LAD #12 Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

On March 4, 1861, new President Abraham Lincoln made his first inaugural address. His biggest point throughout the address regarded the peace and security of the South. The President did not want to interfere with the slavery that was already instituted in the South and he intended to return any runaway slaves back to their owner as it is written in the Constitution to do so. Lincoln stressed the importance of protecting the citizen’s rights under the constitution. It is the constitution that holds the nation together and it must me taken seriously. Also if any states may decide to secede, they will not be able to without a fight. Lincoln remarked that he was pro peace, but if the Union was threatened in any way he would resort to war. He would run the nation the way he wanted it to be ran until he could run it no longer. President Lincoln knew that there would be different interpretations of the very vague Constitution, on issues such as slavery and new territories but that is not reason for the Union to fall. Also he noted that the North and the South will never agree with each other, but if they were ever separate nations the disputes would be far greater. But he would not let it come to that. Lincoln would preserve, protect, and defend the Union no matter what it took.