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The　Writings　of　Abraham　Lincoln



by　Abraham　Lincoln








VOLUME　THREE



THE　LINCOLN…DOUGLAS　DEBATES　I







POLITICAL　SPEECHES　&　DEBATES　of　LINCOLN　WITH　DOUGLAS



In　the　Senatorial　Campaign　of　1858　in　Illinois









SPEECH　AT　SPRINGFIELD；　JUNE　17；　1858



＇The　following　speech　was　delivered　at　Springfield；　Ill。；　at　the

close　of　the　Republican　State　Convention　held　at　that　time　and

place；　and　by　which　Convention　Mr。　LINCOLN　had　been　named　as

their　candidate　for　United　States　Senator。　　Mr。　DOUGLAS　was　not

present。＇





Mr。　PRESIDENT　AND　GENTLEMEN　OF　THE　CONVENTION：If　we　could　first

know　where　we　are；　and　whither　we　are　tending；　we　could　better

judge　what　to　do；　and　how　to　do　it。　　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　slavery　agitation。

Under　the　operation　of　that　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　Union　to　be　dissolved；　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。



Have　we　no　tendency　to　the　latter　condition？



Let　any　one　who　doubts；　carefully　contemplate　that　now　almost

complete　legal　combination…piece　of　machinery；　so　to　speak

compounded　of　the　Nebraska　doctrine　and　the　Dred　Scott　decision。

Let　him　consider；　not　only　what　work　the　machinery　is　adapted　to

do；　and　how　well　adapted；　but　also　let　him　study　the　history　of

its　construction；　and　trace；　if　he　can；　or　rather　fail；　if　he

can；　to　trace　the　evidences　of　design；　and　concert　of　action；

among　its　chief　architects；　from　the　beginning。



The　new　year　of　1854　found　slavery　excluded　from　more　than　half

the　States　by　State　Constitutions；　and　from　most　of　the　National

territory　by　Congressional　prohibition。　　Four　days　later；

commenced　the　struggle　which　ended　in　repealing　that

Congressional　prohibition。　　This　opened　all　the　National

territory　to　slavery；　and　was　the　first　point　gained。



But；　so　far；　Congress　only　had　acted；　and　an　indorsement　by　the

people；　real　or　apparent；　was　indispensable　to　save　the　point

already　gained；　and　give　chance　for　more。



This　necessity　had　not　been　overlooked；　but　had　been　provided

for；　as　well　as　might　be；　in　the　notable　argument　of　〃squatter

sovereignty；〃　otherwise　called　〃sacred　right　of　self…government；〃

which　latter　phrase；　though　expressive　of　the　only　rightful　basis

of　any　government；　was　so　perverted　in　this　attempted　use　of　it

as　to　amount　to　just　this：　That　if　any　one　man　choose　to　enslave

another；　no　third　man　shall　be　allowed　to　object。　　That　argument

was　incorporated　into　the　Nebraska　Bill　itself；　in　the　language

which　follows：



〃It　being　the　true　intent　and　meaning　of　this　Act　not　to

legislate　slavery　into　any　Territory　or　State；　nor　to　exclude　it

therefrom；　but　to　leave　the　people　thereof　perfectly　free　to　form

and　regulate　their　domestic　institutions　in　their　own　way；

subject　only　to　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States。〃



Then　opened　the　roar　of　loose　declamation　in　favor　of　〃squatter

sovereignty；〃　and　〃sacred　right　of　self…government。〃　　〃But；〃　said

opposition　members；　〃let　us　amend　the　bill　so　as　to　expressly

declare　that　the　people　of　the　Territory　may　exclude　slavery。〃

〃Not　we；〃　said　the　friends　of　the　measure；　and　down　they　voted

the　amendment。



While　the　Nebraska　Bill　was　passing　through　Congress；　a　law　case；

involving　the　question　of　a　negro's　freedom；　by　reason　of　his

owner　having　voluntarily　taken　him　first　into　a　free　State；　and

then　into　a　territory　covered　by　the　Congressional　Prohibition；

and　held　him　as　a　slave　for　a　long　time　in　each；　was　passing

through　the　United　States　Circuit　Court　for　the　District　of

Missouri；　and　both　Nebraska　Bill　and　lawsuit　were　brought　to　a

decision　in　the　same　month　of　May；　1854。　　The　negro's　name　was

〃Dred　Scott；〃　which　name　now　designates　the　decision　finally　made

in　the　case。　　Before　the　then　next　Presidential　election；　the　law

case　came　to；　and　was　argued　in；　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United

States；　but　the　decision　of　it　was　deferred　until　after　the

election。　　Still；　before　the　election；　Senator　Trumbull；　on　the

floor　of　the　Senate；　requested　the　leading　advocate　of　the

Nebraska　Bill　to　state　his　opinion　whether　the　people　of　a

territory　can　constitutionally　exclude　slavery　from　their　limits；

and　the　latter　answers：　〃That　is　a　question　for　the　Supreme

Court。〃



The　election　came。　　Mr。　Buchanan　was　elected；　and　the

indorsement；　such　as　it　was；　secured。　　That　was　the　second　point

gained。　　The　indorsement；　however；　fell　short　of　a　clear　popular

majority　by　nearly　four　hundred　thousand　votes；（approximately　10％

of　the　vote）　and　so；　perhaps；　was　not　overwhelmingly　reliable　and

satisfactory。　　The　outgoing　President；　in　his　last　annual

message；　as　impressively　as　possible　echoed　back　upon　the　people

the　weight　and　authority　of　the　indorsement。　　The　Supreme　Court

met　again；　did　not　announce　their　decision；　but　ordered　a

reargument。　　The　Presidential　inauguration　came；　and　still　no

decision　of　the　court；　but　the　incoming　President；　in　his

inaugural　address；　fervently　exhorted　the　people　to　abide　by　the

forth…coming　decision；　whatever　it　might　be。　　Then；　in　a　few

days；　came　the　decision。



The　reputed　author　of　the　Nebraska　Bill　finds　an　early　occasion

to　make　a　speech　at　this　capital　indorsing　the　Dred　Scott

decision；　and　vehemently　denouncing　all　opposition　to　it。　　The

new　President；　too；　seizes　the　early　occasion　of　the　Silliman

letter　to　indorse　and　strongly　construe　that　decision；　and　to

express　his　astonishment　that　any　different　view　had　ever　been

entertained！



At　length　a　squabble　springs　up　between　the　President　and　the

author　of　the　Nebraska　Bill；　on　the　mere　question　of　fact；

whether　the　Lecompton　Constitution　was　or　was　not　in　any　just

sense　made　by　the　people　of　Kansas；　and　in　that　quarrel　the

latter　declares　that　all　he　wants　is　a　fair　vote　for　the　people；

and　that　he　cares　not　whether　slavery　be　voted　down　or　voted　up。

I　do　not　understand　his　declaration；　that　he　cares　not　whether

slavery　be　voted　down　or　voted　up；　to　be　intended　by　him　other

than　as　an　apt　definition　of　the　policy　he　would　impress　upon　the

public　mind；the　principle　for　which　he　declares　he　has　suffered

so　much；　and　is　ready　to　suffer　to　the　end。　　And　well　may　he

cling　to　that　principle！　　If　he　has　any　parental　feeling；　well

may　he　cling　to　it。　　That　principle　is　the　only　shred　left　of　his

original　Nebraska　doctrine。　　Under　the　Dred　Scott　decision

〃squatter　sovereignty〃　squatted　out　of　existence；　tumbled　down

like　temporary　scaffolding；　like　the　mould　at　the　foundry；　served

through　one　blast；　and　fell　back　into　loose　sand；　helped　to　carry

an　election；　and　then　was　kicked　to　the　winds。　　His　late　joint

struggle　with　the　Republicans；　against　the　Lecompton

Constitution；　involves　nothing　of　the　original　Nebraska　doctrine。

That　struggle　was　made　on　a　pointthe　right　of　a　people　to　make

their　own　constitutionupon　which　he　and　the　Republicans　have

never　differed。



The　several　points　of　the　Dred　Scott　decision；　in　connection　with

Senator　Douglas's　〃care　not〃　policy；　constitute　the　piece　of

machinery；　in　its　present　state　of　advancement。　　This　was　the

third　point　gained。　　The　working　points　of　that　machinery　are：



Firstly；　That　no　negro　slave；　imported　as　such　from　Africa；　and

no　descendant　of　such　slave；　can　ever　be　a　citizen　of　any　State；

in　the　sense　of　that　term　as　used　in　the　Constitution　of　the

United　States。　　This　point　is　made　in　order　to　deprive　the　negro；

in　every　possible　event；　of　the　benefit　of　that　provision　of　the

United　States　Constitution　which　declares　that　〃The　citizens　of

each　State　shall　be　entitled　to　all　privileges　and　immunities　of

citizens　in　the　several　States。〃



Secondly；　That；　〃subject　to　the　Constitution　of　the　United

States；〃　neither　Congress　nor　a　Territorial　Legislature　can

exclude　slavery　from　any　United　States　Territory。　　This　point　is

made　in　order　that　individual　men　may　fill　up　the　Territories

with　slaves；　without　danger　of　losing　them　as　property；　and　thus

to　enhance　the　chances　of　permanency　to　the　institution　through

all　the　future。



Thirdly；　That　whether　the　holding　a　negro　in　actual　slavery　in　a

free　State　makes　him　free