Year: 1861

| cannot be ignorant OF the fact that many
worthy and patriotic citizens are desirous of
having the National Constitution amended
While make no recommendations Of al
amendment, fully recognize the full author
ity Of the people over the whole subject, to
be exercised in naccordancs with the mode pre-
scribed in the instrument itself, and should
under existing circumstances, favor rather'
than oppose a fair opportunity being afford
ed the people to act upon it. will venture
to add that to me the convention mode seems
preferable, in that which deems amendments
to originate with the people themselves, in
stead Of only permitting them to take o. re-
ject propositions originated by others, not es
pecially chosen for the purpose, and which
might not pre- :isely suit, rs they would wish
others to accept or refuse. | understand q
proposed amendment TO the Constitution.
which amendment, however, have not seen,
has passed Congress, to the effect that the
Federal Government shall never interfere
with the domestic institutions Of States, in.
Guiding that Of persons held to service. To
avoid msconstruction OF what have said,
depart from my purpose not to speak of
particular amendments, SO far as to say that
holding such a provisi on to be implied Con-
stitutional law, | have no objection to its be-



ing made express and irrevoeable.


The Chief Magistrate derives all his au-
thority from the people, and they have con-
ferred none upon him to tx the terms for
separation Of States The people themselves,
alone, can do this, if they choose, while the
Execution, as such has nothing to do with it.
His duty is to administer the present Gov
ernment as it comes to his hands, and to
transmit it unimpaired by him to his success
or. Why should there not be q patriotic
confidence in the ultimate justice Of the Peo.
pie? This same people have wisely given
their public servants but little power for
mischief, and have with equal wisdom, pro-
vided for the return of that little to their
own hands at very shorts intervals. While
the people retain their virtue and vigilance,
no Administration by extreme 'wickedness
or folly, can very seriously injure the Gov
ernment in the short space of four years.


My countrymcn cne and all Think ofand
calmly dwell upon this subject. Nothing
valuable can be by taking t,me If there
is an object to hurry any of you in hot haste
to step which you would never take delib-
erately, that object will BE- frustrated by ta-
king time; but no good object can be irus-
trated by it, ouchsof you as are re>dissatisfied
still have the old Constitution unimpaired,
and laws of your own framing under it and
the new Administration will have no opper-
tnnity, if it would, to change elthsr-It it
were admitted that you whO are dissatisfied
hold the right side Of dispute, there is no rea-:
son for precipitant action. Intelligence, pat
riotism, christianity and firm reliance on
Hin who has never yet forsaken this favored
land, are still competent to adjust in the best
wav Onr litficul


On your heads my dissatisfied fellow coun-
trymen, and not on mine, is the momentous
issue of civil war. The Government will not
assail you. You can have no conflict with
out being yourselves the aggressJrs. You
have no oath registered in heaven to destroy
the Government, while Ishall have the
most solemn one to preserve, defend and
protect it. We are not enemies, but friends.
We must not be enemies. Though passion
may have strained, it must not break our
bonds of Union. The mystic chords of men,
ory, stretched from every battlefield and
patriots grave to every living heart and
hcarth-stono all over this broad land, will
yet swell the chorus of the Uaion, when
again touched, as surely they will be, by the
better angels Of our nature.