Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1861-03-14
President Lincoln's Inaugural Address.

Government itself, appear before you to adj
dress you briefly, and to take in your presence
the oath prescribed by the Constitution Of the
United States to he taken by the President be
fore he enters on the duties Of his Office
| do not consider it necessary, at pres mt, for
me to discuss those matters Of administration
abou, which there is no special anxiety or eX-
element.
Apprehension seems to exist among the
peyule OF the Southern States, chat by the ac-
t.s4ion of "A Republican Administration, their
ueaoe. property and personal security are
10 be- tudpered. There has never been
any reasonable cause for such approhcast5n.-
Indeed. toc most ample evidence ~ tho contra
Nv has an the winnie existed, and been open to
their irpprcti0n. II is found 10 nearly all the
published speeches Of him who now ailres-a-
YOU. d. bat quote from one Of thcsa
speeches when / deelr that have no pur-
p,se. directly of indirectly, TO interfere wiCh
The ius.itstlou If Slavery in the States where it
exists. believe have NO lawful right to co
No.. and have no inclination. Those who
nominated and elected me-, did 80 with the
full KNOWLEDGE that had made tois and many
similar declarations, AMI bad never recanted
them; and more tban this, they placed ia the
Platform for my acceptance and az law to
themselves, and to me, the clear ana emphatic
resolution which now read
Resolved. That the maintenance Of the fights af the
states and especially the right o each state g order
ana control ms own domestic inst tutnus according 70 M
own judgements cNcusYey Il essential 70 That balahce %
power 90 which me perfection ana endurance Of our po-
tca fabric depends, aud "e denounce the a"ess lnNas-
ion by am armed force any STATE or Territory, No mai
under what pref, ~ among ihe greatest u CRIMES
| now rcitcrate these sentiments, and in doing
So, only press upon the public attention as
the most conclusive Of which the case Is suscep
uble, that the property, peace and security OF
no section are to be in any sense endangered
by the now incoming Administration.
add to this all the protection which-con-
sstautIy with the Constitution and the laws can
be- giyen-wil be cheerlully given to I'll states
when lawfully demanded, for whatever cause,
A. chcerluly to one section as to another
There is much controversy about the delivering
up OF fugltiyes from service at labor. The
clause nov read is as plainly written IN the
Constitution as any other OF It's provisions
80 person held to service or labor in one State, I'M
der Laws thereof escaping into another, shall, ~ con
scans c. NJ any las or equation heren, be discharged
~ sucn service labor, bus Nh u be delivered up on
claim Of the party to whom such service or labor may
DE duc.N
1t is scarcely questioned that this provision
was intended by those who made It for tue re
claiming OF what W cal fugitive slaves, and
tie intention Of the law-gyer is the law
All members Of Congress swear their support
To the whole Constitution. 10 observe this pro
vision as much as any other. 70 the PROPOSE
J ton, then. that slaves whose case come within
/ the terms Of this clause, shall be delivered up
their oaths are unanimous. Now # they woul(
! Ls. IN fafpf,4
they not with nearly oaull unanimity fran
and pass "A law. ny unes,,a. &c which 20 kee
good that oath? There is some difference {
opinion whether this clause should be enforce
by national or State authority but surely tina
difference is not very material one. If tn
slave is - be surrendered 1t can be OF but littl
> difference 10 HIM or Others by which authorit
it is done Should any one. in any Case, b
content tina, this oath shall 60 unkept on
merely uusubstautial controversy us to how j
shall be kept? Again, IN any law upon th
subject ought not all the safeguards OF llheft
known in civilized and humane jurisprudenc
be introduced 50 that free man be not, II
any case, surrendered as a slave, and might !
not bc well. at the same time, TO provide b
law Tor the enforcement ct that clause In til
Constitution Which guarantees that the citizen
of each State shall be- entitled to all the prlyil
egcs and mmunitits oil citizens in the scyera
States
take the official oath to-day with no men
tai reservations. aud with no purpJs, to coz
struo the Constitution or laws 10y any hypocrlt
zeal rules, aud while | d. not choose to specif
particular acts of Congress as proper to be en-
forced do suggest that 1t will be much safe
2 for all. both in othcll aud private stations, t
i.t oil upfs NJ ne
2 stand unrcpcaed, than % violate any OF them
0 trusting to tiud IMMUNITY IN having them hel
! to be unconstitutional.
! 1t is now seyeuty-two years since the first IN
! auguration Of President under our Constltn
ton. During that period, fifteen different an
greatly distinguished citizens have in succe'
sion administered the executive branch OF tn
Government. They have conducted it throug
many poris, and generally with great success
Yet, with all this scope for precedent 1 no.
enter upon the same tack Tor the brlei const
tutional term of hour years, under great an
II peculiar difficulties \ disruption of the FED
u eral Union, heretofore only menaced, is no
:, formidably attempted hold that, in conten
plation of universal law and OF the.Constitutior
the union OF these States Is perpetual. Perp
tuity il implied, If not expressed, In the fundi
mental law of all National Governments. 1t
c safe to assert thar no Government proper CIV,
It had provision in its organic aw for its ow
f termination. Continue TO execute all ii
l. expressed provisions Of our National Constit'
II ton. and the Union will endure forever,
being impossible to destroy it, except by son
: action not provided for in the instrument itsel
Again il the United States be not Cover
l. ..l. ....... Lat an association Of States,
o tie nature of y contract merely, can 1t as
it contract, be pcaeeaby uumodc by less than a
Y the parties who made it? One party to a co,
j tract may violate it and break it, but does
not require all TO rcscnt It
: Descending from these general principle
J we find the proposition that in legal contempt
Ut ton, the Union is perpetual confirmed by'I
d history Of the Union ,,s.lt The Union is mu'
ii older thnn the Constitution. II was furme