on march 4, 1861, lincoln gave his first inaugural address as part of his being sworn in as 16th president of the united states. the speech was primarily addressed to the people of the south. it was intended to lay out lincoln's intended policies and desires toward the south where seven states had formed the confederate states of america. his speech was written in a spirit of friendship toward the seceded states. he touched on several points. lincoln promised not to interfere with slavery in the states where it already existed. he said there would be no federal hostility towards the states that had seceded for the time being. the federal government would “hold, occupy, and possess” its property. it would also collect its taxes. he closed his speech with the warning: