The resolutions were thus lost in consequence of the withdrawal of Senators from the disaffected States. The question was then taken on the House resolution to amend the Constitution so as to prohibit forever any amendment of the Constitution interfering with slavery in any State, and the resolution was adopted by a two-thirds vote-ayes 24, nays 12. This closed the action of Congress upon this important subject. It was strongly Republican in both branches, yet it had done every thing consistent with its sense of justice and fidelity to the Constitution to disarm the apprehensions of the Southern States, and to remove all provocation for their resistance to the incoming administration. It had given the strongest possible pledge that it had no intention of interfering with slavery in any State, by amending the Constitution. so as to make such interference forever impossible. It created governments for three new Territories, Nevada, Dakotah, and Colorado, and passed no law excluding slavery from any one of them. It had severely censured the legislation of some of the Northern States intended to hinder the recovery of fugitives from labor; and in response to its expressed wishes, Rhode Island repealed its laws of that character, and Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin, had the subject under consideration, and were ready to take similar action. Yet all this had no effect whatever in changing or checking the secession movement in the Southern States. CHAPTER II. FROM SPRINGFIELD TO WASHINGTON. FROM the date of his election, Mr. LINCOLN maintained silence on the affairs of the country. The government was to remain for three months longer in the hands of Mr. Buchanan, and the new President did not deem it becoming or proper for him to interfere, in any way, with the regular discharge of its duties and responsibilities. On the 11th of February, 1861, he left his home in Springfield, Illinois, accompanied to the railroad dépôt by a large concourse of his friends and neighbors, whom he bade farewell in the following words: MY FRIENDS: No one not in my position can appreciate the sadness I feel at this parting. To this people I owe all that I am. Here I have lived more than a quarter of a century; here my children were born, and here one of them lies buried. I know not how soon I shall see you again. A duty devolves upon me which is, perhaps, greater than that which has devolved upon any other man since the days of WASHINGTON. He never would have succeeded except for the aid of Divine Providence, upon which he at all times relied. I feel that I cannot succeed without the same Divine aid which sustained him, and on the same Almighty Being I place my reliance for support, and I hope you, my friends, will all pray that I may receive that Divine assistance, without which I cannot succeed, but with which, success is certain. Again I bid you all an affectionate farewell. As the train passed through the country the President was greeted with hearty cheers and good wishes by the thousands who assembled at the railway stations along the route. Party spirit seemed to have been forgotten, and the cheers were always given for "Lincoln and the Constitution." At Tolono he appeared upon the pada ma a re which haled us Egernes le I am leaving you are aware poet has expressed a Bendi he you an affectime iseval At Inflamapolls the panys thirty-four guza, ni de Foster-set Governor of the State in pes 1 in waiting, which przewies-41 - Gor. Morton and Felor-Chana of San o ham I cannot take to mysed any share of ze most magnificent recepton, and # sui 145 for it. You have been please uses behalf of this glorious Uzim in via via a 2 my hearty sympathy, and wire MT E VILA I; one and inseparably, my beary MORISHTIROK upon this occasion, or get a Fagan & KES I speech, I will only say to the SLTIDUR Í DE one single thing, the hearts of a peoque las poure The people, when they ree in mas o bad if Le liberties of their country, y muy a be suit -I- me i el van t prevail against them." [Renewed applace) 1 in which I shall be placed and don cess I bili v jamii nay such, my reliance will be placed upon you and Le perse I Le States; and I wish you to remember now and forener SLE INS business, and not mine; that if the mon of the Both wit erties of this people shall be lost, it is but little to any one man of fiftytwo years of age, but a great deal to the thirty millions of people who inhabit these United States, and to their posterity in all coming time. It is your business to rise up and preserve the Union and liberty for yourselves, and not for me. I desire they should be constitutionally performed. I, as already intimated, am but an accidental instrument, temporary, and to serve but for a limited time, and I appeal to you again to constantly bear in mind that with you, and not with politicians, not with Presidents, not with office-seekers, but with you, is the question, Shall the Union and shall the liberties of this country be preserved to the latest generations? [Cheers.] In the evening the members of the Legislature waited upon him in a body at his hotel, where one of their number, on behalf of the whole, and in presence of a very large assemblage of the citizens of the place, made a brief address of welcome and congratulation, which Mr. LINCOLN acknowledged in the following terms: FELLOW-CITIZENS OF THE STATE OF INDIANA: I am here to thank you much for this magnificent welcome, and still more for the generous support given by your State to that political cause which I think is the true and just cause of the whole country and the whole world. Solomon says there is "a time to keep silence," and when men wrangle by the mouth with no certainty that they mean the same thing, while using the same word, it perhaps were as well if they would keep silence, The words "coercion" and "invasion" are much used in these days, and often with some temper and hot blood. Let us make sure, if we can, that we do not misunderstand the meaning of those who use them. Let us get exact definitions of these words, not from dictionaries, but from the men themselves, who certainly depreciate the things they would represent by the use of words. What, then, is "Coercion ?" What is "Invasion?" Would the marching of an army into South Carolina, without the consent of her people, and with hostile intent towards them; be "invasion?" I certainly think it would; and it would be "coercion" also if the South Carolinians were forced to submit. But if the United States should merely hold and retake its own forts and other property, and collect the duties on foreign importations, or even withhold the mails from places where they were habitually violated, would any or all pie? On wit ng ffith part of fea then coerce & gr burary way! W Estrict of romery vil i Felc-aseme questions for you A MESLE On the morning of and arrived at Chennai along the route by die deursembled at the soft fu nati was overwhining He that it was with the mA secure a passage Ka La House, which had been 11. Let visit. He was wandet un bue remarks, in response to #11 le MR. MATOR AND FOLLOW-CIR in Cincinnati. That was a year |