Year: 1861

Won ,easo fighting, the indontlcal
old questions rs 10 terms oi intcr-
course are again upon you, This
country with It's institutions belongs
To the people who inhabit il, How
ever, they grow weary of the exist
ing Government, they can exercise
their Constitutional right of amend
ing il or their Revolutionary rights
to dlsmomher or overthrow H.


cannot be ignorant of the fact
that many worthy and patriotic cit
izcns are dcSirous of having the Ma
tional Constitution amended, When
| make no recommendation of that
character, | fully recognize the
riglgsll authority OF the people over
the whole subjects, 20 be exercised
/ IN 4 her of .,ic as;iccSaes iirc8triaeH-sh
the instrument itself; and ! should
under the existing circumstances
favor rather than oppose II fair OPP
portunity being afforded to the pco'
pie, TO act upon it. ] will venture
10 add, that 10 me, the Convention
Mode seems preferable IN that II al
lows amendments TO originate with
the people themselves, instead of ON
ly permitting them To take or reject
propositions originated by others
not especially chosen i0r the pur-
pose, and which might not be pre-
cisclv such us they would wish either
TO accept or refuse. | understand
that the proposed amendment to the
Constitution that has passed Con-
grcss, (Which amendment however,
/ have not SEEM to the effect that
the Federal Government shall never
interfere with the domestic institu-
tons of the States, including that OF
persons held to service, TO avoid
miSconstruction of what ! have said,
] depart from my purpose, not to
speak of particular amendments so
far as to say that such II provision
is implied in Constitutional Law
| have however, no objection to its
being made express and irrcvoca-
Bile.


The Chief Magistrate derives all
his authority from the people and
they have conferred none on him
to fix the terms for the separation
Of the States, The people them
selves can do this also if they choose,
but the executive us such, has moth
inc 10 do with it. His duty is to
administer the present government
as it came to his hands, and to
transmit itunimpaircd by him to his
successor. Why should there not
be II patient confidence in the ulti-
mate justice of the people? Is
there any better or equal hope in
in the world in our present differ
ences? Is either party without
faith Of being found to be the right
by the Almighty ruler Of nations
with his eternal truth and JUSTICE
Is he on your side Of the North, OF
on yours Of the South ? Do you
fear the truth and justice will surely
prevail by the judgement Of this
great tribunal, the American people
BY the form Of government under
which they live, this same people
have wisely given but little power
for mischief, and have with equal
wisdom provided for the return OF
that little to their own hands at very
short intervals. While the people
retain their virtue and vigilance, no
administration by any extreme OF
wickcdness or folly can very scri-
ously injurc the government in the
short space Of four years.


My Countrymen, one and all!
think calmly and well upon this
whole subject. Nothing can be lost
by taking time. If there be an OBJ
icct to hurry any of you in hot haste
to step which you would never
take deliberately, that object will be
frustrated by taking time but no
good object can be frustrated by it.
Such Of you as are now dissatisfied,
still have the old Constitution un-
impaired, and on the sensitive point
the laws of your own framing under
.Jthe new Administration will have
no immculiate power If it should
e.ther-if it were admitted that you
who are dissatisfied hold the ri;ss4t
side in the dispute, still there is no
signal good reason for precipitate
action, Intelligence and patriotism
Christianity, and a firm reliance on
Him who has never yet torsaken
this favored land, are still compe-
tent to adjust for the best all our
difficulties In your hands, my dis
satisfied friends and countrymen,
and not mine, is the momentous is
sue Of civil war The government
will not assail YOU. You can have
no conflict without yourselves being
the aggrcssors. You have no oath
registered in Heaven to destroy this
government, while ! shall have the
most solemn one to preserve, protect
and defend it. / am loath to believe
that we are enemies and not friends.
We must not be enemies Though
passion may have momcntarily
gained sway, we must not break our
bonds of affection! The mystic
chords of memory, stretching from
every battlefield and patriots grave
to every living heart and hearth,
stone all over this broad land, Will
swell the chorus of the Union when
again touched, as surely they VIII
be, by the. better angels of our ma
ture


Twenty-Five Million More OfTaXes


We have heard much from the
lips of our Union brothers of late,
about the enormous load of taxes