Year: 1861

their decisions 10 political purposes. One
section of our country believes that slavery
is right and ought TO be extended, while the
other believes it is wrong and ought not 10
be extended. This is the only substantial
dispute. The fugitive slave clause OF the
Constitution and the law for the suppress
sion of the foreign slave, are each as we'll
enforced perhaps as any law ever can be in
a community where the moral sense of The
people irnperfectly supports the law itself


The great body of the people abide by
the dry legal obligation in both cases, and
few break over in each. This | think
cannon be perfectly cured, and it would be
worse in both cases after the separation OF
the sections than before. The foreign
slave trade now imperfec.ly suppressed,
would be ultimately revived without re.
striction in one section, while fugitive slaves
now only partially surrendered would not
be surrendered at all by the other.


Physically speaking, we cannot separate.
We cannot remove our respective sections
from each other, nor build an impossible
wall between them. A husband and wife
may be divorced 10 60 out of the presence
and beyond the reach of each other.


Blu, the different parts OF our country can
moi do This They cannot but remain face
10 face, and an intercourse either amicable
or hostile must continue between them. Is
it possible, then, 10 make that intercourse
more advantageous or more satisfactory
after separating than before? Can aliens
make treaties easier than friends can make
laws! Can treaties be more faithfully en-
forced between aliens than laws among
friends


Suppose you go to war, you cannot light
always, and when, after much loss on both
sides .and no gain Oh either, you cease
fighting the Identical old questions as 10
terms OF intercourse are again upon you
This country with It's institutions belong 10
the people who inhabit il.


Whenever they shall grow weary Of the
existing Government, they can exercise
theiT constitutional right of amending ii, or
their revolutionary right to dismember or
overtE row il.


canno; be ignorant of the fact that many
worthy and patriotic citizens are desIrous
of having the National Constitution amen
ded While | make no recommendations
of amendments, fully recognize the right
fol authority OF the people over the whole
subiect TO be exercised in either of the
modes prescribed in the instrument itself,
aud should, under existing circumstances
favor rather than oppose fair opportunity
being afforded the people to act upon it,
will venture to add that TO me the Con-
vention mode seems preferable, inasmuch
as it allows the amendment 10 originate
with the people themselves, instead only
OF permitting them 10 take or reject prop
osiiion originated by others, not especially
chosen for The purpose, and which might
not be precisely such as they would not
wish 10 either accept or refuse.


understand proposed amendment to
| the Constitution. which amendment, how


ever, | have not seen, has passed Congress
i, to the effect that the Federal Government
shall never interfere with the domestic in
stitulons of the States, including that of
! pc rsons held TO service. To avoid a mis-
struction of what have said, depart from
my purpose not 10 speak of particular
amendments so far as 10 say that holding
such provision to be now impliedly as
| constitutional law, have no objection TO
| its being made express and irrevocable.


The Chief Magistrate derives all hIs au-
thority from the people, and they have con-
! ferred none upon him TO fix times for the
/ separation of the States. The people them
selves can do this also if they chose, but
the executive, as such, has nothing to do


with it, His duty is to administer the pres>
/ ent government as it came TO his, hands,
/ and to transmit it unimpared by him 70 his
! successors VIII should there not be a
tratetnal confidence in the ultimate justice
of the people is;here any better or equal
/ hope in the world!


| In our present differences is either party
/ without faith of being in right fthe Atmigh
, ty Ruler oil nations with his eternal truth
and justice upon your side OF the North, or
| on yours of The South, that truth and Justice
will surely prevail by the judgment of this
great tribunal, the American people by the
, frame OF The Govern ment under which we


live this same people have wisely given
/ their servants but litile power for mischief,
and have with equal wisdom provided for
the return OF that little TO their own hands
at very short interval While the people re-
tain virtue and vigilance no administration
| by any extreme of wickedness or folly can
very seriously injure the government in the
short space of four years. My countrymen
one and all, think calmly and well upon
this subject; nothing valuable can be lost
by taking time II there be an object 10 hur-
ry any ol you in hot haste TO step which
| you would never take deliberately, that ob-