the writings-6-第30节

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laws。　　The　territory　is　the　only　part　which　is　of　certain　durability。

〃One　generation　passeth　away　and　another　generation　cometh；　but　the

earth　abideth　forever。〃　It　is　of　the　first　importance　to　duly

consider　and　estimate　this　ever　enduring　part。　　That　portion　of　the

earth's　surface　which　is　owned　and　inhabited　by　the　people　of　the

United　States　is　well　adapted　to　be　the　home　of　one　national　family；

and　it　is　not　well　adapted　for　two　or　more。　　Its　vast　extent　and　its

variety　of　climate　and　productions　are　of　advantage　in　this　age　for

one　people；　whatever　they　might　have　been　in　former　ages。　　　Steam；

telegraphs；　and　intelligence　have　brought　these　to　be　an　advantageous

combination　for　one　united　people。



In　the　inaugural　address　I　briefly　pointed　out　the　total　inadequacy

of　disunion　as　a　remedy　for　the　differences　between　the　people　of　the

two　sections。　　I　did　so　in　language　which　I　cannot　improve；　and

which；　therefore；　I　beg　to　repeat：



〃One　section　of　our　country　believes　slavery　is　right　and　ought　to　be

extended；　while　the　other　believes　it　is　wrong　and　ought　not　to　be

extended。　　This　is　the　only　substantial　dispute。　　The　fugitive…slave

clause　of　the　Constitution　and　the　laws　for　the　suppression　of　the

foreign　slave　trade　are　each　as　well　enforced；　perhaps；　as　any　law

can　ever　be　in　a　community　where　the　moral　Sense　of　the　people

imperfectly　supports　the　law　itself。　　The　great　body　of　the　people

abide　by　the　dry　legal　obligation　in　both　cases；　and　a　few　break　over

in　each。　　This；　I　think；　cannot　be　perfectly　cured；　and　it　would　be

worse　in　both　cases　after　the　separation　of　the　sections　than　before。

The　foreign　slave　trade；　now　imperfectly　suppressed；　would　be

ultimately　revived　without　restriction　in　one　section；　while　fugitive

slaves；　now　only　partially　surrendered；　would　not　be　surrendered　at

all　by　the　other。



〃Physically　speaking；　we　can　not　separate。　　We　can　not　remove　our

respective　sections　from　each　other　nor　build　an　impassable　wall

between　them。　　A　husband　and　wife　may　be　divorced　and　go　out　of　the

presence　and　beyond　the　reach　of　each　other；　but　the　different　parts

of　our　country　cannot　do　this。　　They　cannot　but　remain　face　to　face；

and　intercourse；　either　amicable　or　hostile；　must　continue　between

them。　　Is　it　possible；　then；　to　make　that　intercourse　more

advantageous　or　more　satisfactory　after　separation　than　before？　　Can

aliens　make　treaties　easier　than　friends　can　make　laws？　　Can　treaties

be　more　faithfully　enforced　between　aliens　than　laws　can　among

friends？　　Suppose　you　go　to　war；　you　cannot　fight　always；　and　when；

after　much　loss　on　both　sides　and　no　gain　on　either；　you　cease

fighting；　the　identical　old　questions；　as　to　terms　of　intercourse；

are　again　upon　you。〃



There　is　no　line；　straight　or　crooked；　suitable　for　a　national

boundary　upon　which　to　divide。　　Trace　through；　from　east　to　west；

upon　the　line　between　the　free　and　slave　country；　and　we　shall　find　a

little　more　than　one　third　of　its　length　are　rivers；　easy　to　be

crossed；　and　populated；　or　soon　to　be　populated；　thickly　upon　both

sides；　while　nearly　all　its　remaining　length　are　merely　surveyors'

lines；　over　which　people　may　walk　back　and　forth　without　any

consciousness　of　their　presence。　　No　part　of　this　line　can　be　made

any　more　difficult　to　pass　by　writing　it　down　on　paper　or　parchment

as　a　national　boundary。　　The　fact　of　separation；　if　it　comes；　gives

up　on　the　part　of　the　seceding　section　the　fugitive…slave　clause

along　with　all　other　constitutional　obligations　upon　the　section

seceded　from；　while　I　should　expect　no　treaty　stipulation　would　ever

be　made　to　take　its　place。



But　there　is　another　difficulty。　　The　great　interior　region　bounded

east　by　the　Alleghenies；　north　by　the　British　dominions；　west　by　the

Rocky　Mountains；　and　south　by　the　line　along　which　the　culture　of

corn　and　cotton　meets；　and　which　includes　part　of　Virginia；　part　of

Tennessee；　all　of　Kentucky；　Ohio；　Indiana；　Michigan；　Wisconsin；

Illinois；　Missouri；　Kansas；　Iowa；　Minnesota；　and　the　Territories　of

Dakota；　Nebraska；　and　part　of　Colorado；　already　has　above　10；000；000

people；　and　will　have　50；000；000　within　fifty　years　if　not　prevented

by　any　political　folly　or　mistake。　　It　contains　more　than　one　third

of　the　country　owned　by　the　United　Statescertainly　more　than

1；000；000　square　miles。　　　Once　half　as　populous　as　Massachusetts

already　is；　it　would　have　more　than　75；000；000　people。　　A　glance　at

the　map　shows　that；　territorially　speaking；　it　is　the　great　body　of

the　Republic。　　The　other　parts　are　but　marginal　borders　to　it；　the

magnificent　region　sloping　west　from　the　Rocky　Mountains　to　the

Pacific　being　the　deepest　and　also　the　richest　in　undeveloped

resources。　　In　the　production　of　provisions；　grains；　grasses；　and　all

which　proceed　from　them　this　great　interior　region　is　naturally　one

of　the　most　important　in　the　world。　　Ascertain　from　statistics　the

small　proportion　of　the　region　which　has　yet　been　brought　into

cultivation；　and　also　the　large　and　rapidly　increasing　amount　of

products；　and　we　shall　be　overwhelmed　with　the　magnitude　of　the

prospect　presented。　　And　yet　this　region　has　no　seacoasttouches　no

ocean　anywhere。　　As　part　of　one　nation；　its　people　now　find；　and　may

forever　find；　their　way　to　Europe　by　New　York；　to　South　America　and

Africa　by　New　Orleans；　and　to　Asia　by　San　Francisco；　but　separate　our

common　country　into　two　nations；　as　designed　by　the　present

rebellion；　and　every　man　of　this　great　interior　region　is　thereby　cut

off　from　some　one　or　more　of　these　outlets；　not　perhaps　by　a　physical

barrier；　but　by　embarrassing　and　onerous　trade　regulations。



And　this　is　true；　wherever　a　dividing　or　boundary　line　may　be　fixed。

Place　it　between　the　now　free　and　slave　country；　or　place　it　south　of

Kentucky　or　north　of　Ohio；　and　still　the　truth　remains　that　none

south　of　it　can　trade　to　any　port　or　place　north　of　it；　and　none

north　of　it　can　trade　to　any　port　or　place　south　of　it；　except　upon

terms　dictated　by　a　government　foreign　to　them。　　These　outlets；　east；

west；　and　south；　are　indispensable　to　the　well…being　of　the　people

inhabiting　and　to　inhabit　this　vast　interior　region。　　Which　of　the

three　may　be　the　best　is　no　proper　question。　　All　are　better　than

either；　and　all　of　right　belong　to　that　people　and　to　their

successors　forever。　　True　to　themselves；　they　will　not　ask　where　a

line　of　separation　shall　be；　but　will　vow　rather　that　there　shall　be

no　such　line。



Nor　are　the　marginal　regions　less　interested　in　these　communications

to　and　through　them　to　the　great　outside　world。　　They；　too；　and　each

of　them；　must　have　access　to　this　Egypt　of　the　West　without　paying

toll　at　the　crossing　of　any　national　boundary。



Our　national　strife　springs　not　from　our　permanent　part；　not　from　the

land　we　inhabit；　not　from　our　national　homestead。　　There　is　no

possible　severing　of　this　but　would　multiply　and　not　mitigate　evils

among　us。　　In　all　its　adaptations　and　aptitudes　it　demands　union　and

abhors　separation。　　In　fact；　it　would　ere　long　force　reunion；　however

much　of　blood　and　treasure　the　separation　might　have　cost。



Our　strife　pertains　to　ourselvesto　the　passing　generations　of　men

and　it　can　without　convulsion　be　hushed　forever　with　the　passing　of

one　generation。



In　this　view　I　recommend　the　adoption　of　the　following　resolution　and

articles　amendatory　to　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States：



Resolved　by　the　Senate　and　House　of　Representatives　of　the　United

States　of　America；　in　Congress　assembled；　（two　thirds　of　both　Houses

concurring）；　That　the　following　articles　be　proposed　to　the

Legislatures　（or　conventions）　of　the　several　States　as　amendments　to

the　Constitution　of　the　United　States；　all　or　any　of　which　articles；

when　ratified　by　three　fourths　of　the　said　Legislatures　（or

conventions）；　to　be　valid　as　part　or　parts　of　the　said　Constitution；

viz。



ART。Every　State　wherein　slavery　now　exists　which　shall　abolish　the

same　therein　at　any　time　or　times　before　the　1st　day　of　January；　A。D。

1900；　shall　receive　compensation　from　the　United　States　as　follows；

to　wit：



The　President　of　the　United　States　shall　deliver　to　every　such　State

bonds　of　the　United　States　bearing　interest　at　the　rate　of　___　per

cent。　per　annum　to　an　amount　equal　to　the　aggregate　sum　of　______

for　each　slave　shown　to　have　been　therein　by　the　Eighth　Census　of　the

United　States；　said　bonds　to　be　delivered　to　such　State　by

instalments　or　in　one　parcel　at　the　completion　of　the　abolishment；

accordingly　as　the　same　shall　have　been　gradual　or　at　one　time　within

such　State；　and　interest　shall　begin　to　run　upon　any　such　bond　only

from　the　proper　time　of　its　delivery　as　aforesaid。　　Any　State　having

received　bonds　as　aforesaid　and　afterwards　reintroducing　or

tolerating　slavery　therein　shall　refund　to　the　United　States　the

bonds　so　received；　or　the　value　thereof；　and　all　interest　paid

thereon。