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constitution；　and　ask　admission　into　the　Union　under　it；　before

they　have　the　requisite　number　of　inhabitants　according　to　the

English　bill；some　ninety…three　thousand；will　you　vote　to

admit　them？



Q。　　2。Can　the　people　of　a　United　States　Territory；　in　any

lawful　way；　against　the　wish　of　any　citizen　of　the　United　States；

exclude　slavery　from　its　limits　prior　to　the　formation　of　a　State

constitution？



Q。　　3。　　If　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　States　shall　decide

that　States　cannot　exclude　slavery　from　their　limits；　are　you　in

favor　of　acquiescing　in；　adopting；　and　following　such　decision　as

a　rule　of　political　action？



Q。　　4。　　Are　you　in　favor　of　acquiring　additional　territory；　in

disregard　of　how　such　acquisition　may　affect　the　nation　on　the

slavery　question？



As　introductory　to　these　interrogatories　which　Judge　Douglas

propounded　to　me　at　Ottawa；　he　read　a　set　of　resolutions　which　he

said　Judge　Trumbull　and　myself　had　participated　in　adopting；　in

the　first　Republican　State　Convention；　held　at　Springfield　in

October；　1854。　　He　insisted　that　I　and　Judge　Trumbull；　and

perhaps　the　entire　Republican　party；　were　responsible　for　the

doctrines　contained　in　the　set　of　resolutions　which　he　read；　and

I　understand　that　it　was　from　that　set　of　resolutions　that　he

deduced　the　interrogatories　which　he　propounded　to　me；　using

these　resolutions　as　a　sort　of　authority　for　propounding　those

questions　to　me。　　Now；　I　say　here　to…day　that　I　do　not　answer　his

interrogatories　because　of　their　springing　at　all　from　that　set

of　resolutions　which　he　read。　　I　answered　them　because　Judge

Douglas　thought　fit　to　ask　them。　　I　do　not　now；　nor　ever　did；

recognize　any　responsibility　upon　myself　in　that　set　of

resolutions。　　When　I　replied　to　him　on　that　occasion；　I　assured

him　that　I　never　had　anything　to　do　with　them。　　I　repeat　here　to

today　that　I　never　in　any　possible　form　had　anything　to　do　with

that　set　of　resolutions　　It　turns　out；　I　believe；　that　those

resolutions　were　never　passed　in　any　convention　held　in

Springfield。



It　turns　out　that　they　were　never　passed　at　any　convention　or　any

public　meeting　that　I　had　any　part　in。　　I　believe　it　turns　out；

in　addition　to　all　this；　that　there　was　not；　in　the　fall　of　1854；

any　convention　holding　a　session　in　Springfield；　calling　itself　a

Republican　State　Convention；　yet　it　is　true　there　was　a

convention；　or　assemblage　of　men　calling　themselves　a　convention；

at　Springfield；　that　did　pass　some　resolutions。　　But　so　little

did　I　really　know　of　the　proceedings　of　that　convention；　or　what

set　of　resolutions　they　had　passed；　though　having　a　general

knowledge　that　there　had　been　such　an　assemblage　of　men　there；

that　when　Judge　Douglas　read　the　resolutions；　I　really　did　not

know　but　they　had　been　the　resolutions　passed　then　and　there。　　I

did　not　question　that　they　were　the　resolutions　adopted。　　For　I

could　not　bring　myself　to　suppose　that　Judge　Douglas　could　say

what　he　did　upon　this　subject　without　knowing　that　it　was　true。

I　contented　myself；　on　that　occasion；　with　denying；　as　I　truly

could；　all　connection　with　them；　not　denying　or　affirming　whether

they　were　passed　at　Springfield。　　Now；　it　turns　out　that　he　had

got　hold　of　some　resolutions　passed　at　some　convention　or　public

meeting　in　Kane　County。　　I　wish　to　say　here；　that　I　don't

conceive　that　in　any　fair　and　just　mind　this　discovery　relieves

me　at　all。　　I　had　just　as　much　to　do　with　the　convention　in　Kane

County　as　that　at　Springfield。　　I　am　as　much　responsible　for　the

resolutions　at　Kane　County　as　those　at　Springfield；the　amount

of　the　responsibility　being　exactly　nothing　in　either　case；　no

more　than　there　would　be　in　regard　to　a　set　of　resolutions　passed

in　the　moon。



I　allude　to　this　extraordinary　matter　in　this　canvass　for　some

further　purpose　than　anything　yet　advanced。　　Judge　Douglas　did

not　make　his　statement　upon　that　occasion　as　matters　that　he

believed　to　be　true；　but　he　stated　them　roundly　as　being　true；　in

such　form　as　to　pledge　his　veracity　for　their　truth。　　When　the

whole　matter　turns　out　as　it　does；　and　when　we　consider　who　Judge

Douglas　is；　that　he　is　a　distinguished　Senator　of　the　United

States；　that　he　has　served　nearly　twelve　years　as　such；　that　his

character　is　not　at　all　limited　as　an　ordinary　Senator　of　the

United　States；　but　that　his　name　has　become　of　world…wide

renown；it　is　most　extraordinary　that　he　should　so　far　forget

all　the　suggestions　of　justice　to　an　adversary；　or　of　prudence　to

himself；　as　to　venture　upon　the　assertion　of　that　which　the

slightest　investigation　would　have　shown　him　to　be　wholly　false。

I　can　only　account　for　his　having　done　so　upon　the　supposition

that　that　evil　genius　which　has　attended　him　through　his　life；

giving　to　him　an　apparent　astonishing　prosperity；　such　as　to　lead

very　many　good　men　to　doubt　there　being　any　advantage　in　virtue

over　vice；I　say　I　can　only　account　for　it　on　the　supposition

that　that　evil　genius　has　as　last　made　up　its　mind　to　forsake

him。



And　I　may　add　that　another　extraordinary　feature　of　the　Judge's

conduct　in　this　canvassmade　more　extraordinary　by　this

incidentis；　that　he　is　in　the　habit；　in　almost　all　the　speeches

he　makes；　of　charging　falsehood　upon　his　adversaries；　myself　and

others。　　I　now　ask　whether　he　is　able　to　find　in　anything　that

Judge　Trumbull；　for　instance；　has　said；　or　in　anything　that　I

have　said；　a　justification　at　all　compared　with　what　we　have；　in

this　instance；　for　that　sort　of　vulgarity。



I　have　been　in　the　habit　of　charging　as　a　matter　of　belief　on　my

part　that；　in　the　introduction　of　the　Nebraska　Bill　into

Congress；　there　was　a　conspiracy　to　make　slavery　perpetual　and

national。　　I　have　arranged　from　time　to　time　the　evidence　which

establishes　and　proves　the　truth　of　this　charge。　　I　recurred　to

this　charge　at　Ottawa。　　I　shall　not　now　have　time　to　dwell　upon

it　at　very　great　length；　but　inasmuch　as　Judge　Douglas；　in　his

reply　of　half　an　hour；　made　some　points　upon　me　in　relation　to

it；　I　propose　noticing　a　few　of　them。



The　Judge　insists　that；　in　the　first　speech　I　made；　in　which　I

very　distinctly　made　that　charge；　he　thought　for　a　good　while　I

was　in　fun！　　that　I　was　playful；　that　I　was　not　sincere　about　it；

and　that　he　only　grew　angry　and　somewhat　excited　when　he　found

that　I　insisted　upon　it　as　a　matter　of　earnestness。　　He　says　he

characterized　it　as　a　falsehood　so　far　as　I　implicated　his　moral

character　in　that　transaction。　　Well；　I　did　not　know；　till　he

presented　that　view；　that　I　had　implicated　his　moral　character。

He　is　very　much　in　the　habit；　when　he　argues　me　up　into　a

position　I　never　thought　of　occupying；　of　very　cosily　saying　he

has　no　doubt　Lincoln　is　〃conscientious〃　in　saying　so。　　He　should

remember　that　I　did　not　know　but　what　he　was　ALTOGETHER

〃CONSCIENTIOUS〃　in　that　matter。　　I　can　conceive　it　possible　for

men　to　conspire　to　do　a　good　thing；　and　I　really　find　nothing　in

Judge　Douglas's　course　of　arguments　that　is　contrary　to　or

inconsistent　with　his　belief　of　a　conspiracy　to　nationalize　and

spread　slavery　as　being　a　good　and　blessed　thing；　and　so　I　hope

he　will　understand　that　I　do　not　at　all　question　but　that　in　all

this　matter　he　is　entirely　〃conscientious。〃



But　to　draw　your　attention　to　one　of　the　points　I　made　in　this

case；　beginning　at　the　beginning：　　When　the　Nebraska　Bill　was

introduced；　or　a　short　time　afterward；　by　an　amendment；　I

believe；　it　was　provided　that　it　must　be　considered　〃the　true

intent　and　meaning　of　this　Act　not　to　legislate　slavery　into　any

State　or　Territory；　or　to　exclude　it　therefrom；　but　to　leave　the

people　thereof　perfectly　free　to　form　and　regulate　their　own

domestic　institutions　in　their　own　way；　subject　only　to　the

Constitution　of　the　United　States。〃　　I　have　called　his　attention

to　the　fact　that　when　he　and　some　others　began　arguing　that　they

were　giving　an　increased　degree　of　liberty　to　the　people　in　the

Territories　over　and　above　what　they　formerly　had　on　the　question

of　slavery；　a　question　was　raised　whether　the　law　was　enacted　to

give　such　unconditional　liberty　to　the　people；　and　to　test　the

sincerity　of　this　mode　of　argument；　Mr。　Chase；　of　Ohio；

introduced　an　amendment；　in　which　he　made　the　lawif　the

amendment　were　adoptedexpressly　declare　that　the　people　of　the

Territory　should　have　the　power　to　exclude　slavery　if　they　saw

fit。　　I　have　asked　attention　also　to　the　fact　that　Judge　Douglas

and　those　who　acted　with　him　voted　that　amendment　down；

notwithstanding　it　expressed　exactly　the　thing　they　said　was　the

true　intent　and　meaning　of　the　law。　　I　have　called　attention　to

the　fact　that　in　subsequent　times　a　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court

has　been　made；　in　which　it　has　been　declared　that　a　Territorial

Legislature　has　no　constitutional　right　to　exclude　slavery。　　And

I　have　argued　and　said　that　for　men　who　did；　intend　that　the

people　of　the　Territory　should　have　the　right　to　exc