the writings-5-第31章

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been　silenced；　the　overthrow　of　these　constitutions　will　be　demanded；

and　nothing　be　left　to　resist　the　demand。　　It　is　nothing　to　the

contrary；　that　they　do　not　demand　the　whole　of　this　just　now。

Demanding　what　they　do；　and　for　the　reason　they　do；　they　can

voluntarily　stop　nowhere　short　of　this　consummation。　　Holding；　as

they　do；　that　slavery　is　morally　right；　and　socially　elevating；　they

cannot　cease　to　demand　a　full　national　recognition　of　it；　as　a　legal

right　and　a　social　blessing。



Nor　can　we　justifiably　withhold　this　on　any　ground　save　our

conviction　that　slavery　is　wrong。　　If　slavery　is　right；　all　words；

acts；　laws；　and　constitutions　against　it　are　themselves　wrong；　and

should　be　silenced　and　swept　away。　　If　it　is　right；　we　cannot　justly

object　to　its　nationality　its　universality；　if　it　is　wrong；　they

cannot　justly　insist　upon　its　extensionits　enlargement。　　All　they

ask　we　could　readily　grant　if　we　thought　slavery　right；　all　we　ask

they　could　as　readily　grant；　if　they　thought　it　wrong。　　Their

thinking　it　right　and　our　thinking　it　wrong　is　the　precise　fact　upon

which　depends　the　whole　controversy。　　Thinking　it　right；　as　they　do；

they　are　not　to　blame　for　desiring　its　full　recognition；　as　being

right；　but　thinking　it　wrong；　as　we　do；　can　we　yield　to　them？　　Can　we

cast　our　votes　with　their　view；　and　against　our　own？　　In　view　of　our

moral；　social；　and　political　responsibilities；　can　we　do　this？　　Wrong

as　we　think　slavery　is；　we　can　yet　afford　to　let　it　alone　where　it

is；　because　that　much　is　due　to　the　necessity　arising　from　its　actual

presence　in　the　nation；　but　can　we；　while　our　votes　will　prevent　it；

allow　it　to　spread　into　the　national　Territories；　and　to　overrun　us

here　in　these　free　States？　　If　our　sense　of　duty　forbids　this；　then

let　us　stand　by　our　duty；　fearlessly　and　effectively。　　Let　us　be

diverted　by　none　of　those　sophistical　contrivances　wherewith　we　are

so　industriously　plied　and　belabored…contrivances　such　as　groping　for

some　middle　ground　between　the　right　and　the　wrong；　vain　as　the

search　for　a　man　who　should　be　neither　a　living　man　nor　a　dead

man…such　as　a　policy　of　〃don't　care〃　on　a　question　about　which　all

true　men　do　caresuch　as　Union　appeals　beseeching　true　Union　men　to

yield　to　Disunionists；　reversing　the　divine　rule；　and　calling；　not

the　sinners；　but　the　righteous　to　repentancesuch　as　invocations　to

Washington；　imploring　men　to　unsay　what　Washington　said；　and　undo

what　Washington　did。



Neither　let　us　be　slandered　from　our　duty　by　false　accusations

against　us；　nor　frightened　from　it　by　menaces　of　destruction　to　the

Government　nor　of　dungeons　to　ourselves。　LET　US　HAVE　FAITH　THAT　RIGHT

MAKES　MIGHT；　AND　IN　THAT　FAITH　LET　US；　TO　THE　END；　DARE　TO　DO　OUR

DUTY　AS　WE　UNDERSTAND　IT。









SPEECH　AT　NEW　HAVEN；　CONNECTICUT；　MARCH　6；　1860



MR。　PRESIDENT；　AND　FELLOW…CITIZENS　OF　NEW　HAVEN：If　the　Republican

party　of　this　nation　shall　ever　have　the　national　House　entrusted　to

its　keeping；　it　will　be　the　duty　of　that　party　to　attend　to　all　the

affairs　of　national　housekeeping。　　Whatever　matters　of　importance　may

come　up；　whatever　difficulties　may　arise　in　its　way　of　administration

of　the　Government；　that　party　will　then　have　to　attend　to。　　It　will

then　be　compelled　to　attend　to　other　questions；　besides　this　question

which　now　assumes　an　overwhelming　importancethe　question　of

slavery。　　It　is　true　that　in　the　organization　of　the　Republican　party

this　question　of　slavery　was　more　important　than　any　other：　indeed；

so　much　more　important　has　it　become　that　no　more　national　question

can　even　get　a　hearing　just　at　present。　　The　old　question　of　tariff…

…a　matter　that　will　remain　one　of　the　chief　affairs　of　national

house…keeping　to　all　time；　the　question　of　the　management　of

financial　affairs；　the　question　of　the　disposition　of　the　public

domain　how　shall　it　be　managed　for　the　purpose　of　getting　it　well

settled；　and　of　making　there　the　homes　of　a　free　and　happy　people？

these　will　remain　open　and　require　attention　for　a　great　while　yet；

and　these　questions　will　have　to　be　attended　to　by　whatever　party　has

the　control　of　the　Government。　　Yet；　just　now；　they　cannot　even

obtain　a　hearing；　and　I　do　not　propose　to　detain　you　upon　these

topics　or　what　sort　of　hearing　they　should　have　when　opportunity

shall　come。



For；　whether　we　will　or　not；　the　question　of　slavery　is　the　question；

the　all…absorbing　topic　of　the　day。　It　is　true　that　all　of　usand　by

that　I　mean；　not　the　Republican　party　alone；　but　the　whole　American

people；　here　and　elsewhereall　of　us　wish　this　question　settled；

wish　it　out　of　the　way。　It　stands　in　the　way；　and　prevents　the

adjustment；　and　the　giving　of　necessary　attention　to　other　questions

of　national　house…keeping。　The　people　of　the　whole　nation　agree　that

this　question　ought　to　be　settled；　and　yet　it　is　not　settled。　　And

the　reason　is　that　they　are　not　yet　agreed　how　it　shall　be　settled。

All　wish　it　done；　but　some　wish　one　way　and　some　another；　and　some　a

third；　or　fourth；　or　fifth；　different　bodies　are　pulling　in　different

directions；　and　none　of　them；　having　a　decided　majority；　are　able　to

accomplish　the　common　object。



In　the　beginning　of　the　year　1854；　a　new　policy　was　inaugurated　with

the　avowed　object　and　confident　promise　that　it　would　entirely　and

forever　put　an　end　to　the　slavery　agitation。　　It　was　again　and　again

declared　that　under　this　policy；　when　once　successfully　established；

the　country　would　be　forever　rid　of　this　whole　question。　　Yet　under

the　operation　of　that　policy　this　agitation　has　not　only　not　ceased；

but　it　has　been　constantly　augmented。　　And　this　too；　although；　from

the　day　of　its　introduction；　its　friends；　who　promised　that　it　would

wholly　end　all　agitation；　constantly　insisted；　down　to　the　time　that

the　Lecompton　Bill　was　introduced；　that　it　was　working　admirably；　and

that　its　inevitable　tendency　was　to　remove　the　question　forever　from

the　politics　of　the　country。　　Can　you　call　to　mind　any　Democratic

speech；　made　after　the　repeal　of　the　Missouri　Compromise；　down　to　the

time　of　the　Lecompton　Bill；　in　which　it　was　not　predicted　that　the

slavery　agitation　was　just　at　an　end；　that　〃the　abolition　excitement

was　played　out；〃　〃the　Kansas　question　was　dead；〃　〃they　have　made　the

most　they　can　out　of　this　question　and　it　is　now　forever　settled〃？

But　since　the　Lecompton　Bill　no　Democrat；　within　my　experience；　has

ever　pretended　that　he　could　see　the　end。　That　cry　has　been　dropped。

They　themselves　do　not　pretend；　now；　that　the　agitation　of　this

subject　has　come　to　an　end　yet。



The　truth　is　that　this　question　is　one　of　national　importance；　and　we

cannot　help　dealing　with　it；　we　must　do　something　about　it；　whether

we　will　or　not。　　We　cannot　avoid　it；　the　subject　is　one　we　cannot

avoid　considering；　we　can　no　more　avoid　it　than　a　man　can　live

without　eating。　　It　is　upon　us；　it　attaches　to　the　body　politic　as

much　and　closely　as　the　natural　wants　attach　to　our　natural　bodies。

Now　I　think　it　important　that　this　matter　should　be　taken　up　in

earnest；　and　really　settled：　And　one　way　to　bring　about　a　true

settlement　of　the　question　is　to　understand　its　true　magnitude。



There　have　been　many　efforts　made　to　settle　it。　　Again　and　again　it

has　been　fondly　hoped　that　it　was　settled；　but　every　time　it　breaks

out　afresh；　and　more　violently　than　ever。　　It　was　settled；　our

fathers　hoped；　by　the　Missouri　Compromise；　but　it　did　not　stay

settled。　　Then　the　compromises　of　1850　were　declared　to　be　a　full　and

final　settlement　of　the　question。　　The　two　great　parties；　each　in

national　convention；　adopted　resolutions　declaring　that　the

settlement　made　by　the　Compromise　of　1850　was　a　finality　that　it

would　last　forever。　　Yet　how　long　before　it　was　unsettled　again？

It　broke　out　again　in　1854；　and　blazed　higher　and　raged　more

furiously　than　ever　before；　and　the　agitation　has　not　rested　since。



These　repeated　settlements　must　have　some　faults　abo