Year: 1861

Il
compliance with a custom old the Govern


ment itself, I appear before you to address you


briefly and to take in your presence the oath pre-
scribed by the Constitution of the United States


and to be taken by the President before he enters
on the execution of his office. | do not consider
it necessary, at present, for to discuss those


matters Of administration about which there is nc
special anxiety or excitement. Apprehension


seems to exist among the people of the Southern


States that by the accession of Republican Ad-


mnistration, their property and peace and personal


security are to be endangered. There has never


been any reasonable cause for such apprehension,


Indeed the most ample evidence to the contrary


has all the while existed, and been open to their
inspection. 1t is found in nearly all the public
speeches Of him who now addresses you. | do but
quote from one of those speeches when [ declare


that | have no purpose, directly indirectly, to


Interfere with the institution of slavery in the


States where 1t now exists, and l believe have no


lawful right to do so, and | have no inclination to
do So Those who nominated and elected me did
so with full knowledge that | had made this and


many other similar declarations and had never re-
canted them and, more than this, they placed in
the platform tor my acceptance law to them
selves and to me, the clear and emphatic resolution


which now read:


" Resolved, That the maintenance, inviolate, of
the rights Of the States, and especially the right
of each State, to order and control its domes-
tic institutions according to its own judgment, ex-
clusvely, is essential to that balance of power
which the perfection and endurance of our politi-
cal fabric depend and denounce the lawless
invasion by armed force of the soil Of any State or
Territory, no matter under what pretext, as among
the gravest of crimes"


[ now reierate these sentiments, and ir doing
so, only press upon the public attention the most
conclusive evidence of which the case is suscepti-
Bile, that the property, peace and security Of no
section are to he III anywlse endangered by the in
coming Administration. | add to that, all the
protection which, consistently with the Constitu-
ton and the laws, be given, will be cheerfully
given to all the States, when lawfully demanded,
for whatever cause, cheerfully to one section
another


There is much controversy about the delivering
up of fuoitves from service or labor. The clause
| now read is plainly written in the Constitution
as any other of its provisions:


"No person held to service or LABOR in one State
under the laws thereof, escaping into another shall
in consequence Of any law regulation therein
be discharged from such service labor, but shall
be delivered up claim Of the party to whom
such service or labor may be DUE


1t is scarcely questionable that this provision
intended by those who made it, for the recaiming
of what call fugitive slaves and the intention
Of the law given, is the Jaw All members of
Congress their support to the whole Consti-
tuition, to this provision much as to any other.
To the proposition, then, that slaves whose cases
come within the terms of this clause, shall be de-
livered up, their oaths are unanimous. Now, if
they would make the effort in good temper, could
they not with nearly equal unanimity frame
and pass law by means Of which to keep good
that unanimous oath? There is some difference of
opinion whether this clause should be enforced by
national or by State authority; but surely that
difference is not very material one; if the slave is
to be surrendered, it can be of but little conse-
quence to him to others by which authority it is
done; and should any one in any case be content
that his oath shall 60 urkept on a merely unsub-
stantial controversy as to how it shall be kept?
Again, 10 any law upon this subject ought not all
the safeguards of liberty known in civilized and
humane jurisprudence to be introduced, so that
free may not be in any case surrendered as
slave; and might it not be well, at the same time,
to provide by law for the enforcement of that
clause in the Constitution which guarantees that
g the citizens of each State shall be entitled to all
privileges and immunities Of citizens in the
era States"


I take the official oath to-day with no mental
reservations and with no pu pose to construe the
Constitution laws by any hypocritical rules
and while | do not choose now to specify partcu-
lar acts Of Congress proper to be enforced, do
suggest that it will be much safer for all, both in
official and private stations to conform to and abide
by all those acts which stand unrepealed, than to
violate any of them trusting to find impunity in
having them held to be unconstitutional.


1t is seveDty-two years since the first Inaugural
ion of a President under our National Coustitu-


ion. During that period, fifteen different and
greatly distinguished citizens have in succession
administered the Executive branch of the Govern
nent. They have conducted it through many
oerils and generally with great success. Yet, with
Ill this scope for precedent, now enter upon the
ame task for the brief constitutional term of yrs.
lnder great and peculiar difficulties. disruption
If the Federal Union, heretofore menaced, is now |
ormidably attempted. | hold that in contempla
ion Of universal law and of the Constitution, the
lnion of these States is perpetual. Perpetuity is /
mplied if not expressed, in the fundamental law |
# national Governments. 1t is safe to assert that
10 Government proper ever had provision in its
organic law for its termination Continue to
execute all the express provisions of our national
Constitution, aud the Union will endure forever
t being impossible to destroy it except by some
ction not provided for in the instrument itself


Again, if the United States be not Govern
nent proper, but association of States in the
nature of contract merely, it, as contract,
,e practically unmade by less than all the par
les who made it? One party to contract
nav violate it, break it, so to speak, but
loes it not require al to lawfully rescind i2 De-
cendinp from these general principles We find