Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1861-03-20
MIR. LlyCOLN'S INAUGURAL,
sr,iar I,-,ar,h To tho Ilou.''D rslesrsrh,
WASHINGTON, March, Ith:

I,Uo,r C,ti,fnsoftLe ENfsd States;
In compliance with the custom rs
old ms the United States govern
mcnt itself | appear before you To
address you briefly and take, in your
presence, the oath prescribed by the
Constitution of the United States, to
he taken hy the President before he
enters upon the execution of his OF
flee. | do not consider IL necessary,
mt present, for me to discuss those
matters of thcadministation, about
which there is no special anxiety on
excitement,
Apprehension appears to exist
among the people OF tho Southern
States, that, by the accession of II
Republican Administration, their
property, their peace, am their per-
sonal security, are to be cndanger-
ed. There has never been any rca-
somablc cause for such apprchcn-
sion, indeed the most ample evil
dcncc TO the contrary has all the
while existed, and been open to
their inspection. 1t is found IN
nearly all the published speeches OF
him who now addresses YOU, do
but quote from one of those speech
cs, where | declare, that Z" have no
purpose, directly or indirectly, to
Interfere with the institution of
slavery in the States rs it exists; !
have no lawful right to do so, and |
have no inclination to doso, Those
who nominated and elected me, did
so with n full knowledge that had
made this and many similar decla'
tions, and never rccantcd them;
and. more than this, they placed in
the platform for my acceptance, and
n law to themselves, the clear and
emphatic resolution which | now
read:
ReSolred, That the maintenance,
inviolate of the right of States, and
especially the right of each State to
order and control its own domestic
institutions, according to its own
Judgment exclusively, is essential to
the balance Of the power on which
the perfection and endurance OF our
own political fabric depends; and
we denouncc the lawless invasion
by armed force of the soil Of any
State or Territory, no matter under
what prctcxt, as among the gravcst
of crimes"
/ now reiteratc these sentiments,
doing so only to press upon the pub
lie attention the most conslusive ev-
idenco of which the case is susccpt-
ible, that the property, "cace and
security of no section are to be in
any way endangered by the new in
coming Administration. ] add too,
that all the protection which con
sistently with the Constitution and
the Laws can be given, will be
chcerfully given all States, when
lawfully demanded for whatever
cause as cheerfully to one section
as another. There is much contro-
versy about delivering up FugitivcS
from service or labor, The clause
| now read, is as plainly written in
the Constitution as any other oflts
provisions. "No person held to
service or labor in one State under
the Laws thereof, escaping into
another, shall in consequence ofany
law or regulation therein, be dis
charged from such service or labor,
but shall be delivered up on claim
of the party to whom such service
or labor may be due" 1t is
scarcely questioned that this pro-
vision was intended. by those who
made it. for reca ming what we call
fugltives, and the intention Of the
law givers, is the law and all mem
bers of Congress swear thcir sup
jurscb she whole Constitution---to
this provision as much as any otn /
9r. To the proposition, then, that
slaves whose cases come within the !
.erIns of this-cause, shall be Adeliv- |
cred up, their oaths are unanimous.
Now if they would make an effort,
n good temper, could they not,
With nearly an equal unanimity,
iamc and pass a law, by means Of
which, to keep good that oath.
There is some difference Of opin-
on whether this clause should be
enforced by National or State au-
.horities; but surely that difference
5 not very material one. If
slave is to be surrendered, it can be
IF but little consequence to him or
,thers, by which authority it is
lone, and should any one, in any
.asc, be content, his oath shsR- g 90 T
lnkepton merely unsubstantial con
rovcrsv, on him will rest the re-
'ponsibility.
Again, in any law upon this sub
ect, ought not all the safeguards OF
liberty, known in civilized humane
jurisprudence be introduced so that
l free man be not in any case, sur
'cndered as Slave, ana might III
not be well at the same time, to pro-
vide by law, for the enforcement Of
hat clause in the Constitution,
which guarantees that the citizens
,feach State, shall be entitled to all
he privileges and immunities Of
he citizens in the several States?
take official oath to-day, with no
mental reservations and with no +
purpose to conserve the Constitu- |
Iion or Laws, by any hypocritical I
rules. And | do not now propose /
to specify particular Acts Of Con-
gress, as proper to be enforced. L /
do suggest that it will be much |
safer for all, both in official and (
private stations, to conform to and |
abide by all those acts which stand 4
unrepealed, than to violate any of