the writings-2-第37节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



would　be　slaves　now　but　for　something　which　has　operated　on　their

white　owners；　inducing　them　at　vast　pecuniary　sacrifice　to

liberate　them。　　What　is　that　something？　　Is　there　any　mistaking

it？　　　In　all　these　cases　it　is　your　sense　of　justice　and　human

sympathy　continually　telling　you　that　the　poor　negro　has　some

natural　right　to　himselfthat　those　who　deny　it　and　make　mere

merchandise　of　him　deserve　kickings；　contempt；　and　death。



And　now　why　will　you　ask　us　to　deny　the　humanity　of　the　slave；

and　estimate　him　as　only　the　equal　of　the　hog？　　Why　ask　us　to　do

what　you　will　not　do　yourselves？　　Why　ask　us　to　do　for　nothing

what　two　hundred　millions　of　dollars　could　not　induce　you　to　do？



But　one　great　argument　in　support　of　the　repeal　of　the　Missouri

Compromise　is　still　to　come。　　That　argument　is　〃the　sacred　right

of　self…government。〃　It　seems　our　distinguished　Senator　has　found

great　difficulty　in　getting　his　antagonists；　even　in　the　Senate；

to　meet　him　fairly　on　this　argument。　　Some　poet　has　said：



〃Fools　rush　in　where　angels　fear　to　tread。〃



At　the　hazard　of　being　thought　one　of　the　fools　of　this

quotation；　I　meet　that　argumentI　rush　inI　take　that　bull　by

the　horns。　　I　trust　I　understand　and　truly　estimate　the　right　of

self…government。　　My　faith　in　the　proposition　that　each　man

should　do　precisely　as　he　pleases　with　all　which　is　exclusively

his　own　lies　at　the　foundation　of　the　sense　of　justice　there　is

in　me。　　I　extend　the　principle　to　communities　of　men　as　well　as

to　individuals。　　I　so　extend　it　because　it　is　politically　wise；

as　well　as　naturally　just；　politically　wise　in　saving　us　from

broils　about　matters　which　do　not　concern　us。　　Here；　or　at

Washington；　I　would　not　trouble　myself　with　the　oyster　laws　of

Virginia；　or　the　cranberry　laws　of　Indiana。　　The　doctrine　of

self…government　is　right；absolutely　and　eternally　right；but

it　has　no　just　application　as　here　attempted。　　Or　perhaps　I

should　rather　say　that　whether　it　has　such　application　depends

upon　whether　a　negro　is　or　is　not　a　man。　　If　he　is　not　a　man；　in

that　case　he　who　is　a　man　may　as　a　matter　of　self…government　do

just　what　he　pleases　with　him。　　But　if　the　negro　is　a　man；　is　it

not　to　that　extent　a　total　destruction　of　self…government　to　say

that　he　too　shall　not　govern　himself？　　When　the　white　man　governs

himself；　that　is　self…government；　but　when　he　governs　himself　and

also　governs　another　man；　that　is　more　than　self…governmentthat

is　despotism。　　If　the　negro　is　a　man；　why；　then；　my　ancient　faith

teaches　me　that　〃all　men　are　created　equal；〃　and　that　there　can

be　no　moral　right　in　connection　with　one　man's　making　a　slave　of

another。



Judge　Douglas　frequently；　with　bitter　irony　and　sarcasm；

paraphrases　our　argument　by　saying：　〃The　white　people　of　Nebraska

are　good　enough　to　govern　themselves；　but　they　are　not　good

enough　to　govern　a　few　miserable　negroes！〃



Well；　I　doubt　not　that　the　people　of　Nebraska　are　and　will

continue　to　be　as　good　as　the　average　of　people　elsewhere。　　I　do

not　say　the　contrary。　　What　I　do　say　is　that　no　man　is　good

enough　to　govern　another　man　without　that　other's　consent。　　I　say

this　is　the　leading　principle；　the　sheet…anchor　of　American

republicanism。　　Our　Declaration　of　Independence　says：



〃We　hold　these　truths　to　be　self…evident：　That　all　men　are

created　equal；　that　they　are　endowed　by　their　Creator　with

certain　inalienable　rights；　that　among　these　are　life；　liberty；

and　the　pursuit　of　happiness。　　That　to　secure　these　rights；

governments　are　instituted　among　men；　DERIVING　THEIR　JUST　POWERS

PROM　THE　CONSENT　OF　THE　GOVERNED。〃



I　have　quoted　so　much　at　this　time　merely　to　show　that；　according

to　our　ancient　faith；　the　just　powers　of　government　are　derived

from　the　consent　of　the　governed。　　Now　the　relation　of　master　and

slave　is　pro　tanto　a　total　violation　of　this　principle。　　The

master　not　only　governs　the　slave　without　his　consent；　but　he

governs　him　by　a　set　of　rules　altogether　different　from　those

which　he　prescribes　for　himself。　　Allow　all　the　governed　an　equal

voice　in　the　government；　and　that；　and　that　only；　is　self…

government。



Let　it　not　be　said　that　I　am　contending　for　the　establishment　of

political　and　social　equality　between　the　whites　and　blacks。　　I

have　already　said　the　contrary。　　I　am　not　combating　the　argument

of　necessity；　arising　from　the　fact　that　the　blacks　are　already

among　us；　but　I　am　combating　what　is　set　up　as　moral　argument　for

allowing　them　to　be　taken　where　they　have　never　yet　beenarguing

against　the　extension　of　a　bad　thing；　which；　where　it　already

exists；　we　must　of　necessity　manage　as　we　best　can。



In　support　of　his　application　of　the　doctrine　of　self…government；

Senator　Douglas　has　sought　to　bring　to　his　aid　the　opinions　and

examples　of　our　Revolutionary　fathers。　　I　am　glad　he　has　done

this。　　I　love　the　sentiments　of　those　old…time　men；　and　shall　be

most　happy　to　abide　by　their　opinions。　　He　shows　us　that　when　it

was　in　contemplation　for　the　colonies　to　break　off　from　Great

Britain；　and　set　up　a　new　government　for　themselves；　several　of

the　States　instructed　their　delegates　to　go　for　the　measure；

provided　each　State　should　be　allowed　to　regulate　its　domestic

concerns　in　its　own　way。　　I　do　not　quote；　but　this　in　substance。

This　was　right；　I　see　nothing　objectionable　in　it。　　I　also　think

it　probable　that　it　had　some　reference　to　the　existence　of

slavery　among　them。　　I　will　not　deny　that　it　had。　　But　had　it　any

reference　to　the　carrying　of　slavery　into　new　countries？　　That　is

the　question；　and　we　will　let　the　fathers　themselves　answer　it。



This　same　generation　of　men；　and　mostly　the　same　individuals　of

the　generation　who　declared　this　principle；　who　declared

independence；　who　fought　the　war　of　the　Revolution　through；　who

afterward　made　the　Constitution　under　which　we　still　livethese

same　men　passed　the　Ordinance　of　'87；　declaring　that　slavery

should　never　go　to　the　Northwest　Territory。



I　have　no　doubt　Judge　Douglas　thinks　they　were　very　inconsistent

in　this。　　It　is　a　question　of　discrimination　between　them　and

him。　　But　there　is　not　an　inch　of　ground　left　for　his　claiming

that　their　opinions；　their　example；　their　authority；　are　on　his

side　in　the　controversy。



Again；　is　not　Nebraska；　while　a　Territory；　a　part　of　us？　　Do　we

not　own　the　country？　　And　if　we　surrender　the　control　of　it；　do

we　not　surrender　the　right　of　self…government？　　It　is　part　of

ourselves。　　If　you　say　we　shall　not　control　it；　because　it　is

only　part；　the　same　is　true　of　every　other　part；　and　when　all　the

parts　are　gone；　what　has　become　of　the　whole？　　What　is　then　left

of　us？　　What　use　for　the　General　Government；　when　there　is

nothing　left　for　it　to　govern？



But　you　say　this　question　should　be　left　to　the　people　of

Nebraska；　because　they　are　more　particularly　interested。　　If　this

be　the　rule；　you　must　leave　it　to　each　individual　to　say　for

himself　whether　he　will　have　slaves。　　What　better　moral　right

have　thirty…one　citizens　of　Nebraska　to　say　that　the　thirty…

second　shall　not　hold　slaves　than　the　people　of　the　thirty…one

States　have　to　say　that　slavery　shall　not　go　into　the　thirty…

second　State　at　all？



But　if　it　is　a　sacred　right　for　the　people　of　Nebraska　to　take

and　hold　slaves　there；　it　is　equally　their　sacred　right　to　buy

them　where　they　can　buy　them　cheapest；　and　that；　undoubtedly；

will　be　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　provided　you　will　consent　not　to

hang　them　for　going　there　to　buy　them。　　You　must　remove　this

restriction；　too；　from　the　sacred　right　of　self…government。　　I　am

aware　you　say　that　taking　slaves　from　the　States　to　Nebraska　does

not　make　slaves　of　freemen；　but　the　African　slave…trader　can　say

just　as　much。　　He　does　not　catch　free　negroes　and　bring　them

here。　　He　finds　them　already　slaves　in　the　hands　of　their　black

captors；　and　he　honestly　buys　them　at　the　rate　of　a　red　cotton

handkerchief　a　head。　　This　is　very　cheap；　and　it　is　a　great

abridgment　of　the　sacred　right　of　self…government　to　hang　men　for

engaging　in　this　profitable　trade。



Another　important　objection　to　this　application　of　the　right　of

self…government　is　that　it　enables　the　first　few　to　deprive　the

succeeding　many　of　a　free　exercise　of　the　right　of　self…

government。　　The　first　few　may　get　slavery　in；　and　the　subsequent

many　cannot　easily　get　it　out。　　How　common　is　the　remark　now　in

the　slave　States；　〃If　we　were　only　clear　of　our　slaves；　how　much

better　it　would　be　for　us。〃　They　are　actually　deprived　of　the

privilege　of　governing　themselves　as　they　would；　by　the　action　of

a　very　few　in　the　beginning。　　The　same　thing　was　true　of　the

whole　nation　at　the　time　our　Constitution　was　formed。



Whether　slavery　shall　go　into　Nebraska；　or　other　new　Territories；

is　not　a　matter　of　exclusive　concern　to　the　people　who　may　go

there。　　The　whole　nation　is　interested　that　the　best　use　shall　be

made　of　these　Territories。　　We