En route to Washington, DC to take the presidential oath of office, President-elect Lincoln spoke briefly to an audience in Indianapolis about the threat of several Southern states to secede from the Union. Lincoln denied that they had the right to do this.

It is not possible, in my journey to the national capital, to address assemblies like this which may do me the great honor to meet me as you have done, but very briefly. I should be entirely worn out if I were to attempt it. I appear before you now to thank you for this very magnificent welcome which you have given me, and still more for the very generous support which your State recently gave to the political cause of the whole country, and the whole world. [Applause.] Solomon has said, that there is a time to keep silence. [Renewed and deafening applause.] * * * * * We know certain that they mean the same thing while using the same words now, and it perhaps would be as well if they would keep silence.