Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-03-09
EXTRACTS FROM LINCOLN's INAUG.
URAL.

QUOTES THE CHICAGO PLATFORM IN WHICH JOHN
BROWN IS DECLARED A CRIMINAL.
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 their personal security are to DO
endangered. There never has been any reasona-
BILE cause for such apprehension; indeed, the most
ample evidence 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. l do but quote from
one of those speeches when l declare that 1 have
no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere
with the institution Of slavery in the States
where it exists. l believe l have no lawful right
TO do so, and l have 40 inclination to do so. Those
who nominated and elected me did 90 with the full
knowledge that l had made this and many SINH
lar declarations, end had never recanted them; and
more than this, they placed in the platform for
my acceptance, as a law to themselves and to mo,
the clear and emphatic resolution which I now
read:
"Re1olved, That The maintbiuanees insiols {, Iof
the rights Of the States, and especially the RICH.
of each State to order and coatroi fits own comes
w oNSV'ufh6 ~ ~ W Juu5iutbty ga
clusively, is essential to that balance of power on
which the perfection and endurance of our politi-
cal fabric depend, and We declare the iawless in
vasion, by an armed force, of the soil of any State
or Territory, no matter under what ~pretext, among
the gravest of crimes" I now ~reiterate these SEN
%timents, and in doing go l only press upon the
public attention tho most conclusive evidence of
which the case is susceptible, that the property,
peace and security of no section are to be in any
Fisc endangered by the now incoming administra-
tionH l add, too, that all the protection which
consistently with the Constitution and the laws
can be given, will be cheerfully given to ali tho
States when lawfully demanded, for whatever
cause, as cheerfully to one section as to another.
TIE FUGITIVE SLAVE CLAUSE SHOULD BE SUSTAINED.
There is much controversy about the delivering
Of ~fug;tives from service or labor. The clause l
now read is as plainly written in the Constitution
as any other of its provisions: mo person held to
service or labor 10 one State under The laws there
of, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of
any law or regulation therein, be discharged 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
provision was intended by those who made it, for
the reclaiming Of what We call fugitive slaves, and
the intention of the l~aw-giver is the law. All mem
bers of Congress swear their support 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 clause and
shall be delivered up, their oaihs are unanimous.
Nov, if they could make the effort 10 good temper,
amid thnu mt with nearlu enuo1 unan;n;tu Cro-a
and pass a law, by means of which to keep good
that unanimous oath There is some difference
Of opinion whether this clause should be enforced
by national or State authority; but surely that diff
erence is not q very material one. If the slave is
to be surrendered, it can DO but of little cOnse-
quence to him or to others by which authority it is
done. And should any one, in any case, be con-
tent that his oath shall be unkept, on a mere I'M
substantial controversy as to how it shall be kept2
Again, in any law upon this subject, ought not all
the safeguards Of liberty known in civilized and
humane Jurisprudence to DO introduced SO that a
freeman may not be in any case surrendered as a
slave2 And might not be we'll at the same time
to provide by law for the enforcement of thai
clause In the Constitution which guarantees that
the citizens of each State shall be entitled to all tie
privileges and immunities Of citizens in the sever
al states ?"
yas WHOM. DUTY OF THE PRESIDENT.
IL is seventy .two gears since the first Inaugural
ton Of q President under our National Constitu-
ton. During that period fifteen different. and
greatly distinguished citizens have, in succession,
administered the Executive branch OF the Govern.
ment. They have conducted it through map per-
lie, aud generally with great success. Yet. With
all this scope for precedent. l nov. enter upon the
same task for the brief constitutional term Of four
years under great and peculiar difficulties. Dis
ruptiou Of the Federal Union, heretofore only me
naced, is now formidably attempted. I hold that
in contemplation Of universal law and of the con
s%titutioH, the Urion of these States 10 perpetual;
perpetuity is implied, il not expressed in the fun
damental law Of all National Governments. 1t il
safe TO assert that no government proper ever had
a provision in it's organic law for it's own termina'
tion. Continue to execute all tho express provis-