Chapter 37
第37章
The rising of the peoples,1861
民眾的反映(1861年)
380. Lincoln's Inauguration.
380.林肯宣誓就職
On March 4, 1861, President Lincoln made his first inaugural address. In it he declared: "The Union is much older than the Constitution… No state upon its own motion can lawfully get out of the Union… In view of the Constitution and the laws the Union is unbroken… I shall take care that the laws of the Union be faithfully executed in all the states." As to slavery, he had "no purpose … to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists." He even saw no objection to adopt an amendment of the Constitution to prohibit the Federal government from interfering with slavery in the states. But he was resolved to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
1861年3月4日,林肯總統發表首次就職演說,他在演說中稱:"聯邦比《憲法》要古老得多……沒有哪一個州可以根據自己的議案合法地從聯邦退出……按照《憲法》和法律聯邦沒有解體……我將用心保證各個州都忠實地執行聯邦的法律。"對于奴隸制,他"無意于干涉各州的奴隸制",他甚至不反對修正《憲法》以禁止聯邦政府干涉各州的奴隸制。但是,林肯下定決心保護、捍衛美國《憲法》,并為之辯護。
381. Fall of Fort Sumter, April, 1861.
381.薩穆特要塞失陷(1861年4月)
The strength of Lincoln's resolve was soon tested. When South Carolina seceded, Major Anderson, commanding the United States forces at Charleston, withdrew from the land forts to Fort Sumter, built on a shoal in the harbor. He had with him only eighty fighting men and was sorely in need of food and ammunition. Buchanan sent a steamer, the Star of the West, to Charleston with supplies and soldiers.
很快就可以知道林肯的決心有多大。當南卡羅萊納州退出聯邦時,統帥查理斯頓美國軍隊的梅杰·安德森從陸地堡壘撤退到薩穆特要塞,這個要塞建在港口的淺灘上,他只有80名戰士而且非常需要食物和彈藥,布坎南派出"西部之星號"汽艇載著士兵和給養趕往查理斯頓,