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perfect; be ye also perfect。〃  The Savior; I suppose; did not

expect that any human creature could be perfect as the Father in

heaven; but he said; 〃As your Father in heaven is perfect; be ye

also perfect。〃  He set that up as a standard; and he who did most

towards reaching that standard attained the highest degree of

moral perfection。  So I say in relation to the principle that all

men are created equal; let it be as nearly reached as we can。  If

we cannot give freedom to every creature; let us do nothing that

will impose slavery upon any other creature。  Let us then turn

this government back into the channel in which the framers of the

Constitution originally placed it。  Let us stand firmly by each

other。  If we do not do so; we are turning in the contrary

direction; that our friend Judge Douglas proposesnot

intentionallyas working in the traces tends to make this one

universal slave nation。  He is one that runs in that direction;

and as such I resist him。



My friends; I have detained you about as long as I desired to do;

and I have only to say: Let us discard all this quibbling about

this man and the other man; this race and that race and the other

race being inferior; and therefore they must be placed in an

inferior position; discarding our standard that we have left us。

Let us discard all these things; and unite as one people

throughout this land; until we shall once more stand up declaring

that all men are created equal。



My friends; I could not; without launching off upon some new

topic; which would detain you too long; continue to…night。  I

thank you for this most extensive audience that you have

furnished me to…night。  I leave you; hoping that the lamp of

liberty will burn in your bosoms until there shall no longer be a

doubt that all men are created free and equal。









SPEECH AT SPRINGFIELD; JULY 17; 1858。



DELIVERED SATURDAY EVENING



(Mr。 Douglas was not present。)



FELLOW…CITIZENS:Another election; which is deemed an important

one; is approaching; and; as I suppose; the Republican party

will; without much difficulty; elect their State ticket。  But in

regard to the Legislature; we; the Republicans; labor under some

disadvantages。  In the first place; we have a Legislature to

elect upon an apportionment of the representation made several

years ago; when the proportion of the population was far greater

in the South (as compared with the North) than it now is; and

inasmuch as our opponents hold almost entire sway in the South;

and we a correspondingly large majority in the North; the fact

that we are now to be represented as we were years ago; when the

population was different; is to us a very great disadvantage。  We

had in the year 1855; according to law; a census; or enumeration

of the inhabitants; taken for the purpose of a new apportionment

of representation。  We know what a fair apportionment of

representation upon that census would give us。  We know that it

could not; if fairly made; fail to give the Republican party from

six to ten more members of the Legislature than they can probably

get as the law now stands。  It so happened at the last session of

the Legislature that our opponents; holding the control of both

branches of the Legislature; steadily refused to give us such an

apportionment as we were rightly entitled to have upon the census

already taken。  The Legislature steadily refused to give us such

an apportionment as we were rightfully entitled to have upon the

census taken of the population of the State。  The Legislature

would pass no bill upon that subject; except such as was at least

as unfair to us as the old one; and in which; in some instances;

two men in the Democratic regions were allowed to go as far

toward sending a member to the Legislature as three were in the

Republican regions。  Comparison was made at the time as to

representative and senatorial districts; which completely

demonstrated that such was the fact。  Such a bill was passed and

tendered to the Republican Governor for his signature; but;

principally for the reasons I have stated; he withheld his

approval; and the bill fell without becoming a law。



Another disadvantage under which we labor is that there are one

or two Democratic Senators who will be members of the next

Legislature; and will vote for the election of Senator; who are

holding over in districts in which we could; on all reasonable

calculation; elect men of our own; if we only had the chance of

an election。  When we consider that there are but twenty…five

Senators in the Senate; taking two from the side where they

rightfully belong; and adding them to the other; is to us a

disadvantage not to be lightly regarded。  Still; so it is; we

have this to contend with。  Perhaps there is no ground of

complaint on our part。  In attending to the many things involved

in the last general election for President; Governor; Auditor;

Treasurer; Superintendent of Public Instruction; Members of

Congress; of the Legislature; County Officers; and so on; we

allowed these things to happen by want of sufficient attention;

and we have no cause to complain of our adversaries; so far as

this matter is concerned。  But we have some cause to complain of

the refusal to give us a fair apportionment。



There is still another disadvantage under which we labor; and to

which I will ask your attention。  It arises out of the relative

positions of the two persons who stand before the State as

candidates for the Senate。  Senator Douglas is of world…wide

renown。  All the anxious politicians of his party; or who have

been of his party for years past; have been looking upon him as

certainly; at no distant day; to be the President of the United

States。  They have seen in his round; jolly; fruitful face

post…offices; land…offices; marshalships; and cabinet

appointments; charge…ships and foreign missions bursting and

sprouting out in wonderful exuberance; ready to be laid hold of

by their greedy hands。  And as they have been gazing upon this

attractive picture so long; they cannot; in the little

distraction that has taken place in the party; bring themselves

to give up the charming hope; but with greedier anxiety they rush

about him; sustain him; and give him marches; triumphal entries;

and receptions beyond what even in the days of his highest

prosperity they could have brought about in his favor。  On the

contrary; nobody has ever expected me to be President。  In my

poor; lean; lank face; nobody has ever seen that any cabbages

were sprouting out。  These are disadvantages all; taken together;

that the Republicans labor under。  We have to fight this battle

upon principle; and upon principle alone。  I am; in a certain

sense; made the standard…bearer in behalf of the Republicans。  I

was made so merely because there had to be some one so placed;I

being in nowise preferable to any other one of twenty…five;

perhaps a hundred; we have in the Republican ranks。  Then I say I

wish it to be distinctly understood and borne in mind that we

have to fight this battle without manyperhaps without any of

the external aids which are brought to bear against us。  So I

hope those with whom I am surrounded have principle enough to

nerve themselves for the task; and leave nothing undone that can

be fairly done to bring about the right result。



After Senator Douglas left Washington; as his movements were made

known by the public prints; he tarried a considerable time in the

city of New York; and it was heralded that; like another

Napoleon; he was lying by and framing the plan of his campaign。

It was telegraphed to Washington City; and published in the

Union; that he was framing his plan for the purpose of going to

Illinois to pounce upon and annihilate the treasonable and

disunion speech which Lincoln had made here on the 16th of June。

Now; I do suppose that the Judge really spent some time in New

York maturing the plan of the campaign; as his friends heralded

for him。  I have been able; by noting his movements since his

arrival in Illinois; to discover evidences confirmatory of that

allegation。  I think I have been able to see what are the

material points of that plan。  I will; for a little while; ask

your attention to some of them。  What I shall point out; though

not showing the whole plan; are; nevertheless; the main points;

as I suppose。



They are not very numerous。  The first is popular sovereignty。

The second and third are attacks upon my speech made on the 16th

of June。  Out of these three pointsdrawing within the range of

popular sovereignty the question of the Lecompton Constitution

he makes his principal assault。  Upon these his successive

speeches are substantially one and the same。  On this matter of

popular sovereignty I wish to be a little careful。  Auxiliary to

these main points; to be sure; are their thunderings of cannon;

their marching and music; their fizzlegigs and firewor

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