Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

After his presidential election as a sectional candidate in November 1860, Abraham Lincoln faced considerable resistance. The fledgling Republican Party, heavily influenced by protectionists from the defunct Whig Party, was seen as an economic threat to the agricultural South. [Protectionism—what Frederic Bastiat called “legal plunder” -- is detrimental to agriculture and high tariffs are paid primarily by consumers.] Many Republicans, closely connected to influential corporations, e.g., railroads, steel manufacturers, etc., advocated central banking and protectionism similar to British mercantilism, where the government picks winners and losers.

One plank of the 1860 Republican Party Platform was opposition to slavery extension. What is typically omitted is that members, including Lincoln, stated publicly and privately that they wanted the West to be settled by Whites—Republicans preferred to confine Blacks to the Southern and Border States.

Between Lincoln’s election and his First Inaugural Address several unsuccessful peace efforts were made. Also, prior to Lincoln taking office, there was a near disastrous conflict after President James Buchanan sent the Star of the West with supplies and troops to resupply Fort Sumter. Warning shots fired from Morris Island on January 9, 1861, inspired the ship to reverse course. Additionally, on March 2, 1861, Buchanan, the outgoing Democrat from protectionist Pennsylvania, signed the Morrill Tariff into law. This legislation was essentially an economic weapon against the agricultural South.

On March 4, 1861, Lincoln delivered his First Inaugural Address, covering several significant topics. In an early section of the speech, Lincoln noted there was fear within some of the Southern (and Border) States that the slave labor system would be suddenly ended through federal actions. Lincoln stressed that this would not happen and that he had neither the inclination nor the authority to push such an agenda. He specifically referenced “an amendment” that would remove federal involvement in slavery in perpetuity (the Corwin Amendment). Lincoln “scholar” Doris Kearns Goodwin claims Lincoln not only supported the amendment but he essentially wrote it. Lincoln also voiced his support for enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law (which was part of the constitution).

Lincoln then stated his opinion that the Union under the Constitution is perpetual. He made this contention although the States literally seceded from The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union—perpetual in that there was no predetermined expiration date. He went on to claim that one party to the constitution cannot leave on its own, essentially saying the States lacked the sovereign power of self-government and individual States are at the mercy of the collective. It is in this section that he makes the ahistorical claim that the Union began with the 1774 Articles of Association, where the colonies joined together in a boycott of British imports. Furthermore, Lincoln fallaciously refers to the “National Constitution” when it is actually a “Federal Constitution.”

Sticking to his claim that the Union is unbroken—although seven States voted to leave it—Lincoln then focused on the central issue, stating “the only reason for invasion” would be to recapture the forts in order to collect import revenue. At the time, the federal government received 90-95% of its revenue from tariffs with the balance coming mainly from land sales and excise taxes. The fear of lost revenue prominently surfaced in three April 1861 meetings where Southern representatives tried to discourage Lincoln from pursuing war. It was also mentioned as the pivotal reason for war by Lyon Tyler, son of President John Tyler, in multiple places, including A Confederate Catechism.

Later in the speech, Lincoln claimed that secession is nothing but “anarchy.” Since anarchy is the absence of a defined government or control system this assertion is completely false. The Southern States through the Confederate Constitution not only had a defined government, they created a constitution that promoted “free trade” and removed the temptation for regional and corporate bias--not allowing the promotion of one section over another. The U.S. Constitution had been used to negatively impact the South on more than one occasion. Furthermore, some would argue that the Confederate Constitution is superior to the U.S. Constitution.

Although States are defined geographical entities, Lincoln argued they could not literally separate, essentially saying that uniquely distinct States cannot claim their individuality. He also erroneously alluded to the likelihood of reopening the international slave trade which the Confederate Constitution specifically outlawed in Article 1, Section 9.1.

Lincoln mentioned the amendment process to address grievances, implying that somehow if several States seceded, the Union would be destroyed. In reality, the Union would simply be composed of fewer States. Toward the end of the speech, Lincoln supposedly sought peace and contended the South would be at fault if conflict arose. This is the same Lincoln who steadfastly refused to negotiate with Southern representatives who sought peace between November 1860 and March 1861.

Sources: First Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln, Monday, March 4, 1861, The Avalon Project, Lilian Goldman Project, Yale Law School, at: https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/lincoln1.asp; Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861, LewRockwell.com at: https://www.lewrockwell.com/political-theatre/abraham-lincolns-first-inaugural-address-march-4th-1861/; ‘Lincoln’s Tyrannical, Tax-Loving Nature,’ by Thomas DiLorenzo, at, LewRockwell.com at: https://www.lewrockwell.com/political-theatre/abraham-lincolns-first-inaugural-address-march-4th-1861/; A Confederate Catechism: The War for Southern Self-Government, by Lyon Gardiner Tyler; The Law, by Frederic Bastiat; and Union At All Costs: From Confederation to Consolidation, by John M. Taylor. Note: The Corwin Amendment—the Original Thirteenth Amendment--was passed with mostly Northern support since many of the Southern States had already left the Union. Also, Lincoln only received 39.8% of the vote in 1860.

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