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it　cannot　be　enforced；　but　he　says　it　is　true　as　an　abstract

principle　in　the　organization　of　society　as　well　as　in　organized

society　and　it　should　be　kept　in　view　as　a　fundamental　principle。

Let　me　read　a　few　words　more　before　I　add　some　comments　of　my　own。

Mr。　Clay　says；　a　little　further　on：



〃I　desire　no　concealment　of　my　opinions　in　regard　to　the　institution

of　slavery。　　I　look　upon　it　as　a　great　evil；　and　deeply　lament　that

we　have　derived　it　from　the　parental　government　and　from　our

ancestors。　　I　wish　every　slave　in　the　United　States　was　in　the

country　of　his　ancestors。　　But　here　they　are；　and　the　question　is；

How　can　they　be　best　dealt　with？　　If　a　state　of　nature　existed；　and

we　were　about　to　lay　the　foundations　of　society；　no　man　would　be　more

strongly　opposed　than　I　should　be　to　incorporate　the　institution　of

slavery　amongst　its　elements。〃





Now；　here　in　this　same　book；　in　this　same　speech；　in　this　same

extract；　brought　forward　to　prove　that　Mr。　Clay　held　that　the　negro

was　not　included　in　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　is　no　such

statement　on　his　part；　but　the　declaration　that　it　is　a　great

fundamental　truth　which　should　be　constantly　kept　in　view　in　the

organization　of　society　and　in　societies　already　organized。　　But　if　I

say　a　word　about　it；　if　I　attempt；　as　Mr。　Clay　said　all　good　men

ought　to　do；　to　keep　it　in　view；　if；　in　this　〃organized　society；〃　I

ask　to　have　the　public　eye　turned　upon　it；　if　I　ask；　in　relation　to

the　organization　of　new　Territories；　that　the　public　eye　should　be

turned　upon　it；　forthwith　I　am　vilified　as　you　hear　me　to…day。　　what

have　I　done　that　I　have　not　the　license　of　Henry　Clay's　illustrious

example　here　in　doing？　　Have　I　done　aught　that　I　have　not　his

authority　for；　while　maintaining　that　in　organizing　new　Territories

and　societies　this　fundamental　principle　should　be　regarded；　and　in

organized　society　holding　it　up　to　the　public　view　and　recognizing

what　he　recognized　as　the　great　principle　of　free　government？



And　when　this　new　principlethis　new　proposition　that　no　human　being

ever　thought　of　three　years　agois　brought　forward；　I　combat　it　as

having　an　evil　tendency；　if　not　an　evil　design。　　I　combat　it　as

having　a　tendency　to　dehumanize　the　negro；　to　take　away　from　him　the

right　of　ever　striving　to　be　a　man。　　I　combat　it　as　being　one　of　the

thousand　things　constantly　done　in　these　days　to　prepare　the　public

mind　to　make　property；　and　nothing　but　property；　of　the　negro　in　all

the　States　of　this　　Union。



But　there　is　a　point　that　I　wish；　before　leaving　this　part　of　the

discussion；　to　ask　attention　to。　　I　have　read　and　I　repeat　the　words

of　Henry　Clay：



〃I　desire　no　concealment　of　my　opinions　in　regard　to　the　institution

of　slavery。　　I　look　upon　it　as　a　great　evil；　and　deeply　lament　that

we　have　derived　it　from　the　parental　government　and　from　our

ancestors。　　I　wish　every　slave　in　the　United　States　was　in　the

country　of　his　ancestors。　　But　here　they　are；　and　the　question　is；

How　can　they　be　best　dealt　with？　　If　a　state　of　nature　existed；　and

we　were　about　to　lay　the　foundations　of　society；　no　man　would　be　more

strongly　opposed　than　I　should　be　to　incorporate　the　institution　of

slavery　amongst　its　elements。〃



The　principle　upon　which　I　have　insisted　in　this　canvass　is　in

relation　to　laying　the　foundations　of　new　societies。　　I　have　never

sought　to　apply　these　principles　to　the　old　States　for　the　purpose　of

abolishing　slavery　in　those　States。　　It　is　nothing　but　a　miserable

perversion　of　what　I　have　said；　to　assume　that　I　have　declared

Missouri；　or　any　other　slave　State；　shall　emancipate　her　slaves；　I

have　proposed　no　such　thing。　　But　when　Mr。　Clay　says　that　in　laying

the　foundations　of　society　in　our　Territories　where　it　does　not

exist；　he　would　be　opposed　to　the　introduction　of　slavery　as　an

element；　I　insist　that　we　have　his　warranthis　licensefor

insisting　upon　the　exclusion　of　that　element　which　he　declared　in

such　strong　and　emphatic　language　was　most　hurtful　to　　him。



Judge　Douglas　has　again　referred　to　a　Springfield　speech　in　which　I

said　〃a　house　divided　against　itself　cannot　stand。〃　　The　Judge　has　so

often　made　the　entire　quotation　from　that　speech　that　I　can　make　it

from　memory。　　I　used　this　language：



〃We　are　now　far　into　the　fifth　year　since　a　policy　was　initiated　with

the　avowed　object　and　confident　promise　of　putting　an　end　to　the

slavery　agitation。　　Under　the　operation　of　this　policy；　that

agitation　has　not　only　not　ceased；　but　has　constantly　augmented。　　In

my　opinion　it　will　not　cease　until　a　crisis　shall　have　been　reached

and　passed。　　'A　house　divided　against　itself　cannot　stand。'　I　believe

this　government　cannot　endure　permanently；　half　slave　and　half　free。

I　do　not　expect　the　house　to　fall；　but　I　do　expect　it　will　cease　to

be　divided。　　It　will　become　all　one　thing；　or　all　the　other。　　Either

the　opponents　of　slavery　will　arrest　the　further　spread　of　it；　and

place　it　where　the　public　mind　shall　rest　in　the　belief　that　it　is　in

the　course　of　ultimate　extinction；　or　its　advocates　will　push　it

forward　till　it　shall　become　alike　lawful　in　all　the　States；　old　as

well　as　new；　North　as　well　as　South。〃



That　extract　and　the　sentiments　expressed　in　it　have　been　extremely

offensive　to　Judge　Douglas。　　He　has　warred　upon　them　as　Satan　wars

upon　the　Bible。　　His　perversions　upon　it　are　endless。　　Here　now　are

my　views　upon　it　in　brief：



I　said　we　were　now　far　into　the　fifth　year　since　a　policy　was

initiated　with　the　avowed　object　and　confident　promise　of　putting　an

end　to　the　slavery　agitation。　　Is　it　not　so？　　When　that　Nebraska　Bill

was　brought　forward　four　years　ago　last　January；　was　it　not　for　the

〃avowed　object〃　of　putting　an　end　to　the　slavery　agitation？　　We　were

to　have　no　more　agitation　in　Congress；　it　was　all　to　be　banished　to

the　Territories。　　By　the　way；　I　will　remark　here　that；　as　Judge

Douglas　is　very　fond　of　complimenting　Mr。　Crittenden　in　these　days；

Mr。　Crittenden　has　said　there　was　a　falsehood　in　that　whole　business；

for　there　was　no　slavery　agitation　at　that　time　to　allay。　　We　were

for　a　little　while　quiet　on　the　troublesome　thing；　and　that　very

allaying　plaster　of　Judge　Douglas's　stirred　it　up　again。　　But　was　it

not　understood　or　intimated　with　the　〃confident　promise〃　of　putting

an　end　to　the　slavery　agitation？　　Surely　it　was。　　In　every　speech　you

heard　Judge　Douglas　make；　until　he　got　into　this　〃imbroglio；〃　as　they

call　it；　with　the　Administration　about　the　Lecompton　Constitution；

every　speech　on　that　Nebraska　Bill　was　full　of　his　felicitations　that

we　were　just　at　the　end　of　the　slavery　agitation。　　The　last　tip　of

the　last　joint　of　the　old　serpent's　tail　was　just　drawing　out　of

view。　　But　has　it　proved　so？　　I　have　asserted　that　under　that　policy

that　agitation　〃has　not　only　not　ceased；　but　has　constantly

augmented。〃　　When　was　there　ever　a　greater　agitation　in　Congress　than

last　winter？　　When　was　it　as　great　in　the　country　as　to…day？



There　was　a　collateral　object　in　the　introduction　of　that　Nebraska

policy；　which　was　to　clothe　the　people　of　the　Territories　with　a

superior　degree　of　self…government；　beyond　what　they　had　ever　had

before。　　The　first　object　and　the　main　one　of　conferring　upon　the

people　a　higher　degree　of　〃self…government〃　is　a　question　of　fact　to

be　determined　by　you　in　answer　to　a　single　question。　　Have　you　ever

heard　or　known　of　a　people　anywhere　on　earth　who　had　as　little　to　do

as；　in　the　first　instance　of　its　use；　the　people　of　Kansas　had　with

this　same　right　of　〃self…government　〃？　　In　its　main　policy　and　in　its

collateral　object；　it　has　been　nothing　but　a　living；　creeping　lie

from　the　time　of　its　introduction　till　to…day。



I　have　intimated　that　I　thought　the　agitation　would　not　cease　until　a

crisis　should　have　been　reached　and　passed。　　I　have　stated　in　what

way　I　thought　it　would　be　reached　and　passed。　　I　have　said　that　it

might　go　one　way　or　the　other。　　We　might；　by　arresting　the　further

spread　of　it；　and　placing　it　where　the　fathers　originally　placed　it；

put　it　where　the　public　mind　should　rest　in　the　belief　that　it　was　in

the　course　of　ultimate　extinction。　　Thus　the　agitation　may　cease。　　It

may　be　pushed　forward　until　it　shall　become　alike　lawful　in　all　the

States；　old　as　well　as　new；　North　as　well　as　South。　　I　have　said；　and

I　repeat；　my　wish　is　that　the　further　spread　of　it　may　be　arrested；

and　that　it　may　be　　where　the　public　mind　shall　rest　in　the　belief

that　it　is　in　the　course　of　ultimate　extinctionI　have　expressed

that　as　my　wish　　I　entertain　the　opinion；　upon　evidence　sufficient　to

my　mind；　that　the　fathers　of　this　government　placed　that　institution

where　the　public　mind　did　rest　in　the　belief　that　it　was　in　the

course　of　ultimate　extinction。　　Let　me　ask　why　they　made　provision

that　the　source　of　slaverythe　African　slave…tradeshould　be　cut

off　at　the　end　of　twenty　years？　　Why　did　they　make　provision　that　in

a