New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-03-06
Innugurnl Of 1861.

The Inaugural Address of le6l was as follows:
FELLOW CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES:
In compliance with custom old an tie Government
itself appear before yol TO address you briefly and TO
take in your presence the oath prescribed by the CoD
stutoa Of the United States 10 be taken by the Presi
dent before he enters on the execution OF his Office
Go not consider il necessary at present for ne 10
discuss those matters Of administration about which
there is no special anxiety excitement.
Apprehension seems TO exist among the people OF the
Southern Stntes that by lie accession Of Republican
Administration, their property and their peace and per
sonal secarity u.c TO be endangered There has
been any reasonable for such apprehension In.
deed tie most ample evidence to the contrary has oil
the while existed and been open TO their inspection 1t
is found in nearly all the published speeches Of him who
now addresses yon. do but quote nom one Of hose
rectly or indirectly 10 interfere with the institution OF
Slavery III ;ss s;dis ~ela ii Exists; D.e'e have
lawful right to do So and baye no nchnst,on to 90
a fnl knowledge that Ind made this and rnnns SIMILAR
declarations, and had never recanted them And more
than this, they placed in the platform for my &C.
ceptance, and as law 10 themselves and 10 ne, The
clear and phaic resolution which | how read
Rel I'D That he HSn'snanes nvolaie Of the Iat. Of the
st.s a1 .pse ne sht Of each State to oidei end cor
nert exclusively, IL essential TO that balance Of power on
which The percion and endGr1ne' Q, oar cs
h ,o Of any State or Tery auder what pre-
,eI., as among the gravest Of crimes ,
now reiteIstc these stnilments, and IN DONG so
only press upon public attention the most conclusive
evidence Of which the case Is susceptible mat the prop
erty peace and security OF no section are 10 De IN my
wise endangered by the incoming Administration.
/ add too that all the protection which, consistently
with the Constitution and the laws. can he gyen VIII
be cheerfully given TO all the States when lawfully
demanded FOR whatever cause as cheernny 10 one rec
ton TO another.
There is much controversy about the delivering up Of
fugitives from service labor The clause now fead
s plainly written In the Constitution as any othcr OF
No person held service or labor in State under the
laws thereof escaping another shall IN consequence OF
any regulation therein. be DISCHARGED from such service
or labor but shall be- delivered up on claim Of the pTJ 10
whom such service labor may be due.
1t is scarcely questioned that this provision was in
tended by those who made il FOR the retaining OF what
we call fugitive slaves and the intention fthe lawg
is the law All members Of Congress swear their sup.
port TO the whole Constitution. 10 this provision well
as 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. II
they would make the effort in good teDper could they
not with nearly equal unanimity frame and pass law
by mems Of which to keep good that unanimous oath
There is difference opinion whether this clause
could be enforced by national or by State authority
but surely that difference IL not very material
Ii the slave is to he surrendered it can be of but little
consequence 10 him to others by which authority IL
done And should one in any case be content that
this oath shall 90 unkept merely unsubstantia con
trOversy 10 bow 1t shall he kept Again, in any law
upon this subject ought not all the safeguards of liberty
known in civilized and humane Jurisprudence TO be in
trodnced, that free man be not, IN any case, sur
rendered a SLAYER And might II not be well at the
same time provide by law for the enfOcem Of that
clause IN the Constitution which guarantees that the
citizens of each State shal be entited to all the prv
leges aud imIDnDes Of citizens in the several States =
take the official oath day with no mental Ieserva
tons and with purpose 10 cOnsfTue the Constitution
or laws by any hyIercrica rules; and while DO moi
choose now 10 specify particular acts " Congress a.
proper TO be enforced do suggest that il will be much
safer for ALL both in official and private stations,
conform and abide by all those acts which stand un
repealed than TO violate any Of them trusting to hno
1t is seyeutytwo years since the first Inauguration OF
n President under our National Constitution During
that period, fifteen different and very distinguished
citizens have IN succession administered the executive
branch Of the government. They have conducted II
through many pers and generally with great success
Yet with all this scope for precedent now enter upon
the task for the brief constitutional term OF iouI
years, under great and peculiar difficulties.
A disruption Of the Federal Union heretofore only
menaccd, is now fcrmidahy attempted hold that in
the contemplation Of universal law and of the COnstu
ton. the Union Of these States IL perpetual Perpetuy
is implied not expressed in the fundamental law OF
all national governments 1t is safe to assert TINT
government proper had provision in its organic
law for ls own TERMINATION Continue 10 execute all
He express provisions Of our National Constitution,
and the Union will endure forever being Impossible
destroy II except by action not provided for IN
the instrument Itself.
! Again. the United States be Det a government
proper but an association Of States ia the nature Of
contract merely can IL, contract te peaeably un
made by less than all the parties who made II One
party ~ contract may violate break It. so 10 speak
but does it not require all to lawfully rescind ~ De.
scending from these general principles we find the
proposition that in legal contemplation the Union 10
perpetual confirmed by the history Of the Union itself
The Union is much older than the Constitution. IL
was formed in fact by the Articles OF Association in
INA IL maured ard continued in the Dcclar alton
of Independence In l776 IL further matured and
the fa Of all the then thirteen States expressly pghtcd
and engaged that i should be perpetual by the Articles
of Confederation In 77S; and finally in 1877, Of
the declared objects for ordning and establishing the
Constitution was 10 form more perfect Hnon But IL
the destruction OF the Union by by part only OF
the States BY lawfully possible! the Union Iess than