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that　the　authors　of　that　instrument　did　not　intend　to　include

negroes；　by　the　fact　that　they　did　not　at　once　actually　place

them　on　an　equality　with　the　whites。　　Now　this　grave　argument

comes　to　just　nothing　at　all；　by　the　other　fact　that　they　did　not

at　once；　or　ever　afterward；　actually　place　all　white　people　on　an

equality　with　one　another。　　And　this　is　the　staple　argument　of

both　the　Chief　Justice　and　the　Senator　for　doing　this　obvious

violence　to　the　plain；　unmistakable　language　of　the　Declaration。



I　think　the　authors　of　that　notable　instrument　intended　to

include　all　men；　but　they　did　not　intend　to　declare　all　men　equal

in　all　respects。　　They　did　not　mean　to　say　all　were　equal　in

color；　size；　intellect；　moral　developments；　or　social　capacity。

They　defined　with　tolerable　distinctness　in　what　respects　they

did　consider　all　men　created　equalequal　with　〃certain

inalienable　rights；　among　which　are　life；　liberty；　and　the

pursuit　of　happiness。〃　This　they　said；　and　this　they　meant。　　They

did　not　mean　to　assert　the　obvious　untruth　that　all　were　then

actually　enjoying　that　equality；　nor　yet　that　they　were　about　to

confer　it　immediately　upon　them。　　In　fact；　they　had　no　power　to

confer　such　a　boon。　　They　meant　simply　to　declare　the　right；　so

that　enforcement　of　it　might　follow　as　fast　as　circumstances

should　permit。



They　meant　to　set　up　a　standard　maxim　for　free　society；　which

should　be　familiar　to　all；　and　revered　by　all；　constantly　looked

to；　constantly　labored　for；　and；　even　though　never　perfectly

attained；　constantly　approximated；　and　thereby　constantly

spreading　and　deepening　its　influence　and　augmenting　the

happiness　and　value　of　life　to　all　people　of　all　colors

everywhere。　　The　assertion　that　〃all　men　are　created　equal〃　was

of　no　practical　use　in　effecting　our　separation　from　Great

Britain；　and　it　was　placed　in　the　Declaration　not　for　that；　but

for　future　use。　　Its　authors　meant　it　to　beas　thank　God；　it　is

now　proving　itselfstumbling…block　to　all　those　who　in　after

times　might　seek　to　turn　a　free　people　back　into　the　hateful

paths　of　despotism。　　They　knew　the　proneness　of　prosperity　to

breed　tyrants；　and　they　meant　when　such　should　reappear　in　this

fair　land　and　commence　their　vocation；　they　should　find　left　for

them　at　least　one　hard　nut　to　crack。



I　have　now　briefly　expressed　my　view　of　the　meaning　and　object　of

that　part　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence　which　declares　that

〃all　men　are　created　equal。〃



Now　let　us　hear　Judge　Douglas's　view　of　the　same　subject；　as　I

find　it　in　the　printed　report　of　his　late　speech。　　Here　it　is：



〃No　man　can　vindicate　the　character；　motives；　and　conduct　of　the

signers　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　except　upon　the

hypothesis　that　they　referred　to　the　white　race　alone；　and　not　to

the　African；　when　they　declared　all　men　to　have　been　created

equal；　that　they　were　speaking　of　British　subjects　on　this

continent　being　equal　to　British　subjects　born　and　residing　in

Great　Britain；　that　they　were　entitled　to　the　same　inalienable

rights；　and　among　them　were　enumerated　life；　liberty；　and　the

pursuit　of　happiness。　　The　Declaration　was　adopted　for　the

purpose　of　justifying　the　colonists　in　the　eyes　of　the　civilized

world　in　withdrawing　their　allegiance　from　the　British　crown；　and

dissolving　their　connection　with　the　mother　country。〃



My　good　friends；　read　that　carefully　over　some　leisure　hour；　and

ponder　well　upon　it；　see　what　a　mere　wreckmangled　ruinit

makes　of　our　once　glorious　Declaration。



〃They　were　speaking　of　British　subjects　on　this　continent　being

equal　to　British　subjects　born　and　residing　in　Great　Britain〃！

Why；　according　to　this；　not　only　negroes　but　white　people　outside

of　Great　Britain　and　America　were　not　spoken　of　in　that

instrument。　　The　English；　Irish；　and　Scotch；　along　with　white

Americans；　were　included；　to　be　sure；　but　the　French；　Germans；

and　other　white　people　of　the　world　are　all　gone　to　pot　along

with　the　Judge's　inferior　races！



I　had　thought　the　Declaration　promised　something　better　than　the

condition　of　British　subjects；　but　no；　it　only　meant　that　we

should　be　equal　to　them　in　their　own　oppressed　and　unequal

condition。　　According　to　that；　it　gave　no　promise　that；　having

kicked　off　the　king　and　lords　of　Great　Britain；　we　should　not　at

once　be　saddled　with　a　king　and　lords　of　our　own。



I　had　thought　the　Declaration　contemplated　the　progressive

improvement　in　the　condition　of　all　men　everywhere；　but　no；　it

merely　〃was　adopted　for　the　purpose　of　justifying　the　colonists

in　the　eyes　of　the　civilized　world　in　withdrawing　their

allegiance　from　the　British　crown；　and　dissolving　their

connection　with　the　mother　country。〃　Why；　that　object　having　been

effected　some　eighty　years　ago；　the　Declaration　is　of　no

practical　use　nowmere　rubbishold　wadding　left　to　rot　on　the

battlefield　after　the　victory　is　won。



I　understand　you　are　preparing　to　celebrate　the　〃Fourth；〃　to…

morrow　week。　　What　for？　　The　doings　of　that　day　had　no　reference

to　the　present；　and　quite　half　of　you　are　not　even　descendants　of

those　who　were　referred　to　at　that　day。　　But　I　suppose　you　will

celebrate；　and　will　even　go　so　far　as　to　read　the　Declaration。

Suppose；　after　you　read　it　once　in　the　old…fashioned　way；　you

read　it　once　more　with　Judge　Douglas's　version。　　It　will　then　run

thus：



〃We　hold　these　truths　to　be　self…evident；　that　all　British

subjects　who　were　on　this　continent　eighty…one　years　ago　were

created　equal　to　all　British　subjects　born　and　then　residing　in

Great　Britain。〃



And　now　I　appeal　to　allto　Democrats　as　well　as　othersare　you

really　willing　that　the　Declaration　shall　thus　be　frittered　away

？thus　left　no　more；　at　most；　than　an　interesting　memorial　of

the　dead　past？thus　shorn　of　its　vitality　and　practical　value；

and　left　without　the　germ　or　even　the　suggestion　of　the

individual　rights　of　man　in　it？



But　Judge　Douglas　is　especially　horrified　at　the　thought　of　the

mixing　of　blood　by　the　white　and　black　races。　　Agreed　for　oncea

thousand　times　agreed。　　There　are　white　men　enough　to　marry　all

the　white　women　and　black　men　enough　to　many　all　the　black　women；

and　so　let　them　be　married。　　On　this　point　we　fully　agree　with

the　Judge；　and　when　he　shall　show　that　his　policy　is　better

adapted　to　prevent　amalgamation　than　ours；　we　shall　drop　ours　and

adopt　his。　　Let　us　see。　　In　1850　there　were　in　the　United　States

405；751　mulattoes。　　Very　few　of　these　are　the　offspring　of　whites

and　free　blacks；　nearly　all　have　sprung　from　black　slaves　and

white　masters。　　A　separation　of　the　races　is　the　only　perfect

preventive　of　amalgamation；　but　as　an　immediate　separation　is

impossible；　the　next　best　thing　is　to　keep　them　apart　where　they

are　not　already　together。　　If　white　and　black　people　never　get

together　in　Kansas；　they　will　never　mix　blood　in　Kansas。　　That　is

at　least　one　self…evident　truth。　　A　few　free　colored　persons　may

get　into　the　free　States；　in　any　event；　but　their　number　is　too

insignificant　to　amount　to　much　in　the　way　of　mixing　blood。　　In

1850　there　were　in　the　free　States　56；649　mulattoes；　but　for　the

most　part　they　were　not　born　therethey　came　from　the　slave

States；　ready　made　up。　　In　the　same　year　the　slave　States　had

348；874　mulattoes；　all　of　home　production。　　The　proportion　of

free　mulattoes　to　free　blacksthe　only　colored　classes　in　the

free　States　is　much　greater　in　the　slave　than　in　the　free　States。

It　is　worthy　of　note；　too；　that　among　the　free　States　those　which

make　the　colored　man　the　nearest　equal　to　the　white　have

proportionably　the　fewest　mulattoes；　the　least　of　amalgamation。

In　New　Hampshire；　the　State　which　goes　farthest　toward　equality

between　the　races；　there　are　just　184　mulattoes；　while　there　are

in　Virginiahow　many　do　you　think？79；775；　being　23；126　more

than　in　all　the　free　States　together。



These　statistics　show　that　slavery　is　the　greatest　source　of

amalgamation；　and　next　to　it；　not　the　elevation；　but　the

degradation　of　the　free　blacks。　　Yet　Judge　Douglas　dreads　the

slightest　restraints　on　the　spread　of　slavery；　and　the　slightest

human　recognition　of　the　negro；　as　tending　horribly　to

amalgamation！



The　very　Dred　Scott　case　affords　a　strong　test　as　to　which　party

most　favors　amalgamation；　the　Republicans　or　the　dear　Union…

saving　Democracy。　　Dred　Scott；　his　wife；　and　two　daughters　were

all　involved　in　the　suit。　　We　desired　the　court　to　have　held　that

they　were　citizens　so　far　at　least　as　to　entitle　them　to　a

hearing　as　to　whether　they　were　free　or　not；　and　then；　also；　that

they　were　in　fact　and　in　law　really　free。　　Could　we　have　had　our

way；　the　chances　of　these　black　girls　ever　mixing　their　blood

with　that　of　white　people　would　have　been　diminished　at　least　to

the　extent　that　it　could　not　have　been　without　their　consent。

But　Judge　Douglas　is　delighted　to　have　them　decided　to　be　slaves；

and　not　human　enough　to　have　a　heari