The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1865-03-08
The Prcsd ents Inaugural Address.

The Prcsd ents Inaugural Address.
The following is the Presidents inau.
gural Address:
FELLOW CoUNTRyMGN: At this sccopd ap-
pearng to take the oath Of the presidcn-
tial Office, there is less occasion for an ex.
tended address than Il o g WAS 1T the first.
Then u statement somewhat in detail, of a
course to be pursued, seemed very fitting
and proper; how at tho expiration Of four
years, during which the public declarations
have been constantly ca od forth. on every
point aud phase Of the great COZ ,st which
still ahsorbs the atcnaion and cngros ~
the energies OF the nation, little that is now
could be presented. 1hi progress of our
arms, upon which all else chiefly depends,
is as well known to tho public as to my
myself aud it is | trust, reasonably salts
factory and encouraging to all. With high
hope for the future, no prediction in re-
gard to it is vcntured. On the occasion
corresponding to this, four years ago, all
thoughts we're anYiously directed TO an i'm
pending civil war; all dreaded it, all sought
to avoid it, While the Inaugural Address
was being delivered from this place, dcvot-
cd altogether TO saving tho Union without
war, lnsurgcnt agents were in tho city
seeking TO dissolve the Union, and divide
the elects 10y negotiations. Both parties
deprecated war, but one of them would
make war rather than lot the nation sur
viyo. and the other would accept war
rather than let it perish. and the war came.
Ono eighth Of tho whole population wero
colorcd slaves, not dstril uod generally
over the Union but localized in the
the Southern part of it. These slaves con-
stiuted n peculiar and powerful interest
All know that this interest was somehow
tho cause of the war. TO strengthen, Dor
pctuate, and extend this interest was the
object for which tho insurgents would
rend the Union by war, while the Govern
ment claimed no right to do moro than to
restrict the Territorial cnlargemonis of it.
Neither party expected. from the war
the magnitude or the duration which it has
already attained; neither anticil atod that
the cause OF the conflict might cease oven
before tho conflict itself should cease
Each looked for All easier triumph, and "a
result loss fundamental and astounding
Both read the same Bible, and pray to the
same God, and each invokes his aid against
the other. II may seem strange that any
man should dare 70 ask q Just Cod assist.
ance in wrinsug thcir brea from the
sweat of other mems faces, but let lis Judge
| not that wo be not judged. The payers
OF both should not be answered That Of
Mother has been answered fully Tho Al.
mighty has his own purposes. Woo unto
| tho world, because of IF uses, for it must
| need be that oifehscs come, but woe to
that man by whom tho offonse cometh" :"
If we shall suppose that American slavery
is ono of those oifenses which, in the Prov
| idencc of God, must needs come, but which
having continue | through His appointed
time, He now wills to remove il, and that
lie gives to both North and South this ter
riblc war as the WOO due to those by whom
the oflenscs came, shall we discern there is
any departure from those divine attributes
which tho believers in living God always
ascribo to him. FOndly do we hope, fer
vontly do we pray that this mighty scourge
of war may pass away. Yet if God wills
that it continue until all the wealth piled by
the bondman's 250 years of unrequitcd toll
shall be sunk, nd until every drcp of blood
drawn with the lash shall bo paid by an
other drawn with the sword, as was said
thrco thousand years ago, so still it must
be said that the judgments of the Lord are
true and righteous alto sether. With
malice toward none, with charity for all
with iirmness in the right, let us strive on to
finish the work we are in, to bind up the
Nations wounds, and caro- for him who shall
have borne the battle, and for his widow
and orphans; to do all which may achieve
and cherish just aud lasting peace among
ourselves and with all nations.