Year: 1861




In compliance with a custom old as the Gov
ernment itsell. appear here to address you brief
w. and to take. in your prcsenc0, the oath pre-
scribcd by the Constitution of the United States
TO be taken by the President before he enters on
the execution of his Office ! do rot consider it
necessary at present for me to discuss those mat
tcrs of administration about which there is no
special excitement The apprehension seems TO
exist among the people OF the Southern States
that by the accession of Il Republican President
their property and their peace and personal secu
rity are to be endangered, and there has never
been any reasonable cause for such apprchcnsOn
indeed. the most ample evidence to the contrary
all the while existed. and was open to their in
spccton. 1t is found in nearly all the published
speeches ol him who now addresses you | do
but quote from Of those speeches when | de-
clare that | have no purpose, directly or Indirect
w. to interfere with the institution of slavery
in the States where it exists. | believe have no
lawful right to do so. | have no inclination to
do so. Those who nominated and elected me did
so with the full knowledge that had made this
and many similar declarations, and had never re-
canted them, and more than this, they placed in
the platform, for my acceptance, as ii law to them
selves and to me. the clear and emphatic res0lu-
ton which | now read:


"Rcsolued, That the maintenance inviOlatc Of
the rights OF the States and epecally the right Of
each State to order and control its own domestic
Institutions according to lis own judgment eX-
clusivcly is essential to the balance Of power,
on which the perfection and endurance of our
political fabric depends and we denouncc the
awIess invasion by an armed force of the Gov
ernment of any State or Territory, no matter
under what pretext, as among the gravcst OF
crimes"


now retprate these sentiments and doing so,
| only press upon the public attention the most
conclusive evidence Of what the case is suscepti-
BILE, that the property, peace aod security Of no
section are to be in anywisc endangered by the
now incoming Administration. add. too. that
all the protection which, consistently with the
Constitution and the laws can be given. will be
cheerlully given TO all the States when lawfully
demanded. for whatever cause. as cheerlully to
one section rs another.


There is much controversy about the delivery
of 1ugtives from service or labor The clause |
now read is us plainly written in the Constitution
as any other OF its provisions


mo person held TO service or labor in one State
under The laws thereof. escaping into another.
shall. in consequence Of any law or regulation
therein. be discharged from such service or labor,
but shall be delivered, upon claim, to the party
to whom such service or claim may be due" 1t
is scarcely questioned that this provision was in
tended by those who made it for the rcclaimng of
what we call fugitivc slaves; and the intention
of the law given is the law. All members of
Congress swear their support to the whole Con
stitution-to this portion as much as to any other
To the proposition. then, that slaves whose cases
come within the terms OF tniS clause. ana snail ne
delivered up. their oaths are unanimous. Now II
they would make the effort in good temper
could they not, with nearly unanimity, frame and
pass law by means of which to make good that
unanimous oath? There is some difference OF
opinion whether these clauses should be enforced
by National or State authority; but surely that
difference is nota very material one. If the slave
is to be surrendered, it can be of but little con-
sequence to him orto others by what authority ii
is DONE ard should any one in any case be con-
tent that his oath shall be unkept, or merely
unsubstantal controversy as to how 1T shall be
kept again, in any law upon this subject. ought
not ali the safeguards of liberty known in all
civilized and human jurisprudence, to be intro
duccd so that Il freeman may in no case be surren
dered as a slave? And might it not be well at the
same time 10 provide by law for the enforcement
of that clause of the Constitution which guaran-
tees that the citizens of each State shall be en-
titled to all the privileges and immunities OF clt
zens of the several States? | take the official
oath to-day with no mental reservations and no
nurposc to construe the Constitution and law by
any priyate rules and while do not choose now
to specify particular Acts Of Congress as proper
to be enforced, do suggest that it will be much
safer both in official and private stations, TO con-
form to and abide by all those Acts which stand
unrepealed than to violate any OF them, trusting
to find security in having them held to be uncon-
stitutional.


1t is seventy-two years since the first Inaugural
ton of a President under our national Constltu
tion. During that period fifteen different ana
greatly distinguished citizens have, In successlon'
administered the Executive. That branch OF the
Government thcv have conducted through many