Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1865-03-06
President Linsoln's Inaugural Address.

Follow Countrymen At this second ap.
,,aar;ne to take the oath Of the Presidential
apA;ce there IS less occasion for an extended
add,ess than there was at the nrst. lnen,
statement. somewhat in detail, OF course 60
he nursued, seemed fitting and proper
Now. st the expiration OF for years, during
which nnblic declarations have been constantly
"allad forth on every point and phase OF the
e,raat contest which still absorbs the attention
and anprosses the energies OF the nation, little
that IS new could be presented. ;,
The nrogress of our arms, upon which all
else chiefly depends, is as we'll known TO the
nnb|ic as to myself; and it is, htrust, reason
ahlv satisfactory and encouraging to all. with
h;rh hope for the future no prediction In. re-
gard to it is ventured.
On the occasion corresponding to this four
years ago, all thoughts were anxlously direct.
ed to an impending civil war. All dreaded It
all sought to avert it. While the inaugural
address was being delivered from this place,
devoted altogether to saving tie Union WIN
ont war, insurgent agents were IN the city
seeking to destroy it without war-seeElng TO
dissolve the Union, ana divide It's enects py
Roth parties deprecated war; but one OF
+bam would make It rather than let the nation
rathar than let it perish. And the War came.
One eighth of the whole population were
colorpd slaves, not distributed generally over
10 Union. but localized in the southern part
of t. These slaves constituted peculiar and
oowarf,l interest All knew that this inter
oct was. somehow, the cause OF the war.
III strengthen, perpetuate and extend this
;nterest was the object fer which the insurgents
would rend the Union, even by war, While the
Go1ornment claimed no right to do more than
- restrict the territorial enlargement OF It."
Neither marty expected for the war the magn1-
tide or the duration which it has already at
.ta;naa Neither anticipated that the cause
MIGHT cease with, or even before, the conflict
i;selt should Cease.
Each ,oked for an easier triumph and, re-
snlt less fundamental and astounding. Both
read The same Bible, and pray to the same God;
and each invokes His aid against t he other. lt
NAV seem strange that any men should care TO
ISL lust Gods assistance in Wrlnglng their
bread from the sweat or other men faces; put
let rs Judge not, that we be not Judged. Inc
nravers Of both could not be answered-that OF
neither has been answered fully. ,
The Almighty has his OWE purposes. : oe
INTO the world because OF offences! tor 1t must
needs be that offences come; but woe to that
man by whom the offence cometh: Ii we shall
suppose that Amerlcan slavery OF IS those OMEN
ces which in the providence OF God, must needs
come, but which having continued through
His appointed time, Ha now wills TO remove
and that he gives TO both norIh ana SCUM
this terrible war, as the woe due to those oy
whom the offence came, Shall we o'seerh
therein any departure: from those oiNlne 1 al,
tributes which the believers IN living God
.o.n;ka 70 him
FondIy do we hope-fervently do we pray
that this mighty scourge Of war may speedily
mss away. Yet, if God wills that it continue
I'll I'll tho wealth niled hY the bnndman's