Year: 1861

WASHINGTON, March 4.-Fellow citizens Of tho
United States: In compliance with custom ~
old as the Government itself, | appear here To
address you briefly, and TO take, in your presence,
the oath prescribed by the Constitution OF tho
United States TO be taken by the President before
he enters on the execution Of his office. do not
consider II necessary at present for me to discuss
those matters 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 Republican Admnstra-
tion their property and their peace aud personal
security are to be endangered, and there has
never been any reasonable cause for such appre-
hension indeed, the most ample evidence to the
contrary all the while existed, aud was open to
their inspection. II Is found In nearly all the
published speeches of him who now addresses
you. | do but quote from one of those speeches
when declare that have no purpose, directly,
or indirectly, TO interfere with the institution OF
slavery in the States where IL exists | believe
have no lawful right to do so. | have no inclina-
ton to do so. Those who nominated and elected
me did SO with the full knowledge that hal
made this and many similar declarations and had
never recanted them, and, more than this, they
placed in the platform, for my acceptance, as
law TO themselves and to mo, the clear aud
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 do





ment exclusively, Is essential to the balance of
power, on which the perfection and endurance OF
our political fabric depends; and we den0unce
the lawless invasion by an armed force of Govern
ment of any State or Territory, no matter under
what pretext, as among the gravest OF crimes


/ now reiterate these sentiments, and 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 DO in anywlse 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 cheeIfully given to all the States when
lawfully demanded, for whatever cause, as cheer
fully TO one section as to another.


| There Is much controversy about the delivery
of fuptives from service or labor. The clause |
now read is as plainly written in the Constitution
as any other Of its provisions:


| "No person held to service or labor in one
State, under tho laws thereof, escaping into
another shall in consequence of any law or rcgu-
| lation therein, be discharged from such service
or labor, but shall be delivered, upon claim, 10
the party to whom such service or labor may DO
due" 1t is scarcely questioned that this provis-
ion was intended by those who made IL for the
reclamng of what we call fugitive slaves; and
the intention of the law given, is the law. All
members of Congress swear their support to the
whole Constiution--to this portion as much as
any other To the proposition, then that slaves
whose cases come within the terms of this clause,
and shall be delivered up their oaths are unani-
nous. Now, IL they would make the effort in
good temper, could they not, with nearly unanI-
nifty, frame and pass law by means OF which to
make good that unanimous oath There is some
difference of opinion whether these clauses shou'u
be enforced by National or State authority; out
surely that difference is not very material one.
If the slave is to be surrendered, 1t can De oil out
little consequence to him or TO Others oy what
authority it is done aud should any one IN any
case be content that his oath shalt be "hRept ~
n merely unsubsiantlAl controversy "' W no" u
cuNuSrEB oN T0rErl PAGE.