The constitutional union., 1861-03-15
The Inaugural of Lincoln.

The Inaugural of Lincoln.
 On the outside of our paper to-day, will be found the entire inaugural address of Mr. Lincoln. It certainly is a most extraordinary document. There is a striking resemblance in it to the " Old Man of the Mountain" At distance its profile resembles the visagc of war, but upon a nearer approach, the coun- tenauce billgerant entirely disappears and leaves the observer in doubt as to what his eyes had beheld. In one pcrion of this cqui- Vocating, and certainly amusing paper from the Federal head of the country, we find the following language in regard to those States which have seeded. and the question of scccs- sion in general: ' 1 hold that in contcmpla- tion of universal law and the Constitution. the Union of the States is perpetual Per petuity is implied, if not expressed in the fundamental law of all national governments. It Is safe to assert that no government proper ever had provision in the organic law for its own termination. The power confdcd to mo will De used to hold and occupy and pos scss the property and places belonging to the Government, and to collect duties and imports But, beyond what may be necessary for these objects, there will be no invasion, no using of force against or among people anywhere Thus does the doughty leader. of the Black Republican party set forth his ideas of carry ing on the Government for the next fnur years; and thus does he indicate his intcn- ton to do so even at the cannon's mouth, for the purpose of taking and holding in pos session the property and places in the seeded States, which the Government, under his ad- ministration, deems its own. The revenues. too, must be collected, though war should ensue in the attempt, but beyond these small matters no force shall be used among the pco- pie in those States which have declared them selves absolvcd from the common Union. Indubitably, this looks like the Andrew Jack son, which his Harriet Beccher Stowe party, in the Northern section claimed he was He distinctly asserts that the duties on imports" must be collected and returned to the Federal Treasury by officers appointed among the residents of what is known as the Southern Confectionery, or force must be used to assist them in accomplishing this object Tine eel cbrated iron will Of the Old Hero is clearly shadowed forth in this unmistakablc language, used by the world-widely-known Abraham. The Old Man of the Mountains most as-  suredly assumes the front of "grim visaged war, when viewed from this far off point of the Constitution, the Union and the rerpct- ual condition of the States. But observe hm, from a closer standing place, on the same sub ject, when he says that: "Where hostility to the United States, in any internal locality, shall be so great as to prevent competent resi- dent citizens from holding Federal offices, there will be no attempt to force obnoxious strangers among the people for that object While the strict legal right may exist in the Government to enforce the exercise of these offices the attempt to do so would be irrtat- ing, and 50 nearly impracdcablc witbal, that deem it better to fore@o for the time the use of such officers Does not this portion of the inaugural look as much like the war robes of ANDREW JACKSON have been deffcd by NIT. LINCOLN as they were donned when he asserted the revenues were to be collected, at all hazards from the ports of the seeded States? From our reading of this paper it undoubtedly looks so.
 What Mr LINCOLN wishes to be under stood as regards the policy to be pursued to- ward the now COnfederated States of the South, by his Administration, no one can tell by reading this address which is supposed to reflect his sentiments upon the subject What he really intends to do, remains for future de- velopments. His course may be war, and it may be peace.
 This we deem to be fair deduction. from careful perusal of his inaugural and conse- quently, we think it would be wise for our State Convention if it shall do nothing else, to pursue a course which would meet the occasion ofeither war or peace inasmuch as there is majority of the members of that body directly opposed toimmediate and unconditional seces- sion. A resolution should be.passed authorz- ing the Governor of the State to declare Arkan- sas severed from the Union when the Admins tration of Mir. LINCOLN shall make coercve move against the seeded States of the South. either in an attempt to collect the revenue or retake the forts and arsenals within their bounds. This, it seems to us, would be un-