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suddenly　in　a　satisfactory　way；　and　to　disregard　the　constitutional

obligations　thrown　about　it；　that　man　is　misplaced　if　he　is　on　our

platform。　　We　disclaim　sympathy　with　him　in　practical　action。　　He　is

not　placed　properly　with　us。



On　this　subject　of　treating　it　as　a　wrong；　and　limiting　its　spread；

let　me　say　a　word。　　Has　anything　ever　threatened　the　existence　of

this　Union　save　and　except　this　very　institution　of　slavery？　　What　is

it　that　we　hold　most　dear　amongst　us？　　Our　own　liberty　and

prosperity。　　What　has　ever　threatened　our　liberty　and　prosperity；

save　and　except　this　institution　of　slavery？　　If　this　is　true；　how　do

you　propose　to　improve　the　condition　of　things　by　enlarging　slavery；

by　spreading　it　out　and　making　it　bigger？　　You　may　have　a　wen　or

cancer　upon　your　person；　and　not　be　able　to　cut　it　out；　lest　you

bleed　to　death；　but　surely　it　is　no　way　to　cure　it；　to　engraft　it　and

spread　it　over　your　whole　body。　　That　is　no　proper　way　of　treating

what　you　regard　a　wrong。　　You　see　this　peaceful　way　of　dealing　with

it　as　a　wrong；　restricting　the　spread　of　it；　and　not　allowing　it　to

go　into　new　countries　where　it　has　not　already　existed。　　That　is　the

peaceful　way；　the　old…fashioned　way；　the　way　in　which　the　fathers

themselves　set　us　the　example。



On　the　other　hand；　I　have　said　there　is　a　sentiment　which　treats　it

as　not　being　wrong。　　That　is　the　Democratic　sentiment　of　this　day。　　I

do　not　mean　to　say　that　every　man　who　stands　within　that　range

positively　asserts　that　it　is　right。　　That　class　will　include　all　who

positively　assert　that　it　is　right；　and　all　who；　like　Judge　Douglas；

treat　it　as　indifferent　and　do　not　say　it　is　either　right　or　wrong。

These　two　classes　of　men　fall　within　the　general　class　of　those　who

do　not　look　upon　it　as　a　wrong。　　And　if　there　be　among　you　anybody

who　supposes　that　he；　as　a　Democrat；　can　consider　himself　〃as　much

opposed　to　slavery　as　anybody；〃　I　would　like　to　reason　with　him。　　You

never　treat　it　as　a　wrong。　　What　other　thing　that　you　consider　as　a

wrong　do　you　deal　with　as　you　deal　with　that？　　Perhaps　you　say　it　is

wrongbut　your　leader　never　does；　and　you　quarrel　with　anybody　who

says　it　is　wrong。　　Although　you　pretend　to　say　so　yourself；　you　can

find　no　fit　place　to　deal　with　it　as　a　wrong。　　You　must　not　say

anything　about　it　in　the　free　States；　because　it　is　not　here。　　You

must　not　say　anything　about　it　in　the　slave　States；　because　it　is

there。　　You　must　not　say　anything　about　it　in　the　pulpit；　because

that　is　religion；　and　has　nothing　to　do　with　it。　　You　must　not　say

anything　about　it　in　politics；　because　that　will　disturb　the　security

of　〃my　place。〃　　There　is　no　place　to　talk　about　it　as　being　a　wrong；

although　you　say　yourself　it　is　a　wrong。　　But；　finally；　you　will

screw　yourself　up　to　the　belief　that　if　the　people　of　the　slave

States　should　adopt　a　system　of　gradual　emancipation　on　the　slavery

question；　you　would　be　in　favor　of　it。　　You　would　be　in　favor　of　it。

You　say　that　is　getting　it　in　the　right　place；　and　you　would　be　glad

to　see　it　succeed。　　But　you　are　deceiving　yourself。　　You　all　know

that　Frank　Blair　and　Gratz　Brown；　down　there　in　St。　　Louis；　undertook

to　introduce　that　system　in　Missouri。　　They　fought　as　valiantly　as

they　could　for　the　system　of　gradual　emancipation　which　you　pretend

you　would　be　glad　to　see　succeed。　　Now；　I　will　bring　you　to　the　test。

After　a　hard　fight　they　were　beaten；　and　when　the　news　came　over

here；　you　threw　up　your　hats　and　hurrahed　for　Democracy。　　More　than

that；　take　all　the　argument　made　in　favor　of　the　system　you　have

proposed；　and　it　carefully　excludes　the　idea　that　there　is　anything

wrong　in　the　institution　of　slavery。　　The　arguments　to　sustain　that

policy　carefully　exclude　it。　　Even　here　to…day　you　heard　Judge

Douglas　quarrel　with　me　because　I　uttered　a　wish　that　it　might

sometime　come　to　an　end。　　Although　Henry　Clay　could　say　he　wished

every　slave　in　the　United　States　was　in　the　country　of　his　ancestors；

I　am　denounced　by　those　pretending　to　respect　Henry　Clay　for　uttering

a　wish　that　it　might　sometime；　in　some　peaceful　way；　come　to　an　end。

The　Democratic　policy　in　regard　to　that　institution　will　not　tolerate

the　merest　breath；　the　slightest　hint；　of　the　least　degree　of　wrong

about　it。　　Try　it　by　some　of　Judge　Douglas's　arguments。　　He　says　he

〃don't　care　whether　it　is　voted　up　or　voted　down〃　in　the　Territories。


I　do　not　care　myself；　in　dealing　with　that　expression；　whether　it　is

intended　to　be　expressive　of　his　individual　sentiments　on　the

subject；　or　only　of　the　national　policy　he　desires　to　have

established。　　It　is　alike　valuable　for　my　purpose。　　Any　man　can　say

that　who　does　not　see　anything　wrong　in　slavery；　but　no　man　can

logically　say　it　who　does　see　a　wrong　in　it；　because　no　man　can

logically　say　he　don't　care　whether　a　wrong　is　voted　up　or　voted

down。　　He　may　say　he　don't　care　whether　an　indifferent　thing　is　voted

up　or　down；　but　he　must　logically　have　a　choice　between　a　right　thing

and　a　wrong　thing。　　He　contends　that　whatever　community　wants　slaves

has　a　right　to　have　them。　　So　they　have；　if　it　is　not　a　wrong。　　But

if　it　is　a　wrong；　he　cannot　say　people　have　a　right　to　do　wrong。　　He

says　that　upon　the　score　of　equality　slaves　should　be　allowed　to　go

in　a　new　Territory；　like　other　property。　　This　is　strictly　logical　if

there　is　no　difference　between　it　and　other　property。　　If　it　and

other　property　are　equal；　this　argument　is　entirely　logical。　　But　if

you　insist　that　one　is　wrong　and　the　other　right；　there　is　no　use　to

institute　a　comparison　between　right　and　wrong。　　You　may　turn　over

everything　in　the　Democratic　policy　from　beginning　to　end；　whether　in

the　shape　it　takes　on　the　statute　book；　in　the　shape　it　takes　in　the

Dred　Scott　decision；　in　the　shape　it　takes　in　conversation；　or　the

shape　it　takes　in　short　maxim…like　arguments；it　everywhere

carefully　excludes　the　idea　that　there　is　anything　wrong　in　it。



That　is　the　real　issue。　　That　is　the　issue　that　will　continue　in　this

country　when　these　poor　tongues　of　Judge　Douglas　and　myself　shall　be

silent。　　It　is　the　eternal　struggle　between　these　two　principles

right　and　wrongthroughout　the　world。　　They　are　the　two　principles

that　have　stood　face　to　face　from　the　beginning　of　time；　and　will

ever　continue　to　struggle。　　The　one　is　the　common　right　of　humanity；

and　the　other　the　divine　right　of　kings。　　It　is　the　same　principle　in

whatever　shape　it　develops　itself。　　It　is　the　same　spirit　that　says；

〃You　work　and　toil　and　earn　bread；　and　I'll　eat　it。〃　　No　matter　in

what　shape　it　comes；　whether　from　the　mouth　of　a　king　who　seeks　to

bestride　the　people　of　his　own　nation　and　live　by　the　fruit　of　their

labor；　or　from　one　race　of　men　as　an　apology　for　enslaving　another

race；　it　is　the　same　tyrannical　principle。　　I　was　glad　to　express　my

gratitude　at　Quincy；　and　I　re…express　it　here；　to　Judge　Douglas；

that　he　looks　to　no　end　of　the　institution　of　slavery。　　That　will

help　the　people　to　see　where　the　struggle　really　is。　　It　will

hereafter　place　with　us　all　men　who　really　do　wish　the　wrong　may　have

an　end。　　And　whenever　we　can　get　rid　of　the　fog　which　obscures　the

real　question；　when　we　can　get　Judge　Douglas　and　his　friends　to　avow

a　policy　looking　to　its　perpetuation；we　can　get　out　from　among　that

class　of　men　and　bring　them　to　the　side　of　those　who　treat　it　as　a

wrong。　　Then　there　will　soon　be　an　end　of　it；　and　that　end　will　be

its　〃ultimate　extinction。〃　　Whenever　the　issue　can　be　distinctly

made；　and　all　extraneous　matter　thrown　out　so　that　men　can　fairly　see

the　real　difference　between　the　parties；　this　controversy　will　soon

be　settled；　and　it　will　be　done　peaceably　too。　　There　will　be　no　war；

no　violence。　　It　will　be　placed　again　where　the　wisest　and　best　men

of　the　world　placed　it。　　Brooks　of　South　Carolina　once　declared　that

when　this　Constitution　was　framed　its　framers　did　not　look　to　the

institution　existing　until　this　day。　　When　he　said　this；　I　think　he

stated　a　fact　that　is　fully　borne　out　by　the　history　of　the　times。

But　he　also　said　they　were　better　and　wiser　men　than　the　men　of　these

days；　yet　the　men　of　these　days　had　experience　which　they　had　not；

and　by　the　invention　of　the　cotton…gin　it　became　a　necessity　in　this

country　that　slavery　should　be　perpetual。　　I　now　say　that；　willingly

or　unwillinglypurposely　or　without　purpose；　Judge　Douglas　has　been

the　most　prominent　instrument　in　changing　the　position　of　the

institution　of　slavery；which　the　fathers　of　the　government　expected

to　come　to　an　end　ere　this；　and　putting　it　upon　Brooks's　cotton…gin

basis；　placing　it　where　he　openly　confesses　he　has　no　desire　there

shall　ever　be　an　end　of　it。



I　understand　I　have　ten　minutes　yet。　　I　will　employ　it　in　saying

something　about　this　argument　Judge　Douglas　uses；　while　he　sustains

the　Dred　Scott　decision；　that　the　people　of　the　Territories　can　still

somehow　exclude　slavery。　　The　first　thing　I　ask　atten