escorted to the Capitol in a
carriage with President Buchanan and from
''e southern portico delivered the following
INAUGURAL
Fettog citizens Of the United States. In
compliance with a custom as old as the Gov
eminent itself appear before YOU to address
Won briefly, and to take in your presence the
oa'h prescribed by the Constitu ton of the
United States to he taken by the President
before he enters on the duties Of his office do
not conHi'ter 1t necessary at present for me to
1iscn>S those matters OF administration about
which there Is no special anxiety nor excite
mont. Apprehension seems to exist among the
people OF the southern States that by the ac-
"essIon of a Republican Admins tration their
properly, and their peace, and personal secu-
rity, are TO be endangered. There has never
been any reasonable cause for such apprehen-
lions. Indeed, the most ample evidence to
The contrary has all the while existed, and
been open TO their inspection. II is found in
nearly all tho public speeches OF him who now
addresses you.
| do but quote from one of these speeches
when declare, "that have no purpose, di-
rectlv nor indirectly TO interfere with the in
stitution Of slavery in the States in which il
exists. do believe have no lawful right TO
10 so, and have no inclination 10 do so. -
Those who nominated and elected me- did so
with the fun knowledge that had made this
1nd many similar declarations and had never
recalled them. And more than this they
placed IN the platform for my acceptance, and
and emphatic resolution which now read
Eeso'rei. That the maintenance inviolate Of the
rlStt 81 tho states, aUd especially the right Of
zach state. to order ard control its own domestic
Institutions according t. it, Judgment exclu-
>lYely, IL essential To that balance of power
~ ~ whsh the nerfecrn ard endurance Of our po
less invasion b. armed force of the soil Of any
state OF Territory no matter under what preteXt,
| Is among the greatest OF crimes.
I now reitcrate these sentiments and in
| doing so, | only press upon the public attcn-
| ton the most conclusive evidence of which
| the ease is susceptible, that the property,
| peace, and security of no section are TO be in
| any wise endangered by the now incoming
Administration. l add, too that all the pro-
| lection which, consistently with the Constitu
| ZION and laws, can be given, will be cheerfully
| gwen TO all the States, when lawfully de
| m1ndpd, for whatever cause-as cheerfullv
| 70 one section a> 10 another. There i much
| controversy about the delivering mp OF fugi-
| ur"s from service or labor. The clause | now
| read IS rs plainly written in the Constitution
| rs any other of is provisions:
| No person held to service labor in on State,
underline laws thereof, nScapln int er. shall
n consequence OF any law or resolution therein be
declared free from such service labor, but shall
| be delivered upon the clam of the party to whom
| such service or labor nav be due
1t is scarcely questioned that this provision
| was intended by those who made il for the
| reclaming of what we call fugitive slaves,
ard the intention of the law is the law. All
| members OF Congress swear their support to
| the whole onstitution-to this provision as
| much as 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 imperative. Now, il they would
make the effort in good temper could they not,
with equal nnanimity, frame and pass law
ny means of which to keep good that oath
There is some difference of opinion whether
this clause shall be enforced by national or
by State authority, but surely that difference
i not 4 very material one. If the slave is to
be surrendered, il can be OF but little couse-
! queDce 10 him or 10 others By which authori-
| " Il IS done. And should any one In any case
| be content thai his oath shall go unkept or 4
merely unsubs tantial controversy as o how
It shall be kept ? Again-In any law on this
subject, ought not all the safeguards of lib
erty known in civilized and humane jurispru.
dence TO be in Introduced, SO that free man be
not in any case surrendered as a slave? And
might il not be we'll, a the same time, to pro
vide by law for the enforcement of that clause
in the Constitution which guarantees tina
1.-THE citizens OF each State snail De emitted u
all the privileges and immunites of the citi
| Zans in the several States ?"
| ! take the official oath to-day with no men
| tai ervation, and with no purpose 10 con
strue the Constitution or laws by any hypo
thetical rules, and while do not choose nov
to specify particular acts of Congress rs pro
per to be enforced, 1 do suggest that it will b
| more safe for all both in official amy privat
stations, to conform to and abide By all thos
acts which stand uurepealed, than TO vioat
any of them, trusting 10 find IMMUNITY il
4 having them held TO be unconstitutional.
: Il is seventy-tWo years since the first inau
= gura ton Of 4 President under our Nationa
l Constitution. During that period fifteen dif
e ferent. and greatly distinguished citizen
- | have in succession admins tered the EXecu
tive branch of the Government. They hav
1 | conducted it through many perils, and gen
J., | orally with great success. Yet, with all thi
| scope for precedent, l now enter upon tn
same task for the brief constitutional term c
four years, under great and peculiar Difficult
ties.
A dissolution of the Federal Union hereto
rAr dab tNy
tempted | hold that in contemplation of ia
universal law and of the Constitution, TN
! Union of these States is perpetual. Perpf
Is tuity is implied if not expressed, in the fur
Z dumental law of all national governments
u 1t is safe to assert that no government
Il proper, ever had provision in its organ
Il laws for its own termination. ContInJ
u 10 execute all OF the EXPRESS provislot
Is of our National Constitution, ana Ii
. Union will endure forever, il being lmpo
y, sible TO destroy it, except by some "A
Il ZION not provided for in the instrument
self. Again--If the United States be not
ie Government proper, but an association
le States i'll the nature OF contract merely,
80 is Il contract not 10 be pcaceably un1nade I
l. less than all the parties who have made 1T.
re One party to n con tract may violate it, bre:
y it, so To speak, but does il not req uire all
lawfully rescind itE
Descending from these general principle
e we find the proposition that, III legal contel
~ piation, the Union Is perpetual, confirmed
y the history OF the Union Itself. The Union
ia much older than the Constitution. 1t W;
l, formed in fact, by the Articles OF Associate
81 in l11G. 1t was nurtured and continued by Il
= Declare ton of Independence IN l116. 1t w
!! further matured, and the 1dith OF ali the tn
ii thirteen States piighted and engaged that
l. should be perpetual, 10y the Articles of Co
q, fedora ton. in l77S, and finally, III 1857, o
VIC of the declared objects for DREAMING ana
tabIishing the Constitution, was to form
more perfect Union; but II the destruction
the Union by one, or by a part only, OF |
States, be lawfully possible, the Union is lie
,,ertnct than before-the Constitution havI
lost the vital element of perpetulty.
eS Itfollows, from these views, that no Sta1
- upon its own mere motion, can ia"iuliy
u. ordinances to that fleet, which are legal
IL void and that acts of violence within a
sy | State or States, against the authority OF t
=! | United States, are insurTectlonary OF re'ol
OF | tiop1ry according TO circumstances.
II therefore consider that IN view OF the 20
IS stitution and the laws the Union is unbroke
= aud to the best Of my ability shall take ca
ga as tie Constitution itself expressly enj0t
DC uI70n ne, that the taos Of the Union be fIt
ne , fuIiU erccutsd in all the States. Doing this
III ! deem 10 he only simple duty0a my pa
al aad shalt perform ii, far as praclcab
= | unless nay rightfUl maste the American Pc
lis pie. shall withhold the requisite means, or,
some authoritative manner, direct the &C
TO trarv. | trust that this Will not be regard
nd as a menace, but only as the declared purpC
na of the Union that II Will constitutionally d
he fena and maintain itself In doing this the
us needs TO he no bloodshed or violence, a
is, there shall be none unless 1t be fore
OF unon the National authority. The p0n
- can fSed to NE ,oJL be used to hotd occu
re and possess the property and places
IT. y0ugiog 10 the Government, dnd 10 coHsct
get Ju{iSs n, imports: bot beyond what may
by necessary for these objects, there viii be no
yasion. no using of force against or among
re peonle anywhere. Where hostility 10
is United States, in any interior locahty, sh