Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1861-03-07
LINCOLN'S INAUGURAL.

In compliance with custom as old rs the
government itself, j appear before you to ad.
dress you briefly and to take, in your pres
cncc, the oath prescribe by the Constitution
oSthc United States TO be taken by the Pres
ident before he enters on he execution OF his
office. | do not consider it necessary at pres
ent for me to discuss those matters of admin.
istration about which there is no special anx-
ETY. or excitement. Apprehension seems to
exist among the people ofthe Southern states
that 10y the accession of republican Al
midistration their property and their peace
aud their personal security are to be endang-
cred. There ne yer has been any reasonable |
excuse for such apprehensions; indeed, the
most ample evidences to the contrary has all
the while existed and been open to their in
spection. 1t is found in nearly all the pub.
lshed speeches of him who now addresses
you. ] do but quote from one OF those speech.
Us when declared that have no purposes,
directly or indirectly, to interfere whth the
institution of slavery in the States where it
exists. believe have no lawful right to do
so. Those who nominated and elected me
did so with the full knowledge that ! had
made this and many simi ar declarations, and
had never recanted them; and more than this
! thoy placed in the platform for my acceptance
as law to themselves and to me, the clear
and emphatic resolutions which now read.
! "ReSoiyed, That the maintenance, inyio'atc, OF
! the rights of the States, and especially the right
of each State to order and control its own domcs'
tic Institutions according to its own judgment, ex-
clusively, is essential to that balance of power on
which the perfection and endurance of our poht-
ibal fabric depend and we declare the law ,s5 in.
yason by an armed force, of tue soil OF any state
or Territory, no matter under what pretcxt, among
the gravest of crimes" | now reiterate these
sentiments, and in doing SO only press upon the
public attention the most conclusive evidence OF
81, Ia Iln hp
peace and prosperity of II, section are to be in any
wise endangered by the Low incoming admins
tration. | add too, that all the protection which
consistently with the Constitution and the laws
can he given, will be eheeriully given to all tie
States when lawfully dcmanhed for whatever
cause, chccriuy to one section as to another,
There is much controversy about the delivering
of fugitivcs from service or labor The clause
now read is rs plainly written in the Constitution
rs any other of its provisions: "No person held
for service or labor, shall, i'll consequence OF any
law or regulation therein he 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" it Is scarcely questioned that tins
provision intended by those who made it. for
| the rcclaimng of what we call fugitive slaves,
and the intention of the law giver in the law Al!
members of Congress swear their support to the
whole Constitution. to this provision as much a.
| to any other. To the proposition, then, that slaves
whose cases come within the terms of tbs clause
ana shall be delivered up, their oaths are unani
nous Now, if they could make the effort III
good temper, could they not with nearly equal
unauimity frame and passa law, by means OF
which to keep good that unanimous oath! lhere
is some difference of opinion whether this clause
should he enforced 10y national or State authority;
but surely that difference is not very material
one. If the slave is TO be surrendered. it can be
but of little consequence to him or to Others by
t,,L oh ,nthn,itv II ia lnnn a md should one
in any case be cont mt that his oath shall he ull'
kept, on merely unsubstal,tial controversy as tn
how it shall be kept2 Again, in any law upon
this subject, ought not all the safeguards of libcr
~ known in civilized and humane jurisprudence
to be introduced so that freeman may I he IN
any case surrendered as slave? And might II
9 not be well at the same time to provide by law
D for the enforcement of that clause in the Consu
tuition which guarantees that the citizens Of eacl
State shall be entitled to all the privileges and i'm
muuties ofthc several States?"
take the official oath to-day with no mental
rcsrrv vation' and with no purpose to con3'rue tn
n Constitution or luwa by amy hyporr'ica rules
Il and while do not choose now t. specify pnr'icu
lar acts ofCOngress as proper To he enforced, df
suggest that it will he mnch safer for oil, both II
! official and private stations, 10 conform to, anc
abide by all these acts, which stand unrepealed
than To violate nny O them, trusting toaind impu
10 nitv in having them held to be unconstitutional
10 1t is seventy.rwo years since the first inaugu
IT rntion Of President under our National Const
tuition. During that period fifteen different ant
- greatly Distinguished cl'1ens have, IN succession
~ administered the Executive branch ot the Govern
o ment. They have conducted it through man,
perils mud generally with grnnt success Yet
' with all this scp pc for 'edent, now enter npol
the same task for the brief constitutional term %
fur years under great nnd peculiar difficulties -
Disruption of the Federal Union, heretofore onl,
- monaced, is now tormidablv ATTEMPTED. | hole
l. that in contemplation Of univnrs, law and OF the
constitution, The Union of the Stntes il perpstl
al perpetuiv s implied. If not expressed in thu
Y. fundamental law ofall National Governments
ia 1t is safe l., assert that no government proper eve
had provision in lts organic law for iis own ter
mina'ion. Continue to execute all tho expires
l. provisions of our National Constitution and th
,n Union will endure forever. being imppssibl.
destroy it, except by some action not provided iC
~ IN the instrument itself Again if the Unite
RS States be not government proper but nm nssrc
10 ntion of States in the nntur" of contract mere'!
y cnn il rsa contract he peaceahlv revoked by le,
~ than all the parties who made iti One pnrty tn
,i contract may violate il or break it, to speal
4 hut does it not require all to lawfully rescn
- iR Descending from these general principles, "
n find the prcposiron that in n LEGAL contemplate
ll oi the Union in perpetual. confirmed by II
;, history of the Union itself The Union s muC
- Older than the Constitution 10 was formed
,d fact by the articles OF association in l77i. 1t w
n matured and continued by the Declaration of II
r. denendrnce IN i776 II waS further matnred {
he p'iph,ei and engaged that it should he perpctu
c hy the article Of confederation in l77S and ilna
ly, in 1887, one of the de e'ared objects for ordai
u. ing and establishing the constitution was to for
MT a more perfect Union II by one or by n pnrt
,;s The States, secession be lawfully possible. &
:. Union IL less than before, the constitution hav
III lost the vital element of pcrpctuity. 1t too'
rs from those views that no State, upon its own me
ad motion, can lawfully get out of the Union; III
res lives nnd ordinance To that effect nre legn
nj void, and that acts of violence within any State
tes States against the authority Of the United Stat
oC are nsurrocronary revolutionary, ace riding
circumstanc
VI therefore consider that in view Of {
Is Constitution and laws of the Union is unbr
he ken, and TO tho extent of my ability | sh
he take care, rs the Constitution itself express
Ia enioins on mo, that the laws of the Union
faithfully executed in all the States. DOH
o' this deem to be n simple duty on my pi
y; anG | shall perform II SO far as practicdb
ct unless my rightiul masters, the American pc
rc Pile, shall Withhold the requisite means or
~ some authoritative manner direct the contraI
~ | trust this viii not be regarded as n mnna'
'e but only Ms q declared purpose of the Uni
he that IL will consitutionally defend itself.
nd doing tls there need be no blooGShed or
yo Ocncc, and there shall be none unless II
. forced upon tho national authority. 7
VA" power conhdrd to me will be used to hoI
no occupy and possess the property and plac
ar, belonging 10 the government, to collect
- ties and iMposts; but beyond what may
=. necessary for these objects, there will be
~. invasion, no using Of force against or amo
''n the people anywhere. Where hostility to
nm limited Stntps in any intrrinr locality. sh