the writings-5-第21章

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opposition；　what　we　mean　to　do　with　you。　We　mean　to　treat　you；　as

near　as　we　possibly　can；　as　Washington；　Jefferson；　and　Madison

treated　you。　　We　mean　to　leave　you　alone；　and　in　no　way　interfere

with　your　institution；　to　abide　by　all　and　every　compromise　of　the

Constitution；　and；　in　a　word；　coming　back　to　the　original

proposition；　to　treat　you；　so　far　as　degenerated　men　（if　we　have

degenerated）　may；　according　to　the　examples　of　those　noble　fathers；

Washington；　Jefferson；　and　Madison。　　We　mean　to　remember　that　you　are

as　good　as　we；　that　there　is　no　difference　between　us　other　than　the

difference　of　circumstances。　　We　mean　to　recognize　and　bear　in　mind

always　that　you　have　as　good　hearts　in　your　bosoms　as　other　people；

or　as　we　claim　to　have；　and　treat　you　accordingly。　　We　mean　to　marry

your　girls　when　we　have　a　chance；　the　white　ones　I　mean；　and　I　have

the　honor　to　inform　you　that　I　once　did　have　a　chance　in　that　way。



I　have　told　you　what　we　mean　to　do。　I　want　to　know；　now；　when　that

thing　takes　place；　what　do　you　mean　to　do？　　I　often　hear　it　intimated

that　you　mean　to　divide　the　Union　whenever　a　Republican；　or　anything

like　it；　is　elected　President　of　the　United　States。　　＇A　voice：　〃That

is　so。〃＇　　〃That　is　so；〃　one　of　them　says；　I　wonder　if　he　is　a

Kentuckian？　　＇A　voice：　〃He　is　a　Douglas　man。〃＇　　Well；　then；　I　want　to

know　what　you　are　going　to　do　with　your　half　of　it？　　Are　you　going　to

split　the　Ohio　down　through；　and　push　your　half　off　a　piece？　　Or　are

you　going　to　keep　it　right　alongside　of　us　outrageous　fellows？　　Or

are　you　going　to　build　up　a　wall　some　way　between　your　country　and

ours；　by　which　that　movable　property　of　yours　can't　come　over　here

any　more；　to　the　danger　of　your　losing　it？　　Do　you　think　you　can

better　yourselves；　on　that　subject；　by　leaving　us　here　under　no

obligation　whatever　to　return　those　specimens　of　your　movable

property　that　come　hither？　　You　have　divided　the　Union　because　we

would　not　do　right　with　you；　as　you　think；　upon　that　subject；　when　we

cease　to　be　under　obligations　to　do　anything　for　you；　how　much　better

off　do　you　think　you　will　be？　　Will　you　make　war　upon　us　and　kill　us

all？　　Why；　gentlemen；　I　think　you　are　as　gallant　and　as　brave　men　as

live；　that　you　can　fight　as　bravely　in　a　good　cause；　man　for　man；　as

any　other　people　living；　that　you　have　shown　yourselves　capable　of

this　upon　various　occasions：　but；　man　for　man；　you　are　not　better

than　we　are；　and　there　are　not　so　many　of　you　as　there　are　of　us。　You

will　never　make　much　of　a　hand　at　whipping　us。　　If　we　were　fewer　in

numbers　than　you；　I　think　that　you　could　whip　us；　if　we　were　equal；

it　would　likely　be　a　drawn　battle；　but　being　inferior　in　numbers；　you

will　make　nothing　by　attempting　to　master　us。



But　perhaps　I　have　addressed　myself　as　long；　or　longer；　to　the

Kentuckians　than　I　ought　to　have　done；　inasmuch　as　I　have　said　that

whatever　course　you　take　we　intend　in　the　end　to　beat　you。　　I　propose

to　address　a　few　remarks　to　our　friends；　by　way　of　discussing　with

them　the　best　means　of　keeping　that　promise　that　I　have　in　good　faith

made。



It　may　appear　a　little　episodical　for　me　to　mention　the　topic　of

which　I　will　speak　now。　It　is　a　favorite　position　of　Douglas's　that

the　interference　of　the　General　Government；　through　the　Ordinance　of

'87；　or　through　any　other　act　of　the　General　Government　never　has

made　or　ever　can　make　a　free　State；　the　Ordinance　of　'87　did　not　make

free　States　of　Ohio；　Indiana；　or　Illinois；　that　these　States　are　free

upon　his　〃great　principle〃　of　popular　sovereignty；　because　the　people

of　those　several　States　have　chosen　to　make　them　so。　　At　Columbus；

and　probably　here；　he　undertook　to　compliment　the　people　that　they

themselves　have　made　the　State　of　Ohio　free；　and　that　the　Ordinance

of　'87　was　not　entitled　in　any　degree　to　divide　the　honor　with　them。

I　have　no　doubt　that　the　people　of　the　State　of　Ohio　did　make　her

free　according　to　their　own　will　and　judgment；　but　let　the　facts　be

remembered。



In　1802；　I　believe；　it　was　you　who　made　your　first　constitution；　with

the　clause　prohibiting　slavery；　and　you　did　it；　I　suppose；　very

nearly　unanimously；　but　you　should　bear　in　mind　that　youspeaking　of

you　as　one　peoplethat　you　did　so　unembarrassed　by　the　actual

presence　of　the；　institution　amongst　you；　that　you　made　it　a　free

State　not　with　the　embarrassment　upon　you　of　already　having　among　you

many　slaves；　which　if　they　had　been　here；　and　you　had　sought　to　make

a　free　State；　you　would　not　know　what　to　do　with。　　If　they　had　been

among　you；　embarrassing　difficulties；　most　probably；　would　have

induced　you　to　tolerate　a　slave　constitution　instead　of　a　free　one；

as　indeed　these　very　difficulties　have　constrained　every　people　on

this　continent　who　have　adopted　slavery。



Pray　what　was　it　that　made　you　free？　　What　kept　you　free？　　Did　you

not　find　your　country　free　when　you　came　to　decide　that　Ohio　should

be　a　free　State？　　It　is　important　to　inquire　by　what　reason　you　found

it　so。　　Let　us　take　an　illustration　between　the　States　of　Ohio　and

Kentucky。　　Kentucky　is　separated　by　this　River　Ohio；　not　a　mile　wide。

A　portion　of　Kentucky；　by　reason　of　the　course　of　the　Ohio；　is

farther　north　than　this　portion　of　Ohio；　in　which　we　now　stand。

Kentucky　is　entirely　covered　with　slavery；　Ohio　is　entirely　free　from

it：　What　made　that　difference？　　Was　it　climate？　　No。　　A　portion　of

Kentucky　was　farther　north　than　this　portion　of　Ohio。　　Was　it　soil？

No。　　There　is　nothing　in　the　soil　of　the　one　more　favorable　to　slave

than　the　other。　It　was　not　climate　or　soil　that　mused　one　side　of　the

line　to　be　entirely　covered　with　slavery；　and　the　other　side　free　of

it。　　What　was　it？　　Study　over　it。　　Tell　us；　if　you　can；　in　all　the

range　of　conjecture；　if　there　be　anything　you　can　conceive　of　that

made　that　difference；　other　than　that　there　was　no　law　of　any　sort

keeping　it　out　of　Kentucky；　while　the　Ordinance　of　'87　kept　it　out　of

Ohio。　　If　there　is　any　other　reason　than　this；　I　confess　that　it　is

wholly　beyond　my　power　to　conceive　of　it。　　This；　then；　I　offer　to

combat　the　idea　that　that　Ordinance　has　never　made　any　State　free。



I　don't　stop　at　this　illustration。　I　come　to　the　State　of　Indiana；

and　what　I　have　said　as　between　Kentucky　and　Ohio；　I　repeat　as

between　Indiana　and　Kentucky：　it　is　equally　applicable。　One

additional　argument　is　applicable　also　to　Indiana。　　In　her

Territorial　condition　she　more　than　once　petitioned　Congress　to

abrogate　the　Ordinance　entirely；　or　at　least　so　far　as　to　suspend　its

operation　for　a；　time；　in　order　that　they　should　exercise　the

〃popular　sovereignty〃　of　having　slaves　if　they　wanted　them。　The　men

then　controlling　the　General　Government；　imitating　the　men　of　the

Revolution；　refused　Indiana　that　privilege。　　And　so　we　have　the

evidence　that　Indiana　supposed　she　could　have　slaves；　if　it　were　not

for　that　Ordinance；　that　she　besought　Congress　to　put　that　barrier

out　of　the　way；　that　Congress　refused　to　do　so；　and　it　all　ended　at

last　in　Indiana　being　a　free　State。　　Tell　me　not　then　that　the

Ordinance　of　'87　had　nothing　to　do　with　making　Indiana　a　free　State；

when　we　find　some　men　chafing　against；　and　only　restrained　by；　that

barrier。



Come　down　again　to　our　State　of　Illinois。　　The　great　Northwest

Territory；　including　Ohio；　Indiana；　Illinois；　Michigan；　and

Wisconsin；　was　acquired　first；　I　believe；　by　the　British　Government；

in　part　at　least；　from　the　French。　　Before　the　establishment　of　our

independence　it　became　a　part　of　Virginia；　enabling　Virginia

afterward　to　transfer　it　to　the　General　Government。　　There　were

French　settlements　in　what　is　now　Illinois；　and　at　the　same　time

there　were　French　settlements　in　what　is　now　Missouri；　in　the　tract

of　country　that　was　not　purchased　till　about　1803。　　In　these　French

settlements　negro　slavery　had　existed　for　many　years；　perhaps　more

than　a　hundred；　if　not　as　much　as　two　hundred　years；at　Kaskaskia；

in　Illinois；　and