第2章 永久的联邦与总统的权力
Permanent Federal and Presidential Power
亚伯拉罕·林肯/Abraham Lincoln
亚伯拉罕·林肯（1809—1865），政治家，第16任美国总统（任期：1861年3月4日—1865年4月15日），是首位美国共和党籍总统，也是历史上首名遇刺身亡的美国总统。
美国公民们：
按照美国政府的惯例以及美国宪法的规定，总统要在进入行政部门前宣读誓言，因此现在我要在你们的面前作一次简短的就职演说。
我并不以为目前有必要在此探讨为政的各种事务，因为那些既非当务之急，也不激动人心。
南方各州的人民都存在这样的担忧：一旦共和党执政，他们的财产、和平、个人安全就将受到威胁。这样的担心是毫无根据和意义的。事实上，摆在他们面前的是众多与之对立的证据，而且这些证据可随时接受查证。
自第一任总统依宪法就职以来，已经有72年了。在这期间，已经有15位十分杰出的公民担任政府首脑。他们都在充满艰难险阻的环境下履行了自己的职责，并大都取得了成功。现在，我接受了同样的使命，而我也很明白，宪法规定的四年任期虽然短暂，但我所肩负的任务却异常艰巨。在这以前，联邦分裂只是威胁，但现在已经成为可怕的蓄谋行为。
根据宪法和一般法律，我认为美国的联邦制是永久性的。其他基本法律，即使没有明确地说明这一永久性，也已经将其暗含其中了。可以确信的是，没有任何一个政府曾在法律中明确被规定其执政期限。如果按照我国宪法规定的条例，那么，联邦制就永远不会结束；除非是它主动终止，否则，联邦制不会被任何行为所摧毁。
因此，根据宪法和一般法律，我认为联邦是无法分裂的，而我将根据宪法赋予我的权限，竭尽所能，确保将联邦法律在各个州贯彻和落实。我认为这只是我的一件简单的分内之事，而我也将采取行之有效的方法，除非我的合法主人——美国人民——否决这样的方式，或以合法权威的方式做出相反的提示。我相信这种说法不会成为一种威胁，仅仅作为联邦的一个既定目标——即利用宪法维护和捍卫自己。
总统的一切权力来自人民，但总统没有被授予分离各州的权力。如果人民有此意愿，那他们可以这样做，而作为总统来说，不可能这样做。他的责任是管理交给他的这一届政府，并将其完整地移交给他的继任者。
为什么我们不能对人民所具有的最高的公正抱有坚韧的信念呢？世界上还有比这更有过之而无不及的希望吗？在目前的分歧中，难道双方都缺乏相信自己正确的信心吗？如果万能的上帝以其永恒的真理和正义支持北方这一边，或者支持南方这一边，那么，那种真理和正义必将通过美国人民这个伟大法庭的裁决而取得胜利。
正是这些美国人民，他们通过我们现有的政府结构，明智地只将很小的一部分权力授予他们的公仆，使他们不能作恶，并且以同样明智的方式，每隔一段很短的时间就把那小小的权力重新收回到自己的手中。只要人民保持其力量和警惕性，无论执政人员怎样作恶，也无论他们的行为有多么愚蠢，他们都不能在短短四年的任期内严重地损害政府。
我的同胞们，大家平静而认真地思考这一问题吧。只要我们仔细思考一件事情，就不会错过任何有价值的东西。假如目标不正确，而你没有经过深思熟虑就草草行事，经过一段时间之后，必然会出问题；但是，只要目标是正确的，你就不会因此而遭遇挫折。你们当中有一些愤世嫉俗的人，你们的心里仍然想着原来的那部完好无损的宪法，而且，在一些敏感问题上，你们有着自己根据这部宪法制定的各项法律，而新的一届政府即使想改变这两种情况，也没有权力直接这样做。在这场争论中，即便那些愤世嫉俗的人被承认是正确的，他们也没有任何正当的理由采取过激的行动。智慧、爱国精神、基督教义以及对从不抛弃这片幸福土地的上帝的信仰，这一切仍然是目前我们能够借助用于解决一切困难的最好办法。
愤世嫉俗的同胞们，内战这一重大问题的决策权掌握在你们——而不是我的手中，政府不会对你们发动攻击。你们不做挑衅者，就不会面临冲突。你们不可能毁掉这个国家，而我已经立下最庄严的誓言：“坚守、维护和捍卫我们的国家。”
我不愿意就此结束演说。我们不是敌人，而是朋友。我们一定不要成为敌人。尽管情绪紧张，但我们也绝不应该割断彼此之间的感情纽带。从每一个战场和爱国者的坟墓到这片广阔土地上的每一颗跳动的心和每一个家庭，无论身在何方，记忆的神秘琴弦必将再度被我们善良的天性拨响，到那时，我们就将会高声奏起联邦大团结的乐章。
Fellow Citizens of the United States，
In compliance with a custom as old as the Government itself， I appear before you to address you briefly and to take in your presence the oath prescribed by the Constitution of the United States to be taken by the President "before he enters on the execution of this office".
I do not consider it necessary at present for me to discuss those matters of administration about which there is no special anxiety or excitement.
Apprehension seems to exist among the people of the Southern States that by the accession of a Republican Administration their property and their peace and personal security are to be endangered. There has never been any reasonable cause for such apprehension.Indeed， the most ampleevidence to the contrary has all the while existed and been open to their inspection.
It is seventy-two years since the first inauguration of a President under our National Constitution. During that period fifteen different and greatly distinguished citizens have in succession administered the executive branch of the Government.They have conducted it through many perils， and generally with great success.Yet， with all this scope of precedent， I now enter upon the same task for the brief constitutional term of four years under great and peculiar difficulty.A disruption of the Federal Union， heretofore only menaced， is now formidably attempted.
I hold that in contemplation of universal law and of the Constitution the Union of these States is perpetual. Perpetuity is implied， if not expressed， in the fundamental law of all national governments.It is safe to assert that no government proper ever had a provision in its organic law for its own termination.Continue to execute all the express provisions of our National Constitution， and the Union will endure forever， it being impossible to destroy it except by some action not provided for in the instrument itself.
I therefore consider that in view of the Constitution and the laws the Union is unbroken， and to the extent of my ability， I shall take care， as the Constitution itself expressly enjoins upon me， that the laws of the Union be faithfully executed in all the States. Doing this I deem to be only a simple duty on my part， and I shallperform it so far as practicable unless my rightful masters， the American people， shall withhold the requisite means or in some authoritative manner direct the contrary.I trust this will not be regarded as a menace， but only as the declared purpose of the Union that it will constitutionally defend and maintain itself.
The Chief Magistrate derives all his authority from the people， and they have referred none upon him to fix terms for the separation of the States. The people themselves can do this if also they choose， but the Executive as such has nothing to do with it.His duty is to administer the present Government as it came to his hands and to transmit it unimpaired by him to his successor.
Why should there not be a patient confidence in the ultimate justice of the people？Is there any better or equal hope in the world？In our present differences， is either party without faith of being in the right？If the Almighty Ruler of Nations， with His eternal truth and justice， be on your side of the North， or on yours of the South， that truth and that justice will surely prevail by the judgment of this great tribunal of the American people.
By the frame of the Government under which we live this same people have wisely given their public servants but little power for mischief， and have with equal wisdom provided for the return of that little to their own hands at very short intervals. While the people retain their virtue and vigilance， no Administration by any extreme of wickedness or folly can veryseriously injure the Government in the short space of four years.
My countrymen， one and all， think calmly and well upon this whole subject. Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time.If there be an object to hurry any of you in hot haste to a step which you would never take deliberately， that object will be frustrated by taking time；but no good object can be frustrated by it.Such of you as are now dissatisfied still have the old Constitution unimpaired， and， on the sensitive point， the laws of your own framing under it；while the new Administration will have no immediate power， if it would， to change， either.If it were admitted that you who are dissatisfied hold the right side in the dispute， there still is no single good reason for precipitate action.Intelligence， patriotism， Christianity， and a firm reliance on Him who has never yet forsaken this favored land are still competent to adjust in the best way all our present difficulty.
In your hands， my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen， and not in mine， is the momentous issue of civil war. The Government will not assail you.You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors.You have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the Government， while I shall have the most solemn one to"preserve， protect， and defend it."
I am loath to close. We are not enemies， but friends.We must not be enemies.Though passion may have strained， it must not break our bonds of affection.The mystic chords of memory， stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land， will yet swell the chorus of the Union， when again touched， as surely they will be， by the better angels of our nature.