Abraham Lincoln Inauguration

Posted on March 4, 2015

On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated President of the United States. In this first inaugural address Lincoln concludes, “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 rave to every living heart and heartstone 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.”  It was evident that the President still hoped that peace might be preserved.  “Mr. Lincoln lays his right hand upon the open Bible, as he repeats after Chief Justice Taney the words – ‘I, Abraham Lincoln, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.’” The inauguration of Abraham Lincoln makes the eighth ceremony of the kind at which Judge Taney has officiated, having administered the oath of office successively to Presidents Van Buren, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan and Lincoln.   Guest post by Paula Alexander of Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial.