President Lincoln's first inaugural address may be safely reckoned among
the most notable of American state papers, both for the purity of
diction and the earnest patriotism which pervade it. With a spirit of
fraternalism appealing and pathetic, he called upon his countrymen to
turn from discord and separation to a new lease of brotherhood and a
revival of devotion to the Republic consecrated by the sacrifices and
labors of their fathers. The address gave assurance that the Federal
Government would respect the rights of the states and individuals in
regard to slavery, and that no interest or section would be disturbed in
any constitutional right by the incoming administration. Upon the great
point, however, as to the policy of the Federal Government in regard to
coercing the states which had seceded, the address was held by many to
be fairly susceptible of different constructions. Thus the President
said:
"I, therefore, consider that in view of the constitution and the laws,
the Union is unbroken, and to the extent of my ability I shall take
care, as the constitution itself expressly enjoins upon me, that the
laws of the Union be faithfully executed in all the states. Doing this
I deem to be a simple duty on my part, and I shall perform it so far
as practicable unless my rightful masters, the American People, shall
withhold the requisite means, or in some authoritative manner direct
the contrary."
It must be remembered that at the time these words were uttered the
seven Cotton States had withdrawn from the Union; had organized the
Southern Confederacy, and that in all the vast region from North
Carolina to the Rio Grande, the Confederacy's authority was recognized,
except at Fort Sumter and three or four like forts where the flag of the
Union still waved. Mr. Lincoln's declaration, therefore, that these
states were still in the Union and that he intended to enforce the
execution of its laws within their borders was accepted in many quarters
as avowing a purpose to coerce these states and their citizens into a
recognition of its jurisdiction and authority. Against this construction
should be placed other extracts from the address. Thus he said:
"The power confided to me will be used to hold, occupy and possess the
property and places belonging to the Government and to collect the
duties and imposts; but beyond what may be necessary for these objects
there will be no invasion, 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 universal as to prevent competent
resident 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
irritating and so nearly impracticable withal that I deem it better to
forego for the time the uses of such offices."