LAD #14: Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

On Monday March 4th, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln addressed nation in his first inaugural addressed.  He first explained how he only wanted to discuss the most important matters the country faced during that time, with the first being the issue of slavery.  Lincoln understood that many southerners were worried that he woulld end slavery.  To reassure them, he explained his firm stance on not interfering with slavery in the southern states where it was already established. He also spoke of maintaining state rights to strengthen the country.  Next he spoke of keeping the fugitive slave laws in place, where it is required to turn in slaves trying to escape freedom by traveling north.  Lincoln was most focused on keeping the nation united however. He explained the union as a sort of contract, needing more than one party to break it.  Therefore, he believed that it was unconstitutional to attempt to secede from the union.  Lincoln believed that conflicted can be avoided peacefully, but showed that he would do anything it took to keep the union together.  He felt it imperative that a civil war must be avoided.