Chapter 633: President in Troubled Times

Chapter 626 President in Troubled Times

Douglas was solemnly saying to Lincoln: "Abraham, no, Mr. President, our Union is in the most difficult moment in its history. Integrity and unity are the prerequisites for the United States to become a powerful country. The efforts of the forefathers of the past generations should not be ruined in our generation. in human hands.

In this time of crisis, nothing is more important than unity and patriotism. Mr. President, I and all northern Democrats support you. May God bless you and America! "

Douglas's words moved Lincoln and the top Republicans present. They were also deeply inspired.

Indeed, America needs unity now more than ever.

Douglas's statement showed that northern Democrats had recognized Lincoln as president and the legitimacy of the Republican Party. Northern Democratic support was now too important to Lincoln and the Republicans.

"Douglas, I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support. Your support comes at the right time! The Lord will bless our great country, and he will bless us!" Lincoln expressed gratitude.

The Northern Democratic Party was also full of factions. Lincoln, who was also the party leader, knew very well that Douglas had done a lot of work within the party and persuaded many people in the Northern Democratic Party, and the Northern Democratic Party reached a consensus.

Douglas didn't say much. After expressing the Northern Democratic Party's attitude to Lincoln and the Republicans, he said goodbye and left without making any political demands: "I have other important things to attend to, so I won't disturb you all. I'm leaving."

After Douglas left, Lincoln lamented to everyone: "Douglas is really a man of noble moral character and a general understanding."

"We wrongly blamed Douglas." Wells and Dayton said shamefully.

Lincoln was encouraged by the support and approval of Northern Democrats that the situation was not that bad. At least the free states of the north were united.

On February 5, Abraham Lincoln and James Buchanan walked out of the Willard Hotel where they were staying hand in hand, and boarded a luxurious black carriage together.

A group of elite security guards with live ammunition guarded the carriage in front and around to protect the personal safety of the two presidents.

The presidential motorcade drove slowly along Pennsylvania Avenue toward the iconic building in Washington: the Capitol Building.

In order to ensure that Lincoln's inauguration ceremony could go smoothly, Colonel Sumner, who had been stationed in Washington, under the instruction of Secretary of War Scott, placed elite shooters on the roofs of every house along Pennsylvania Avenue, as well as four companies. The infantrymen were responsible for maintaining law and order on the streets.

To prevent unexpected events, Scott personally commanded two light artillery companies to be stationed on Capitol Hill. General John Wuerl, the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Army, led an infantry regiment and two heavy artillery companies to be stationed in the southern suburbs of Washington. Strict control over idle personnel.

Although Washington did not declare a state of martial law, in fact, Scott and others had imposed stricter martial law on Washington than on Baltimore.

This made Lincoln's presidential inauguration look more like a carefully prepared military operation than a political ceremony.

In the carriage, Seward was reviewing Lincoln's inaugural speech, which he had read countless times.

Seward frowned and said to Lincoln sitting opposite: "Abraham, I agree that your inaugural speech was very persuasive, but this speech seemed too provocative. I'm worried."

"Are you worried that places like Missouri and Kentucky will secede from the Union within a month after seeing the content of my inaugural speech? Or are you worried that the puppet government in the South will declare war on us after seeing this speech and launch the Northern Expedition? We will have to fight A battle to defend Washington?" Lincoln said calmly.

"I'm worried," Seward said bluntly.

"Whether you or I are worried or not, what is going to happen cannot be avoided by changing the words of the inaugural address." Lincoln said sternly, "Instead of being hot-tempered and cold-blooded, we should place our vain hopes on the politicians of the South and the West. In terms of attitude, it is better to win the support of the northern people to the greatest extent.”

Under the escort of elite guards, the presidential motorcade arrived at the Congress smoothly.

Lincoln and Buchanan stepped off the carriage and entered the Capitol from the north. The two first attended the swearing-in ceremony of Vice President Hannibal Hamlin.

After Hamlin was sworn in as Vice President of the United States, it was today's protagonist Lincoln's turn.

It was a sunny and windy day, although the temperature was a bit low.

The sky was clear and translucent, and the morning breeze blew gently in the square in front of the Federal Capitol Building. Everything seemed quiet and solemn. People gathered in the square early, looking forward to witnessing this ordinary man from Illinois becoming the leader of a great country.

The scene was crowded, and due to the limited space in the square, those who did not get a seat in the square could only crowd angrily on the streets of Washington, D.C., to watch the ceremony.

Although nothing could be seen from the street, the audience watching the ceremony on the street still felt very involved.

On the main stage of the Capitol, Lincoln, dressed neatly in a black suit, smiling but with firm eyes, stood in front of the huge Stars and Stripes banner. He was flanked by former presidents and key government officials, as well as core members of the Republican and Democratic parties.

Lincoln's old friend, Baker, who presided over the ceremony, introduced Lincoln to the dignitaries present.

Lincoln wanted to stand up and take off his somewhat worn iconic beaver top hat, which was a gift from his employer when he was a legal counsel at the Atlantic Railroad.

This was his first decent hat, and he always liked it very much. He always liked to wear it when attending important occasions and ceremonies, and today was no exception.

But today, there seemed to be something wrong with the hat. I don’t know if it was because the hat was too tight or because he was too nervous and excited. Lincoln’s trembling hands could not successfully take off the hat.

Douglas, the leader of the Northern Democratic Party standing next to Lincoln, saw Lincoln’s dilemma and hurriedly said to Lincoln: "Mr. President, can I help you?"

Lincoln bent down and lowered his head. Douglas stood on tiptoe to take off Lincoln’s hat and kept it for Lincoln.

Lincoln bowed deeply, strode with excitement, walked to the podium, and opened his powerful voice with a frontier accent:

"All my fellow countrymen of the United States!

Today, we stand at a watershed in history! I am here not because of who I am, but because of who I am! You chose me! America is a strong and united country, and we are a nation with unlimited possibilities!

It has been 72 years since the first president took office under our Constitution. During this period, 15 very outstanding citizens have successively presided over the executive branch of the government. They have performed their duties in many difficulties and obstacles, and generally speaking, they have been successful.

However, despite this precedent, I now begin this constitutional term of only I have been in office for four short years, but under great and peculiar difficulties. The disintegration of the Union, which was hitherto a threat, has now become a dreadful reality. Ambitious men, with their own selfish interests, have already put this madness into action.

From the point of view of general law and the Constitution, I believe that the Union composed of the States is permanent. In the fundamental law of the United States, permanence is implicit, if not expressly provided for, it is implicit.

We can safely say that no regular government has ever included in its organic act a provision for the termination of its own government. By continuing to execute the provisions expressly provided for in our Constitution, the Union will exist forever, and its destruction cannot be accomplished except by some action not provided for in the Constitution itself.

Moreover, if the United States is not truly If it is not a government, but a union of states in the nature of a contract, can this union, as a contract, be cancelled without dispute by a minority of the parties who have breached the contract? One of the parties to a contract may breach it, or break it, but does not the consent of all the parties to the contract be required to legally cancel the contract?

Derived from these general principles, we believe that the proposition that the Union is legally permanent is confirmed by the history of the Union itself. The history of the Union is much older than the Constitution. In fact, it was formed in 1774 by the Articles of Union. It was matured and continued by the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The Union was further matured by the Articles of Confederation in 1778, when the 13 states at that time solemnly pledged that the Union should last forever. , and finally, one of the declared aims of the Constitution in 1787 was to "build a more perfect Union."

But if the Union could be dissolved by the laws of one or more states, it would be less perfect than before the Constitution was made, because it would lose the important element of permanence.

According to these views, no state can legally secede from the Union on its own initiative; all resolutions and decrees made for this purpose are legally invalid, and any violent separation by any state or states against the authority of the United States should be considered as rebellion or revolution according to the circumstances.

Therefore, I believe that the Union cannot be divided according to the Constitution and laws! I will ensure that the laws of the Union are faithfully executed in the states according to the powers expressly granted to me by the Constitution itself. I consider this to be my only duty, and I will accomplish it in a practicable way unless my legal masters, the American people, do not give me the necessary means or authoritatively indicate the contrary. I believe that everyone will regard this as a threat, but only as the declared goal of the Union: it will defend and maintain itself in accordance with the Constitution.

In terms of physical geography, we cannot be separated. We cannot move the regions away from each other, nor can we build an insurmountable wall between them. A couple can divorce and no longer see each other or contact each other, but the regions of our country cannot do that.

No matter what happens, they still have to get along face to face, and they still have to have either friendly or hostile exchanges. So, is it possible that the exchanges after separation will be more beneficial and more satisfactory than before the separation? Is it easier for foreigners to make treaties than for friends to make laws? Is it more faithful to enforce treaties between foreigners than to enforce laws between friends?

Suppose you go to war, you can't fight forever. After both sides have suffered heavy losses and neither side has gained any benefits, you will stop fighting, and then you will encounter the old problems such as the conditions of communication.

The President derives all his powers from the people, but they have not authorized him to prescribe the terms of the secession of the States. If the people so wish, they can do so, but the President cannot do so. His duty is to manage the government that is entrusted to him, and to hand it over intact to his successor.

Why can we not have a firm faith in the supreme justice of the people? Is there anything better or as good as this in the world? In the differences I had the other day, did both sides lack the confidence that they were right? If the Almighty Ruler of the Nations supports the North, the South, or the West with his eternal truth and justice. Then, that truth and that justice will surely prevail through the judgment of this great court of the American people.

It is these American people who, through our existing government structure, wisely give their servants only a small amount of power to prevent them from doing harm and evil, and equally wisely take that small power back to their own hands at short intervals.

As long as the people maintain their strength and vigilance, no matter how evil and stupid the executive can be, they can not seriously damage the government in the short term of four years.

My fellow citizens, consider the whole subject calmly and earnestly. Nothing valuable can be lost by taking it easy, and if there is a purpose which urges any of you to take a measure which you must not be impatient, that purpose will be defeated by taking it easy.

But no good purpose can be defeated by taking it easy, and those of you who are now dissatisfied still have the old, intact Constitution, and, in sensitive matters, your own laws made under it. And the new government has no direct power to change either of these conditions, even if it wants to.

Those who are dissatisfied, even if they are admitted to be on the right side of this controversy, have no justification for rash action. Reason, patriotism, Christianity, and faith in a God who has never forsaken this blessed land, still resolve all our present difficulties in the best way.

The key to the great question of civil war is in your hands, my dissatisfied fellow citizens! The government will not attack you if it is not in my hands. You will not face conflict if you are not provocateurs. I hereby take the most solemn oath: to uphold, maintain and defend the Constitution of the United States unswervingly!

I do not want to end my speech here. Through this ceremony, I want to say to the American people in the South and the West: We are not enemies, but compatriots and friends. As compatriots and friends, why should we become enemies? Nothing can sever the emotional bond between us.

The Union is indestructible and unbreakable. Secession is illegal. Anyone who attempts to split the Union will be brought to justice!

I will exercise the power granted to me by law to recover the lost federal public property and land, and restore the right to formulate and collect import and export tariffs!

Long live America! Long live the American people! "

Although Lincoln's speech was mixed with the accent of the frontier area, his pronunciation was very clear and his voice was very loud. The audience in front of the square could basically hear the content of Lincoln's inaugural speech.

As Lincoln's inaugural speech ended, thunderous applause and cheers broke out. Although the audience in the back row did not hear clearly what Lincoln said, they still followed the crowd and applauded and cheered.

The crowd in the square waved the Star-Spangled Banner and shouted "Long live President Lincoln!", "Long live the United States of America!", "Long live the Union! ” and other slogans to celebrate this historic moment.

Lincoln stood on the podium for a long time. With a surge of emotion, he stared at the crowd surging like a tide. His eyes were firm and his faith was resolute.

He had made up his mind to lead this broken country through the most difficult period.

After Lincoln finished his speech, Roger Tyne, the 84-year-old Supreme Court Justice, who was older than the United States of America, threw away his crutches, walked to Lincoln with a staggering gait, and handed the inaugural declaration to the 16th President of the United States, who was unusually tall.

Lincoln bent down to take the inaugural declaration from the Supreme Court Justice. In front of the public, he followed the tradition of placing his hand on the Bible, raised his right hand and swore: "I solemnly swear that I will faithfully perform the duties of the President of the United States and do my utmost to abide by, preserve and defend the Constitution of the United States."

I just found out that Chapter 631 has been harmonized. It has been revised and submitted for review.