Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1861-03-09
President LincoIn's
INAUGURAL.


compliance with custom "a old as the Gov.
ernment ITSELF appear before you to I'D.
dress you briefly, aud to take, in your pres
enos. abe oath precribed by the Constitu-
sioo Of the United States to be taken by The
Bresident before he enters on The execution
Of his Office. do not consider it necessary
at present for me 10 discuss those matters
Of administration, about shich there Is 10
Epecial anxiety or excitement Appreneu'
sion seems TO exist among the people OF ,ne
Southern States that by the accession oi
Republican Administration, their properly
md their peace aud personal security nieto
no pndnngered. There hos never been my
reasonable cause for such apprehension
ISdsed the most ample evidence TO the con
,rary has OH the while existed, aud been
onen 10 thcir Inspection 1t Is found in
psarly all the published speeches OF him who
now addresses you. | do but quote from
one Of these speeches when declare that
have no purpose directly or Indirectly TO
Interfere with tho institutions Of slavery in
the states where it exists believe have
M lawful right 10 do so, and have no in
clinatlon to do So Those who nominated
a elected me, did SO with the full knowledge
that had made this and many similar dec.
larations, and had never recalled them
and more than this they placed in the plat
form for my acceptance, as law to them
selves and TO me, the clear aud emphatic
resolutions which ] DOW read.
Resolved, That the maintenance inyiolate
OF The right of the states, and especially the
rights Of each State to order aud control
i,s own domestic institutions according 10
its own Judgment exclusively, is essential to
that balance Of power on which the perfec
tlon and endurance of our political fabric
depends We denouuce the lawless inva-
sion by an armed force Of the sort, Of any
State or Territory, no matter under what
preiext, as among the greatest OF crimes.
new reiterate these sentiments, and 10
doing so, only press upon the public at
AaDtion the most conclusive evidence OF
which the case is susceptible, that the prop
er,y. peace aud security of no section are to
be in anywise endangered by the now in
coming Administration. add, too, that
all the protection which consistently with
the Constitution and the laws can be given,
will be cheerfully given to oil the states
when lawfully demanded sOr whatever cause,
rs cheerfuly to one section as to another.
There is much controversy about the deliv-
ering of fagitives from service or labor.
The clause now rend is as plainly
written in the Constitution as any other Of
Its provisions;
mo person held to service or labor in
one State, under the laws thereof, escaping
into another, shall in consequence OF any
law or regulation therein be discharged
O.. from such service or labor, but shall be de-
Evered up on claim Of the party to whom
Iuch sesTfce or labor may be due. 1t was
intended by these who made it, for the re-
claiming Of what we call fus sititve slaves,
and the intention Of the lawgiver is law.
All members Of Congress swear their sup
port TO the whole Constitution, to this
provision as much as To any other. To the
proposition then, that slaves whose cases
come within the terms Of this claim shsl
be delivered up, their oaths are unanimous
Now If they would make the effort in goot
temper, could they not, with nearly equa
unanimity. frane and pass law by mean
OF which to keep good that unanimous oath
There is some differences of opinion Bhethe
this clause should he enforced by nations
or State authority but surely that differ
U j
the slave is to be surrendered it can be c
little consequence to him or TO others b
which authority it is done. Should an
one in any case be content that his oat
Thall be u6kept on merely unsubstsutii
controversy as 10 how it shall be kept
Again, in any law upop this subject ougl
not oil the safeguards of liberty know
in civilized and humau Jurisprudence to
introduced, so that q freeman may not |
in any case surrendered slave, and mgt
1t not be well at the same time TO provil
by law for the enforcement Of the clause
the Constitution which guarantees that Il
citizens Of each State shall be entitled
all the privileges and immuuities Of citize
In these Statesp
take the official oath today with
mental reservation aud with no purpose
construe the Constitution or laws 10y any
pocrlical rules, while do not now cho
to specify particular acts of Congress as P
per 10 be enforced, do suggest that il
be much snfer for all, both in official and
Vate stations. 10 couform TO and abide
all these acts which stand unrepealed Il
10 violate any Of them trusting 10 fual
puni,y in having them held TO be uucoust
Lienal.
II is scyeniy-two years since the first
suguration Of President HBdel our y All
sl Constitution. During that period, fft
different aud greatly distinguished ctiz
have IN succession administered the Exc
tive branch Of the goEeFnment They b
conducted it lhFoug many peris, and "
rally with great success, yet, gith all
scope for precedent, now enter upon
same task for the brief Constitutional /
OF four years under great and peculiar
fculiies Disruption of the Federal u
heretofore only menaeed, is now formid
attempted. / bold thai in eOntempls
Of universal Law, of the constitution,
union Of the States is perpetual. PerP
~ IS implied, II not expressed in the tu
mental law Of all nstionsl governments.
Is safe 10 assert thar no government PR
ever bad provision 10 fts organic Law fo
own termination. COhtione to execute
the express provisions Of our National
stilalion, and the Union will endure fore
It being impossible 10 destroy it, except
some scliOs not provided for in The iRs
ment itself ss1
Again, if the United States be not Z
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