Year: 1861

FeHoav Citizens Of the United States :-In
compliance with custom as old as the
government is itself, appear before you to
address you briefly, and to take in your
presence the oath prescribed by the Consti-
tuition of the United States, to be taken by
the President before he enters on the execu
tion of the duties of bis Office; but do not
consider it necessary at present for me to
discuss those matters of administration
aodut which there is no special anxiety or
excitement.


REPUBLICAN PARTY NOT HOSTILE TO THE SOUTH


QUOTES THE CHICAGO PLATFORM.


Apprehension seems to exist among the
people of the Southern States that by
the accession of Republican Admins
tration, their property and their 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 in
spection. 1t is found in nearly all the
published speeches of him who now ad-
dresses you. l do but quote from one of
those speeches, when l declare that 81 have
no purpose, directly or indirectly, to inter-
fere with the institution of slavery in the
States where it exists" l believe l have DO
right to do so, and have no inclination to
do so. Those who nominated and elected
me, did so with the full knowledge that I
had made this and many similar decara
tions, and had never recalled them; and
more than this, they placed in the platform
for my acceptance, as a law to themselves
and to me, a 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
own domestic institutions according to its own
Judgment exclusively, is essential to that bal
ance Of power on which the perfection and en-
durance of our political fabric depends, and
we denOunce the lawlesS invasion by an armed
force, of the soil of any state or territory, no
matter under what preteXt, as among the gray
est OF crimes.


WILL DEFEND THE SOUTH AGAINST "JoHN


BROWNS"


now reiterate these sentiments. In doing
so only press upon the public attention
the most conclusive evidence Of which the
case is susceptible. that the property, peace,
and security OF no section are to be in any
wise endangered by the now incoming ad-
ministratiOn. [ add, too, that all the
protection which consistently with the
Constitution and the laws, can be
given, will be cbeerfulIy given to all the
States when lawfully demanded, for whatev-
er cause, and as cheertuly to one section as
to another.


THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW.


There is much controversy about the de.
livering up of fugitives from service or la
Dor. The clause | now read is as plainly
written in the Constitution as any other of
its provisions: No person held to
service or laoor in one State, under the
the laws Thereof, escaping into another,
shall in consequence of any law or regula-
tion therein, be discharged from such SER
vice Or labor but shall be delivered up on
claim of the party to whom such service
or labor may be due" 1t was intend.
ed by those who made it, for the retaining
of what we call fugitive slaves, and the in
tention of the law-giver is the law. all the
members OF Congress swear their support
to the whole COnstitutiOn-to this prOvi-
sion as much as to any other proposition.
Then, the slave whose case comes within
the terms of this clause shall be delivered
up. Their oaths are unanimous. Now,
If they would make the effort in good tenn
per, could they not, with nearly equal
unanimity, frame and pass law by means
of which to keep good that unanimous
oath. 4? There is some difference of opin>
ion whether this clause should be enforced
by National or State authority but surely
that difference is not very material one.
If the slave is to be surrendered, it can be
of but little consequence to him or to others,
by which authority it is done. And
should any one, in any case, be content that
his oath shall be unkept, on merely un-
substantial controversy as to how it shall
be kept.


PERSONAL LIBERTY LAws-s0UTHERN OUT


RACES ON NORTHERN CITIZENS.


Again, in any law upon this SUBJ
iect, ought not all the safeguards of liberty
known in civilized and human jurispru.
dence, to be introduced, 80 that freeman
may not be in any case surrendered as a
slave? And, might it not be we'll, at the
same time, to provide by law for the en-
forcement of that clause in the Constitution
which guarantees that the citizens ofeach
State shall be entitled to all the privileges
and immunities of citizens in the several
States"


RECOMMENDS OBEDIENCE TO THE LAWS.


/ take the official oath to-day, with
no mental reservations, and with no
purpose to construe the Constitution or laws