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have marked out for myself; that I shall not have to dwell at very

great length upon this subject。



As this was done in the Judge's opening speech at Galesburgh; I had

an opportunity; as I had the middle speech then; of saying something

in answer to it。  He brought forward a quotation or two from a speech

of mine delivered at Chicago; and then; to contrast with it; he

brought forward an extract from a speech of mine at Charleston; in

which he insisted that I was greatly inconsistent; and insisted that

his conclusion followed; that I was playing a double part; and

speaking in one region one way; and in another region another way。  I

have not time now to dwell on this as long as I would like; and wish

only now to requote that portion of my speech at Charleston which the

Judge quoted; and then make some comments upon it。  This he quotes

from me as being delivered at Charleston; and I believe correctly:



〃I will say; then; that I am not; nor ever have been; in favor of

bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the

white and black races; that I am not; nor ever have been; in favor of

making voters or jurors of negroes; nor of qualifying them to hold

office; nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say; in

addition to this; that there is a physical difference between the

white and black races which will forever forbid the two races living

together on terms of social and political equality。  And inasmuch as

they cannot so live while they do remain together; there must be the

position of superior and inferior。  I am as much as any other man in

favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race。〃



This; I believe; is the entire quotation from Charleston speech; as

Judge Douglas made it his comments are as follows:



〃Yes; here you find men who hurrah for Lincoln; and say he is right

when he discards all distinction between races; or when he declares

that he discards the doctrine that there is such a thing as a

superior and inferior race; and Abolitionists are required and

expected to vote for Mr。 Lincoln because he goes for the equality of

races; holding that in the Declaration of Independence the white man

and negro were declared equal; and endowed by divine law with

equality。  And down South; with the old…line Whigs; with the

Kentuckians; the Virginians and the Tennesseeans; he tells you that

there is a physical difference between the races; making the one

superior; the other inferior; and he is in favor of maintaining the

superiority of the white race over the negro。〃



Those are the Judges comments。  Now; I wish to show you that a month;

or only lacking three days of a month; before I made the speech at

Charleston; which the Judge quotes from; he had himself heard me say

substantially the same thing  It was in our first meeting; at Ottawa…

…and I will say a word about where it was; and the atmosphere it was

in; after a whilebut at our first meeting; at Ottawa; I read an

extract from an old speech of mine; made nearly four years ago; not

merely to show my sentiments; but to show that my sentiments were

long entertained and openly expressed; in which extract I expressly

declared that my own feelings would not admit a social and political

equality between the white and black races; and that even if my own

feelings would admit of it; I still knew that the public sentiment of

the country would not; and that such a thing was an utter

impossibility; or substantially that。  That extract from my old

speech the reporters by some sort of accident passed over; and it was

not reported。  I lay no blame upon anybody。  I suppose they thought

that I would hand it over to them; and dropped reporting while I was

giving it; but afterward went away without getting it from me。  At

the end of that quotation from my old speech; which I read at Ottawa;

I made the comments which were reported at that time; and which I

will now read; and ask you to notice how very nearly they are the

same as Judge Douglas says were delivered by me down in Egypt。  After

reading; I added these words:



〃Now; gentlemen; I don't want to read at any great length; but this

is the true complexion of all I have ever said in regard to the

institution of slavery or the black race; and this is the whole of

it: anything that argues me into his idea of perfect social and

political equality with the negro; is but a specious and fantastical

arrangement of words by which a man can prove a horse…chestnut to be

a chestnut horse。  I will say here; while upon this subject; that I

have no purpose; directly or indirectly; to interfere with the

institution in the States where it exists。  I believe I have no right

to do so。  I have no inclination to do so。  I have no purpose to

introduce political and social equality between the white and black

races。  There is a physical difference between the two which; in my

judgment; will probably forever forbid their living together on the

footing of perfect equality; and inasmuch as it becomes a necessity

that there must be a difference; I; as well as Judge Douglas; am in

favor of the race to which I belong having the superior position。  I

have never said anything to the contrary; but I hold that;

notwithstanding all this; there is no reason in the world why the

negro is not entitled to all the rights enumerated in the Declaration

of Independence;the right of life; liberty; and the pursuit of

happiness。  I hold that he is as much entitled to these as the white

man。  I agree with Judge Douglas that he is not my equal in many

respects; certainly not in color; perhaps not in intellectual and

moral endowments; but in the right to eat the bread; without the

leave of anybody else; which his own hand earns; he is my equal and

the equal of Judge Douglas; and the equal of every other man。〃



I have chiefly introduced this for the purpose of meeting the Judge's

charge that the quotation he took from my Charleston speech was what

I would say down South among the Kentuckians; the Virginians; etc。;

but would not say in the regions in which was supposed to be more of

the Abolition element。  I now make this comment: That speech from

which I have now read the quotation; and which is there given

correctlyperhaps too much so for good tastewas made away up North

in the Abolition District of this State par excellence; in the

Lovejoy District; in the personal presence of Lovejoy; for he was on

the stand with us when I made it。  It had been made and put in print

in that region only three days less than a month before the speech

made at Charleston; the like of which Judge Douglas thinks I would

not make where there was any Abolition element。  I only refer to this

matter to say that I am altogether unconscious of having attempted

any double…dealing anywhere; that upon one occasion I may say one

thing; and leave other things unsaid; and vice versa; but that I have

said anything on one occasion that is inconsistent with what I have

said elsewhere; I deny; at least I deny it so far as the intention is

concerned。  I find that I have devoted to this topic a larger portion

of my time than I had intended。  I wished to show; but I will pass it

upon this occasion; that in the sentiment I have occasionally

advanced upon the Declaration of Independence I am entirely borne out

by the sentiments advanced by our old Whig leader; Henry Clay; and I

have the book here to show it from but because I have already

occupied more time than I intended to do on that topic; I pass over

it。



At Galesburgh; I tried to show that by the Dred Scott decision;

pushed to its legitimate consequences; slavery would be established

in all the States as well as in the Territories。  I did this because;

upon a former occasion; I had asked Judge Douglas whether; if the

Supreme Court should make a decision declaring that the States had

not the power to exclude slavery from their limits; he would adopt

and follow that decision as a rule of political action; and because

he had not directly answered that question; but had merely contented

himself with sneering at it; I again introduced it; and tried to show

that the conclusion that I stated followed inevitably and logically

from the proposition already decided by the court。  Judge Douglas had

the privilege of replying to me at Galesburgh; and again he gave me

no direct answer as to whether he would or would not sustain such a

decision if made。  I give him his third chance to say yes or no。  He

is not obliged to do either; probably he will not do either; but I

give him the third chance。  I tried to show then that this result;

this conclusion; inevitably followed from the point already decided

by the court。  The Judge; in his reply; again sneers at the thought

of the court making any such decision; and in the course of his

remarks upon this subject uses the language which I will now read。

Speaking of me; the Judge says:



〃He goe

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