Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-03-09
THE Observation-Disclosures

In compliance with q custom MS old as the
Government itself, ] appear before you TO
address you briefly, and to take, in your pre-.
sence, the oath prescribed by the Constitu.
tioo OF the United States to be taken BY tho
President before he enters on the execution
Of his office.
! GO no: consider 1t necessary at present
for me TO discuss these matters of admins.
tration 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 Republican Administration,
their property aud their peace and personal
security are to be endangered. There ha.
never been any reasonable cause for such
apprehension. Indeed, the most ample evi.
drnce to the contrary has all the while ex.
isted and been open to their inspection.
1t is fonnd 10 nearly all the published
speeches OF him who now addresses you.
do but quote from one OF these speeches when
declare that 81 have no purpose, directly or
indirectly, to interfere with the institution OF
slavery 10 the States where it exists, | be.
Iieve have no lawful right to do 30, and Il
have no inclination to do So" Those who
nominated and electsd me did so with the
full knowledge that had MAIDS this and many
similar declarations, and had never recanted
them. And more than this, they placed iu
the platform for my acceptance, as law to
themselves and to me- the clear and emphatic
resolution which now read:
Resolved, That the maintenance inviolate
OF the rights Of the States and especially the
right of each State to order and control its
own domestic institutions according TO its
own Judgment exclusively is essential TO
that balance of power on which the perfec.
ton aud enjurauce OF our political fabric
depends. And we denounce the lawless in.
vasion by an armed force OF the sort Of any
State or territory, no matter under what
preteXt as among the gravest OF crimes"
l now ieterute these sentiments, and in
doing so, only press upon the public utten.
tlon the most conclusive evidence Of which
the case is susceptible--t that the property.
peace and security of no section nre to be u
auy wise endangered by the new incoming
add, too, that oil the protection which,
with the Constitution and the
Laws can be given. will be cheerrully given
whatever cvuse, as cheerfully TO one section
as to another.
There is much controversy about the dcliv.
The clause ] now read is as plainly written
10 the Constitution, as any other Of its pro.
visions
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 from such
service or labor, bat 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 1t for the
reclaimlng OF what we call fugitive slaves,
and the intention Of the law.gIver is the law.
AL members OF Congress swear their sup.
port to the whole Coostitution-to this
provision as much as TO any other-to the
then that slaves whose cases
come within the terms Of this clause, and
shall be delivered up" their oaths are unan.
lmous.
Now ii they would make the effort in good
temper, could they not, with nearly equal
unsnimlty, frame aEd pass law by means OF
which to keep good that unanimous oath?
There is some difference Of opinion whe.
ther this clause should be enforced by Ma.
tlonal or State authority, but surely that
diuereuce is not u very material one.
ii the slave is to be surrendered, II can be
OF but iIttle consequence TO him or to others,
by which authority it is done. And should
any one 10 any case be coatent that his oath
shall be kept on u merely unsubstantial con.
as TO how it shall be kept?
Agaln-ln any law upon this subject ought
not oil the safeguards Of liberty known 10
civilized and human jurisprudence TO be 10.
troduced, so that u freeman may not be, 10
any case, surrendered as u slave?
And might 1t not be well, at the same
time, TO provide by law for the enforcement
Of that clause in the Constitution, which
guarantees that the citizens of each State
shall be entitled to oil the provisions and
lmmunt!es OF the citizens ID the several
States I" | take the oilicial oath to. day with
no mental reservation and with DO purpose
TO construe the Constitution or laws by any
hypercr!tica rules. And while | do moi
choose now TO specify particular acts of Con-
grsss as proper to be enforced, | do suggest
that 1t will be much safer for all, both ip
official and private stations TO conform to
and abide by oil these acts hicb stand upre.
pealed, than to violate any Of them, trusting
to hnd mpunity in having them helt to be
1t is scarcely seventy two years since the
lirst Inauguration Of q President under our
National Constitution. Daring that period
fifteen different and greatly distinguished
citizens have IN succession administered the
executive brauch Of the Government. They
have conducted It through many perils, and
with great success Yet witbal
this scope for precedent, | now enter upon
the same task Tor the brief term Of four wears,
under great and peculiar difficulty. A dis
7up,ion Of the Federal Union, heretofore only
is now formidably attempted. |
hold that 10 contemplation of universal law
and OF the Constitution, the Union OF these
States is perpetual; perpetuity is implied, if
not expressed, 10 the Fundamental law of all
national governments.
1t is sale to assert that government pro.
pery never had provision 10 its organic law
for its own termination. Continue to exclude
all the express provisions of our National
Constitution, and the Union will endure
forever, it being impossible to destroy it
except by some action not provided for in
The instrument itself Again, II the United
States be not government proper, but an
association Of States 10 the nature of contract
merely, can IL as u contract be peaceably
lnmade by less than all the parties who made
One party TO a contract may violate it, break
i, go to speak. but does il not require all to
awfully rescnd III
Descending from these general principles.
We find the proposition, that in legal contam.
Dlatiou the Union is perpetualy confirmed
oy the history of the Union itself. The
l CDion is much older than the Constitution
It was formed, 10 fact, by the Articles OF
in l174. 1t was matured and
a. N.