Inaugural Address of James BuchananWord文档格式.docx

Inaugural Address of James BuchananWord文档格式.docx

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WEDNESDAY,MARCH4,1857

Fellow-Citizens:

Iappearbeforeyouthisdaytotakethesolemnoath"

thatIwillfaithfullyexecutetheofficeofPresidentoftheUnitedStatesandwilltothebestofmyabilitypreserve,protect,anddefendtheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates."

InenteringuponthisgreatofficeImusthumblyinvoketheGodofourfathersforwisdomandfirmnesstoexecuteitshighandresponsibledutiesinsuchamannerastorestoreharmonyandancientfriendshipamongthepeopleoftheseveralStatesandtopreserveourfreeinstitutionsthroughoutmanygenerations.ConvincedthatIowemyelectiontotheinherentlovefortheConstitutionandtheUnionwhichstillanimatestheheartsoftheAmericanpeople,letmeearnestlyasktheirpowerfulsupportinsustainingalljustmeasurescalculatedtoperpetuatethese,therichestpoliticalblessingswhichHeavenhaseverbestoweduponanynation.Havingdeterminednottobecomeacandidateforreelection,IshallhavenomotivetoinfluencemyconductinadministeringtheGovernmentexceptthedesireablyandfaithfullytoservemycountryandtoliveingratefulmemoryofmycountrymen.

WehaverecentlypassedthroughaPresidentialcontestinwhichthepassionsofourfellow-citizenswereexcitedtothehighestdegreebyquestionsofdeepandvitalimportance;

butwhenthepeopleproclaimedtheirwillthetempestatoncesubsidedandallwascalm.

Thevoiceofthemajority,speakinginthemannerprescribedbytheConstitution,washeard,andinstantsubmissionfollowed.Ourowncountrycouldalonehaveexhibitedsograndandstrikingaspectacleofthecapacityofmanforself-government.

Whatahappyconception,then,wasitforCongresstoapplythissimplerule,thatthewillofthemajorityshallgovern,tothesettlementofthequestionofdomesticslaveryintheTerritories.Congressisneither"

tolegislateslaveryintoanyTerritoryorStatenortoexcludeittherefrom,buttoleavethepeoplethereofperfectlyfreetoformandregulatetheirdomesticinstitutionsintheirownway,subjectonlytotheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates."

Asanaturalconsequence,CongresshasalsoprescribedthatwhentheTerritoryofKansasshallbeadmittedasaStateit"

shallbereceivedintotheUnionwithorwithoutslavery,astheirconstitutionmayprescribeatthetimeoftheiradmission."

AdifferenceofopinionhasariseninregardtothepointoftimewhenthepeopleofaTerritoryshalldecidethisquestionforthemselves.

Thisis,happily,amatterofbutlittlepracticalimportance.Besides,itisajudicialquestion,whichlegitimatelybelongstotheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStates,beforewhomitisnowpending,andwill,itisunderstood,bespeedilyandfinallysettled.Totheirdecision,incommonwithallgoodcitizens,Ishallcheerfullysubmit,whateverthismaybe,thoughithaseverbeenmyindividualopinionthatundertheNebraska-KansasacttheappropriateperiodwillbewhenthenumberofactualresidentsintheTerritoryshalljustifytheformationofaconstitutionwithaviewtoitsadmissionasaStateintotheUnion.Butbethisasitmay,itistheimperativeandindispensabledutyoftheGovernmentoftheUnitedStatestosecuretoeveryresidentinhabitantthefreeandindependentexpressionofhisopinionbyhisvote.Thissacredrightofeachindividualmustbepreserved.Thatbeingaccomplished,nothingcanbefairerthantoleavethepeopleofaTerritoryfreefromallforeigninterferencetodecidetheirowndestinyforthemselves,subjectonlytotheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates.

ThewholeTerritorialquestionbeingthussettledupontheprincipleofpopularsovereignty--aprincipleasancientasfreegovernmentitself--everythingofapracticalnaturehasbeendecided.Nootherquestionremainsforadjustment,becauseallagreethatundertheConstitutionslaveryintheStatesisbeyondthereachofanyhumanpowerexceptthatoftherespectiveStatesthemselveswhereinitexists.Maywenot,then,hopethatthelongagitationonthissubjectisapproachingitsend,andthatthegeographicalpartiestowhichithasgivenbirth,somuchdreadedbytheFatherofhisCountry,willspeedilybecomeextinct?

Mosthappywillitbeforthecountrywhenthepublicmindshallbedivertedfromthisquestiontoothersofmorepressingandpracticalimportance.Throughoutthewholeprogressofthisagitation,whichhasscarcelyknownanyintermissionformorethantwentyyears,whilstithasbeenproductiveofnopositivegoodtoanyhumanbeingithasbeentheprolificsourceofgreatevilstothemaster,totheslave,andtothewholecountry.IthasalienatedandestrangedthepeopleofthesisterStatesfromeachother,andhasevenseriouslyendangeredtheveryexistenceoftheUnion.Norhasthedangeryetentirelyceased.Underoursystemthereisaremedyforallmerepoliticalevilsinthesoundsenseandsoberjudgmentofthepeople.Timeisagreatcorrective.Politicalsubjectswhichbutafewyearsagoexcitedandexasperatedthepublicmindhavepassedawayandarenownearlyforgotten.Butthisquestionofdomesticslaveryisoffargraverimportancethananymerepoliticalquestion,becauseshouldtheagitationcontinueitmayeventuallyendangerthepersonalsafetyofalargeportionofourcountrymenwheretheinstitutionexists.Inthateventnoformofgovernment,howeveradmirableinitselfandhoweverproductiveofmaterialbenefits,cancompensateforthelossofpeaceanddomesticsecurityaroundthefamilyaltar.LeteveryUnion-lovingman,therefore,exerthisbestinfluencetosuppressthisagitation,whichsincetherecentlegislationofCongressiswithoutanylegitimateobject.

ItisanevilomenofthetimesthatmenhaveundertakentocalculatethemerematerialvalueoftheUnion.ReasonedestimateshavebeenpresentedofthepecuniaryprofitsandlocaladvantageswhichwouldresulttodifferentStatesandsectionsfromitsdissolutionandofthecomparativeinjurieswhichsuchaneventwouldinflictonotherStatesandsections.Evendescendingtothislowandnarrowviewofthemightyquestion,allsuchcalculationsareatfault.Thebarereferencetoasingleconsiderationwillbeconclusiveonthispoint.Weatpresentenjoyafreetradethroughoutourextensiveandexpandingcountrysuchastheworldhasneverwitnessed.Thistradeisconductedonrailroadsandcanals,onnobleriversandarmsofthesea,whichbindtogethertheNorthandtheSouth,theEastandtheWest,ofourConfederacy.Annihilatethistrade,arrestitsfreeprogressbythegeographicallinesofjealousandhostileStates,andyoudestroytheprosperityandonwardmarchofthewholeandeverypartandinvolveallinonecommonruin.Butsuchconsiderations,importantastheyareinthemselves,sinkintoinsignificancewhenwereflectontheterrificevilswhichwouldresultfromdisuniontoeveryportionoftheConfederacy--totheNorth,notmorethantotheSouth,totheEastnotmorethantotheWest.TheseIshallnotattempttoportray,becauseIfeelanhumbleconfidencethatthekindProvidencewhichinspiredourfatherswithwisdomtoframethemostperfectformofgovernmentandunioneverdevisedbymanwillnotsufferittoperishuntilitshallhavebeenpeacefullyinstrumentalbyitsexampleintheextensionofcivilandreligiouslibertythroughouttheworld.

NextinimportancetothemaintenanceoftheConstitutionandtheUnionisthedutyofpreservingtheGovernmentfreefromthetaintoreventhesuspicionofcorruption.Publicvirtueisthevitalspiritofrepublics,andhistoryprovesthatwhenthishasdecayedandtheloveofmoneyhasusurpeditsplace,althoughtheformsoffreegovernmentmayremainforaseason,thesubstancehasdepartedforever.

Ourpresentfinancialconditioniswithoutaparallelinhistory.Nonationhaseverbeforebeenembarrassedfromtoolargeasurplusinitstreasury.Thisalmostnecessarilygivesbirthtoextravagantlegislation.Itproduceswildschemesofexpenditureandbegetsaraceofspeculatorsandjobbers,whoseingenuityisexertedincontrivingandpromotingexpedientstoobtainpublicmoney.Thepurityofofficialagents,whetherrightfullyorwrongfully,issuspected,andthecharacterofthegovernmentsuffersintheestimationofthepeople.Thisisinitselfaverygreatevil.

ThenaturalmodeofrelieffromthisembarrassmentistoappropriatethesurplusintheTreasurytogreatnationalobjectsforwhichaclearwarrantcanbefoundintheConstitution.AmongtheseImightmentiontheextinguishmentofthepublicdebt,areasonableincreaseoftheNavy,whichisatpresentinadequatetotheprotectionofourvasttonnageafloat,nowgreaterthanthatofanyothernation,aswellastothedefenseofourextendedseacoast.

Itisbeyondallquestionthetrueprinciplethatnomorerevenueoughttobecollectedfromthepeoplethantheamountnecessarytodefraytheexpensesofawise,economical,andefficientadministrationoftheGovernment.Toreachthispointitwasnecessarytoresorttoamodificationofthetariff,andthishas,Itrust,beenaccomplishedinsuchamannerastodoaslittleinjuryasmayhavebeenpracticabletoourdomesticmanufactures,especiallythosenecessaryforthedefenseofthecountry.Anydiscriminationagainstaparticularbranchforthepurposeofbenefitingfavoredcorporations,individuals,orinterestswouldhavebeenunjusttotherestofthecommunityandinconsistentwiththatspiritoffairnessandequalitywhichoughttogovernintheadjustmentofarevenuetariff.

Butthesquanderingofthepublicmoneysinksintocomparativeinsignificanceasatemptationto