1850 American Gold Tycoon.

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 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. The support of Northern Democrats 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 leader of the party, knew very well that Douglas had done a lot of work within the party and persuaded many people in the Northern Democratic Party, so that the Northern Democratic Party reached a consensus.

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

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

"We wrongly blamed Douglas." Wells and Dayton said in shame.

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 2, Abraham Lincoln and James Buchanan walked out of the Willard Hotel where they were staying hand in hand and got into a luxurious black four-wheeled 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 reviewed 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 about 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 can be seen from the street, the audience watching the ceremony on the street still feels full of participation.

On the main stage of the Capitol, Lincoln, dressed neatly in a black suit, smiling but with firm eyes, stood in front of a 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 old signature beaver top hat, a gift from his employer when he was legal counsel for the Atlantic Railroad.

This is his first decent hat. He has always liked this hat very much. He always likes to wear this hat when attending important occasions and ceremonies, and today is no exception.

It's just that there seemed to be something wrong with the hat today. I don't know if it was because the hat was worn too tightly or because he was too nervous and excited. Lincoln's trembling hands were unable to successfully take off the hat.

Standing next to Lincoln, Douglas, the leader of the Northern Democratic Party, saw Lincoln's dilemma and quickly said to Lincoln: "Your Excellency, can I serve you?"

Lincoln bent down and lowered his head. Douglas stood on tiptoes and took off the hat for Lincoln, and kept the hat for Lincoln. Lincoln bowed deeply, walked up to the podium with excitement, and opened his powerful voice with a frontier accent:

"To all my fellow citizens of the United States of America!

Today, we stand at a watershed in history! I am able to stand here not because of who I am, but because of who we are! You chose me! America is a strong, 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 distinguished citizens successively presided over the executive branch of the government. They performed their duties amidst many hardships and dangers, and were generally successful.

However, despite this precedent, I am now facing huge and special difficulties when I begin to assume the same position, which is limited to a short four-year term according to the constitution. The disintegration of the Union, hitherto a mere threat, now became a terrible reality. There are already careerists who are pursuing their own selfish interests and have put this crazy behavior into action.

From a general legal and constitutional point of view, I believe that the union of states is permanent. In the fundamental laws of the United Nations, permanence is implicit, if not expressly stated.

We can safely say that no formal government has ever included in its organic law a provision for ending its own rule. By continuing to carry out the express provisions of our Constitution, the Union will always exist, and its destruction cannot be accomplished except by some action not provided for in the Constitution itself.

Again, if the United States are not a government in name only, but a mere confederacy of States, as a compact, can this union be uncontroversially annulled by a minority of the defaulting parties? A party to a contract may breach the contract, or break the contract, but does it not require the consent of all contracting parties to legally abrogate the contract?

Drawing down from these general principles, we hold that the proposition that the Union is permanent, as a matter of law, is confirmed by the history of the Union itself. The history of the Union is much longer than the Constitution. In fact, it was formed under the Articles of Union in 1774. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence matured and sustained it.

The Articles of Confederation in 1778 made the federation more mature. The 13 states at that time all swore and clearly guaranteed that the federation should last forever. Finally, one of the goals announced when the constitution was formulated in 1787 was to "build a more perfect federation."

But if the Union could be abolished by law by one or more States, it would be less perfect than before the Constitution, because it would lose the important element of permanence.

According to these views, no State can lawfully secede from the Union by its own initiative; all resolutions and ordinances made for that purpose are legally void, and any State or States can resist the violence of the authority of the United States. Any separatist action should be considered either rebellion or revolution, depending on the circumstances.

Therefore, I believe that the Union cannot be divided according to the Constitution and laws! I shall, to the best of my ability, cause the laws of the Union to be faithfully executed in the several States under the authority expressly vested in me by the Constitution itself. I think this is just my duty, and I will complete it in a feasible way, unless my legal master, the American people, does not give me the necessary means or gives authoritative instructions to the contrary. I believe that everyone Congress will view this not as a threat, but only as the declared goal of the Union: that it will defend and preserve itself in accordance with the Constitution.

Geographically speaking, we are inseparable. We cannot move regions away from each other, nor can we build an insurmountable wall between them. Couples can divorce, stop seeing each other, and have no contact with each other, but that is not possible in various regions of our country.

No matter what happens, they still have to face each other face to face, and there still have to be friendly or hostile interactions between them. So, is it possible that relationships after separation are more beneficial and more satisfying than before separation? Is it easier to make treaties between outsiders than to make laws between friends? Is the enforcement of treaties between outsiders more faithful than the enforcement of laws between friends?

Suppose you go to war, you cannot go on forever. After both sides have suffered heavy losses and neither side has gained, you will stop fighting, and then you will encounter old problems such as terms of engagement.

All the powers of the President derive from the people, but they do not authorize him to prescribe conditions for the secession of the States. If the people want it, they can do it, but as a president, it is impossible to do it. His responsibility is to manage the administration entrusted to him and hand it over intact to his successor.

Why cannot we have a firm belief in the highest justice of the people? Is there any hope in the world that is better or as good as this? In my disagreement the other day, did both sides lack the confidence to believe they were right? If the Almighty Lord of all nations supports the northern side, or the southern side, or the western side with his eternal truth and justice. Then that truth and that justice will prevail through the judgment of this great court of the American people.

It is the American people, through our existing government structure, who wisely give their public servants only a small amount of power to prevent them from doing harm, and who are equally wise in taking that little power back to them at very short intervals. In your own hands.

As long as the people maintain their strength and vigilance, no matter how evil or stupid the officials are, they will not be able to seriously damage the government in just four years.

My fellow citizens, consider this whole question calmly and seriously. Nothing valuable is lost by taking it easy, and if there is an object that urges any one of you to take a step, and you must not take your time, that goal will be lost by taking it easy.

However, any good goal will not be lost because of easy treatment. Those of you who are dissatisfied now still have the original, intact constitution, and, on sensitive issues, you have your own laws based on this constitution. a law. Even if the new government wants to change these two situations, it does not have the direct power to do so.

Those who are dissatisfied, even if they are admittedly on the right side of the debate, have no legitimate reason to take rash action. Reason, patriotism, Christian doctrine, and faith in a God who never abandons this blessed land still offer the best solutions to all our present difficulties.

My dissatisfied compatriots, the key to the great question of civil war lies in your hands! If it is not in my hands, the government will not attack you. If you don't act as provocateurs, you won't face conflict. I hereby make the most solemn oath: to unswervingly uphold, preserve and defend the Constitution of the United States!

I don't want to end here. Through this ceremony, I would like to say to the American people in the South and the American people in 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 impenetrable and unbreakable, secession is illegal, and anyone who attempts to break up the Union will be brought to justice!

I will exercise the authority granted to me by law to recover lost federal public property and lands, and to restore the right to set and levy import and export tariffs!

Long live America! Long live the American people! "

Although Lincoln's speech had an accent from the frontier area, his articulation was very clear and his voice was very loud. The audience in the front of the square could basically hear the content of Lincoln's inaugural speech clearly.

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

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

Lincoln stood on the podium for a long time. With his heart surging, he stared at the crowd surging like a tide. His eyes were firm and his belief was firm.

He has made up his mind to lead this devastated country through the most difficult period.

After Lincoln finished his speech, Justice Roger Tayni, who was 84 years old and older than the country of the United States of America, threw off his crutches, staggered to Lincoln, and handed the declaration of office to the unusually tall American in front of him. In the hands of the sixteenth president.

Lincoln bent down and took the proclamation of office from the hands of the justice. In front of everyone, he pressed the Bible according to tradition and raised his right hand and swore: "I solemnly swear that I will faithfully perform the duties of President of the United States, do my best, and abide by them." , preserve and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

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

　　(End of this chapter)