Year: 1861




violence, within any State or States, against the
authority of the United States, are insurrection.
ary or revolutionary, according to circum.
stances. - a Il. . a


therefore consider that, in Jew Of the Con.
stituion aud the laws, the Union is unbroken !;
and, to the extent Of my ability, shall take
care, as the Constitution itself expressly enioins
upon me, that the laws Of the Union be faith.
fully executed in all the States. Doing this,
deem to be only simple duty on my part and
shall perform it, so far rs practicable, unless
my rightfu masters, the American people, shall
withhold the requisite means, or, in some au-
thoritative manner, direct the contrary. trust
this will not be regarded as menace, but only
as the declared purpose of the Union that It
,cM constitutionally defend and maintain it.
self.
In doing this, there needs to be no bloodshed
or violence; and there shall be none, unless it
be forced upon the national authority. The
power confded to me will be used to hold, oc-
cupy, and possess, the property and places be.
longing to the Government, and to collect the
duties and imposts; but beyond what may be
necessary for these objects, there will be no in.
vasion-no using Of force against or among the
people anywhere. Where hostility to the United
States in any interior locality, shall be so great
and so universal as to prevent competent resi-
dent citizens from holding the Federal offices,
there will be no attempt TO force obnoxious
strangers among the people for that object.
While the strict legal right may exist in the
Government to enforce the exercise of these
offices, the attempt to do so would be so irrita.
ting, and SO nearly impracticable withal, deem
it better to forego, for the time the uses Of such
offices.


The mails, unless repelled, will continue to
he ftrpiehad in all nm rta of tho TTn;op Co far
as possible, the people everywhere shall have
that sense Of perfect security which is most
favorable to calm thought and reflection. The
course here indicated will be followed, unless
current events and experience shall show
modification or change to be proper, and in
every case and exigency, my best discretion
will be exercised, according to circumstances
actually existing, and with view and hope
of peaceful solution of the national troubles
and the restoration of fraternal sympathies and
affections.


That there are persons in one section or
another who seek to destroy the Union at all
events, and are glad of any pretext to do it, l
will neither affirm nor deny butifthere be such,
l need address no word to them. To those,
however, who really love the Union, nay not
speak?


Before entering upon SO grave matter as





its benefits, its memories, and its hopes, would
it not be wise to ascertain precisely why we do
it2 Will you hazard SO desperate step, while
there is any possibility that any portion Of the
ills you fly from have no real existence Will
you, while the certain ills you fly to, are greater
than all the real ones you fly from Will you
risk the commission of so fearful mistake?


All profess to be content in the Union, if all
constitutional rights can be maintained. Is it
true, then, that any right, plainly written in the
Constitution, has been denied think not.
Happily the human mind is so constituted that
no party can reach to the audacity of doing
this. Think, if you can, of single instance,
in which plainly y.written provision of the Con.
stitution has ever been denied? If, by the mere
force Of numbs, majority should deprive
minority Of any clesrly.written constitutional
right, it might, in moral point Of view, justify
vital one. Rut such is not our case. All the
vital rights Of minorities and of individuals are
SO plainly assured to them, by affirmation and
negotiation, guarantees and provisions, in the
Constitution, that controversies never arise con.
cerning them. But no organic law can ever be
framed with provision specifically applicable
to every question which may occur in practical
administration.


No foresight can anticipate, nor any docu.
ment Of reasonable length contain, express pro-
visions for oil possible questions. Shall fugi.
tives from labor be surrendered by national or
by State authority? The Constitution does not
expressly say. May Congress prohibit slavery
in the territories2 The Constitution does not
expressly say. Must Congress protect slavery
in the territories? The Constitution does not
expressly say. r.


From questions Of this class spring all our
Al
jorities and minorities. If the minority will
not acquiesce, the majority must, or the Gov.
ernment must cease. There is no other alter.
native ; for continuing the Government, is &C.
quiescence on one side or the other. If q mi.
nority, in such case, will secede rather than
acquiesee, they make precedent which, in
turn, will divide and ruin them for minority
OF their own will secede from them whenever q
majority refuses to be controlled by such mi.
nority. For instance, why may not any portion
OF new confederacy, Q year Or two hence, ar.
bitrarily secede again, precisely as portions of
the present Union now claim to secede from it 2
All who cherish disunion sentiments are now
being educated to the exact temper of doing
this.


Is there such perfect identity of interests
among the States to compose new Union, as
to produce harmony only, and prevent renewed
secession2 Plainly, the central idea of seces.
sion is the essence of anarchy. A majority
held in restraint by constitutional checks and
Limitations, and always changing easily with
deliberate changes of popular opinions and sen. |
timents, is the only true sovereign Of free peo.
pie. Whoever rejects it, does, Of necessity, fly
to anarchy or to despotism. Unanimity is i'm.
possible; the rule of q minority, as a perma.
nent arrangement, is wholly inadmssible; SO
that, rejecting the majority principle, anarchy
or despotism in some form is all that is left.


do not forget the position assumed by some,
that constitutional questions are to be decided
by the supreme Court; nor do l deny that such
decisions must be binding in any case, upon
the parties to suit as to the object of that
suit while they are also entitled to very high
respect and consideration in all parallel cases