Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1861-03-07
PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S
ADDRESS
Delivered March 4; 1s6l.

u
address you briefly and TO take in your
presence the oath prescribed by the Con-
stilution Of the United States, 10 be taken
by the President before he eniers On the
execution Of his Office. r-oT arr
lido not consider il recesssry Al present
s,r nae To discuss ihoss matters Of fhe Ad-
ministra,ion about which there is no spec
ial anxiety or excitement. The apprehen-
sion seems 20 exist among the people Of the
Southern States, that By the accession Of a
Republican, A6ministrssion, their property
and tbsir peace and personal security Are
TO be endangered, and there has never been
any reasonable cause FOR such apprehen-
sion. Indeed, tbs most ample evidence to
the contrary; hes ell the while existed and
been open TO their inspection, II j, found
in nearly all the published speeches Of him
wis now addresses you. >,
I do bat quote from one 81 those speeches
whersa 1 declare that H. have no purpose,
directly or indirectly, 10 interfere with the
institution OF slavery in the States where il
exists. believeI have no lawful right to
do So, end have no inclination to do SOL
Those " no nominated and elected me, did
cor withl The iilll khowlsdgs that i.had made
this and many siniisr declarations, and
had never recanted them; and more than
this, they placed in the platform for my
acceptance as law 10 themselves and 10
me- the, clear and emphatic resolution
which now read sl7sra. yits,Jro5au e,a
,Resolrcd, That the maintenance Inyiolata Of The
right OF the States, and especially the right of
each TO order and controllits own domestic insti-
tutions according to IFS own judgment exclusive
", Il essential TO the balance OF power on which
The rerfeetion and endurance of our poitica fab
ric depend, and we denounce the lawless inya-
sion by an armed force Of the Government Of
any Siate or Territory, no matter under what
prstext, as among the greatest OF crimes. To
nou reitefate thess sentiments, and in
doing so. l only press upon the public at
teniion the most conclusive syidenee Of
which the case is susceptible, that the prep
er.y, peace, and security Of no section are
10 be in any wise endangered by the now.
incoming Administration. ado, foo, that
an the protection which consistently with
the Constitution and the laws can be given,
viii be cheerfully given 10 all the States
when lawfully demanded, for, whatever
cause as cheeriuly to one section as to an
other. ' 49,,
Therein much controversy about the de-
livery Of fugiiives from service or labor
Tbs clause psw read is Is plainly written
in,the Constitution as any other OF its pro-
visions: ~ ..7..,.f f--...-..-
ono person held to service OF labef in one State
under the laws thei eof, escaping into another
,h all, in consequence. Of any law or regulation
therein, be discharged from snch- service or Ia
kor bat shalt b. delivered up on claim to the
party 70 whom such service or labor may be due"
Il is scarcely questioned that thi, provis-
ion was intended by those who made it, for
The recIaimfng Of what we call fugitive
slaves, and the intention Of the law given
il the law. AL members of Congresssw
their support 10 The whole Constitution, to
tfis provision o, much as TO any other. 70
ths proposition, then, that slaves whose ca
ses come within the terms OF this clause:
1Anl shall be delivered up" their oaihs'
sys unanimous. Now. ifthsy would make
the effort in good temper, could they not,
with nearly equsnimity, frame and pass a
law by mean, Of which 10 keep good that
unanimous OATH s' s2
There 10 some difference Of opinion wheth.
or this clause should be enforced by ma
iisnsf or State authority, but surely that
difference is not very material one. If
the slave is to be SURRENDERED, It can be of
biile consequeneeto him or to others, by
which sulhority it is done, and should any
one, in, any case be cohtent that his oath
shall be unkept, or merely .unsubstaptial
controversy as TO how it shall be kept
Again. in any law upon lhis subject, ought
not oil the safe guards of liberty. known in
the civilized and humane Jurisprudence TO
be introduced, SO that freeman may not
be in any case surrendered ss a slave?-|
And might Il not be web al the same time
10 provide BY law for the enforcement Of
that clause in the Constitution, W hish guar
sntee, that the citizens Of each State shall
be entitled TO al The privileges and immu-
mites Of ciiiz Ems Of the several Suites.
eItske the official oath to-day, with no
mental rsseryaliens, and no purpose to- con-
sirue ths Constitution and laws by any hyp-
ercrilical rules; and while do not choose,
now, 10 specify particular acts Of Congress
ss proper 10 be enforced, do suggest that
it will be much safer for oil, both in Official
and private stations, 10 ceHformto and g.
bide by all those acis which stand unre-
pealed, than to violate any Of Them, trust
Ing 10 find security in having them held 10
lie nneousiituti Euo72 alam o bsaz; 4
II is seyenty -.we years since The 6rst in
suguration Of President, under cur Ma
tiOnal Constitution. During that period,
fifteen different and greatly distinguished
citizens have, II In succsssion, adninistsFed
tbs Exscutivebraurh Of; the. JGoysrnnent.
They hare conducted il through many per-
is, centrally with great success; yet, with
IN tbs scope for precedent, now enter
upon ths same task for The brief constitu-
tjensl flour years, under great and
peculiar difficulty, ,-ss;i.,.gslf.'l 5i,6. ii
Disruption of the Federal Union, hereto.
fore only nenaced, h now 5ormidably at
tempted. Ihpld that in contemplation 81
universal law and the Constitution. the inn-
ion ofthe States IL perpetual PeEPetui.y
is implied is not expressed in the iunda7
mental law of all nations, all governments.
4, a. q. es.srS that ~, fSovs Pm n, emf