Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, delivered March 4, 1861, was deeply conciliatory to Southern slave-holding interests. Abraham Lincoln touched the following points:

1. Strongest possible federal support for the Fugitive Slave Law (and Fugitive Slave Clause of the U.S. Constitution )
2. He has just taken an oath "to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution" which enjoins him to see that the laws of the Union are faithfully executed in all the States.
3. There would be no invasion of the South unless such were necessary for him as President to fulfill his obligation to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the government.
4. The Constitution was established "to form a more perfect union" than the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, which was explicitly perpetual in name and text, and thus the Constitution too was perpetual. He added that even were the Constitution construed as a simple contract, it could not be legally rescinded without an agreement between all parties.
5. He had no objection to the amendment (that had already passed the House & Senate) to protect slavery in the states in which it already existed -- though he thought such was already protected by the Constitution. (According to Henry Adams Lincoln actually lobbied to help it pass both houses.)
6. Nothing in the Constitution expressly says what either can or cannot be done regarding slavery in the territories.
7. Mails would continue.

For the full text and other information on the speech:

• http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trt039.html
• http://www.ukans.edu/carrie/docs/texts/19linc1.htm
• http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/inaug/lincoln1.htm