Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-03-07
Address
OF
PRESIDENT LINCOLN
Delivered Warch 4th. 1861.
Delivered .Marcd 4th, 1861.

STATES In compliance Win CUSTOM a.
old as the Government itself, | appear be-
fore you to address you briefly, and 10 take
in your presence, the oath prescribed by
tbs Constitution of the United States to be
taken by the President before he enters on
the execution Of his Office.
] do not considefit iEeee ssary at present
Gor me to discuss those matters Of admin
sistration about which there is no special
anxiety or excitement Apprehension
seems to exist among the people of the
Southern States that by the accession Of a
Republican administration their property
.and their peace and personal security are
ITO 'be endangered. There has never been
ANY reasonable cause for such apprehension;
indeed, the most ample evidence to the con-
itrary 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 these speeches
when | declare that have no purpose, di-1
.rectiy oriudirecuy, 10 interfere with the in
stitution Of slavery in the States where it
exists. | believe | have no lawful right to
do SO, and have no inclination to do so.
Those who nominated and elected me,
did 50 with the full knowledge that | had
made this and many similar declarations,
and had never recalled them; and more
than this, they placed in the Platform for
my acceptance as a law to themselves and
20 me, the clear and emphatic resolution
which | now read:
Resoiped, That the maintenance inyio-
late of t}e rights of the States and es-
pecidly the rights of each State to order
and control its own domestic institutions
according to its own judgment exclusively,
are essential to that balance Of power on
which the perfection and endurance Of our
political fabric depend, and we depounce
the lawless invasion by an armed force Of
the soil Of any State or Territory, no matter
under what pretext, as among the greatest
of crimes.
now reitefate their sentiments, and in
doing so only press upon the public atten-
tion the most conclusi % evidence of which
she case is susceptible, that the prosperity,
peace and security of 40 section are to be
in anywise endangered by the now incom-
ing administration. ! add, too, that all
the protection which consistently with the
Constitution and the laws can be given,
win be cheerfully given to all the States
when lawfully demanded for whatever
cause, as cheerfully to one section as to
another.
There is much controversy about the de-
livery of fugitiyes from service or labor.
The clause | now read is as plainly written
in the Constitution as any other of its pro-
visions: I" No person held to service or la
Dor in one State, under the laws thereof,
escaping into another, shall, in consequence
Of any law or regulation therein, be dis
charged from such service or labor, but
shall be delivered up on claim of the party
70 whom such service or labor may be due"
1t was intended by those who made it
for the retaining of what we call fugitive
slaves, and the intention of the law-giver
is the law. All members of Congress
swear their support to the whole Constitu-
tiop, 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 unanimous.
Now if they would make the effort in
good temper, could they not with nearly
equal unanimity frame and pass law by
sisans Of which to keep good that unani-
NOUS oath2 There is some difference of
opinion whether this clause should be en-
forced by national or State anthc rity.
But. surely that difference is not a very
ma1efial enc. If the slave is to be SUR
rendered it can be of but little consequence
to him or them by winch authority it is
done, and should any oae, in any case, be
content that his oath shall be unkept on
mere unsubstannai controversy as to how
IL shah be kept!
Again, in law upon this subject, ought
not all the safeguards known in civilized
and human jurisprudence to be introduced,
sc tlat = freeman naay not be in any case
surrendered az slave and might it not
BE- we'll at the same time to provide by law
for the enforcement Of that clause in the
constitution which guarantees that the cit
jzens Of each State shall be entitled to all
the privileges and immunites If citizens Of
the several Statesl
i take the official oath to-day with no
Fneala reservations, and with no purpose
TO .constFGe the CONSTITUTION or laws by any
hypercritical rules; aud while / do not
chosen now to specify any particular acts
of Congress as proper to be enforced do
suggest that 1t will be much safer for all in
official and private stations to conform to
and abide BY all those acts which stand
unrepealed, than to violate any Of them,
trusting TO find impunity in having them
held TO be unconstitutional.
1t is seyenaystSo years since the first in
auguration Of President under our ma
tional Constitution. During that period
fifteen different and greatly distinguished
citizens haze 10 succession Administered the
executive branch Of the GoVsrament
They haze conducted it threagh many per-
lis, and gelelally with great success, vet,
gith all this scope Tor precedent, | now en-
ter Apen the same tlsk for the brief con-
#situtional term Of four years. under great