Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address was meant to calm those who feared him. This is clear throughout the whole excerpt. However, two quotes in particular address this intention directly:
- "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."
- "'I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.'"
In the first quote, Lincoln addresses the fears of Southerners directly, as a lot of them were worried about the status of their belongings in the new regime. The second quote restates his intent to not interfere with slavery in the South, as was expressed in a previous speech.