the writings-3-第25章

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And　I　say　here　to　you；　if　any　one　expects　of　mein　case　of　my

electionthat　I　will　do　anything　not　signified　by　our　Republican

platform　and　my　answers　here　to…day；　I　tell　you　very　frankly　that

person　will　be　deceived。　　I　do　not　ask　for　the　vote　of　any　one

who　supposes　that　I　have　secret　purposes　or　pledges　that　I　dare

not　speak　out。　　Cannot　the　Judge　be　satisfied？　　If　he　fears；　in

the　unfortunate　case　of　my　election；　that　my　going　to　Washington

will　enable　me　to　advocate　sentiments　contrary　to　those　which　I

expressed　when　you　voted　for　and　elected　me；　I　assure　him　that

his　fears　are　wholly　needless　and　groundless。　　Is　the　Judge

really　afraid　of　any　such　thing？　　I'll　tell　you　what　he　is　afraid

of。　　He　is　afraid　we'll　all　pull　together。　　This　is　what　alarms

him　more　than　anything　else。　　For　my　part；　I　do　hope　that　all　of

us；　entertaining　a　common　sentiment　in　opposition　to　what　appears

to　us　a　design　to　nationalize　and　perpetuate　slavery；　will　waive

minor　differences　on　questions　which　either　belong　to　the　dead

past　or　the　distant　future；　and　all　pull　together　in　this

struggle。　　What　are　your　sentiments？　　If　it　be　true　that　on　the

ground　which　I　occupyground　which　I　occupy　as　frankly　and

boldly　as　Judge　Douglas　does　his；my　views；　though　partly

coinciding　with　yours；　are　not　as　perfectly　in　accordance　with

your　feelings　as　his　are；　I　do　say　to　you　in　all　candor；　go　for

him；　and　not　for　me。　　I　hope　to　deal　in　all　things　fairly　with

Judge　Douglas；　and　with　the　people　of　the　State；　in　this　contest。

And　if　I　should　never　be　elected　to　any　office；　I　trust　I　may　go

down　with　no　stain　of　falsehood　upon　my　reputation；

notwithstanding　the　hard　opinions　Judge　Douglas　chooses　to

entertain　of　me。



The　Judge　has　again　addressed　himself　to　the　Abolition　tendencies

of　a　speech　of　mine　made　at　Springfield　in　June　last。　　I　have　so

often　tried　to　answer　what　he　is　always　saying　on　that　melancholy

theme　that　I　almost　turn　with　disgust　from　the　discussion；from

the　repetition　of　an　answer　to　it。　　I　trust　that　nearly　all　of

this　intelligent　audience　have　read　that　speech。　　If　you　have；　I

may　venture　to　leave　it　to　you　to　inspect　it　closely；　and　see

whether　it　contains　any　of　those　　〃bugaboos〃　which　frighten　Judge

Douglas。



The　Judge　complains　that　I　did　not　fully　answer　his　questions。

If　I　have　the　sense　to　comprehend　and　answer　those　questions；　I

have　done　so　fairly。　　If　it　can　be　pointed　out　to　me　how　I　can

more　fully　and　fairly　answer　him；　I　aver　I　have　not　the　sense　to

see　how　it　is　to　be　done。　　He　says　I　do　not　declare　I　would　in

any　event　vote　for　the　admission　of　a　slave　State　into　the　Union。

If　I　have　been　fairly　reported；　he　will　see　that　I　did　give　an

explicit　answer　to　his　interrogatories；　I　did　not　merely　say　that

I　would　dislike　to　be　put　to　the　test；　but　I　said　clearly；　if　I

were　put　to　the　test；　and　a　Territory　from　which　slavery　had　been

excluded　should　present　herself　with　a　State　constitution

sanctioning　slavery；a　most　extraordinary　thing；　and　wholly

unlikely　to　happen；I　did　not　see　how　I　could　avoid　voting　for

her　admission。　　But　he　refuses　to　understand　that　I　said　so；　and

he　wants　this　audience　to　understand　that　I　did　not　say　so。　　Yet

it　will　be　so　reported　in　the　printed　speech　that　he　cannot　help

seeing　it。



He　says　if　I　should　vote　for　the　admission　of　a　slave　State　I

would　be　voting　for　a　dissolution　of　the　Union；　because　I　hold

that　the　Union　cannot　permanently　exist　half　slave　and　half　free。

I　repeat　that　I　do　not　believe　this　government　can　endure

permanently　half　slave　and　half　free；　yet　I　do　not　admit；　nor

does　it　at　all　follow；　that　the　admission　of　a　single　slave　State

will　permanently　fix　the　character　and　establish　this　as　a

universal　slave　nation。　　The　Judge　is　very　happy　indeed　at

working　up　these　quibbles。　　Before　leaving　the　subject　of

answering　questions；　I　aver　as　my　confident　belief；　when　you　come

to　see　our　speeches　in　print；　that　you　will　find　every　question

which　he　has　asked　me　more　fairly　and　boldly　and　fully　answered

than　he　has　answered　those　which　I　put　to　him。　　Is　not　that　so？

The　two　speeches　may　be　placed　side　by　side；　and　I　will　venture

to　leave　it　to　impartial　judges　whether　his　questions　have　not

been　more　directly　and　circumstantially　answered　than　mine。



Judge　Douglas　says　he　made　a　charge　upon　the　editor　of　the

Washington　Union；　alone；　of　entertaining　a　purpose　to　rob　the

States　of　their　power　to　exclude　slavery　from　their　limits。　　I

undertake　to　say；　and　I　make　the　direct　issue；　that　he　did　not

make　his　charge　against　the　editor　of　the　Union　alone。　　I　will

undertake　to　prove　by　the　record　here　that　he　made　that　charge

against　more　and　higher　dignitaries　than　the　editor　of　the

Washington　Union。　　I　am　quite　aware　that　he　was　shirking　and

dodging　around　the　form　in　which　he　put　it；　but　I　can　make　it

manifest　that　he　leveled　his　〃fatal　blow〃　against　more　persons

than　this　Washington　editor。　　Will　he　dodge　it　now　by　alleging

that　I　am　trying　to　defend　Mr。　Buchanan　against　the　charge？　　Not

at　all。　　Am　I　not　making　the　same　charge　myself？　　I　am　trying　to

show　that　you；　Judge　Douglas；　are　a　witness　on　my　side。　　I　am　not

defending　Buchanan；　and　I　will　tell　Judge　Douglas　that　in　my

opinion；　when　he　made　that　charge；　he　had　an　eye　farther　north

than　he　has　to…day。　　He　was　then　fighting　against　people　who

called　him　a　Black　Republican　and　an　Abolitionist。　　It　is　mixed

all　through　his　speech；　and　it　is　tolerably　manifest　that　his　eye

was　a　great　deal　farther　north　than　it　is　to…day。　　The　Judge　says

that　though　he　made　this　charge；　Toombs　got　up　and　declared　there

was　not　a　man　in　the　United　States；　except　the　editor　of　the

Union；　who　was　in　favor　of　the　doctrines　put　forth　in　that

article。　　And　thereupon　I　understand　that　the　Judge　withdrew　the

charge。　　Although　he　had　taken　extracts　from　the　newspaper；　and

then　from　the　Lecompton　Constitution；　to　show　the　existence　of　a

conspiracy　to　bring　about　a　〃fatal　blow；〃　by　which　the　States

were　to　be　deprived　of　the　right　of　excluding　slavery；　it　all

went　to　pot　as　soon　as　Toombs　got　up　and　told　him　it　was　not

true。　　It　reminds　me　of　the　story　that　John　Phoenix；　the

California　railroad　surveyor；　tells。　　He　says　they　started　out

from　the　Plaza　to　the　Mission　of　Dolores。　　They　had　two　ways　of

determining　distances。　　One　was　by　a　chain　and　pins　taken　over

the　ground。　　The　other　was　by　a　〃go…it…ometer；〃an　invention　of

his　own；a　three…legged　instrument；　with　which　he　computed　a

series　of　triangles　between　the　points。　　At　night　he　turned　to

the　chain…man　to　ascertain　what　distance　they　had　come；　and　found

that　by　some　mistake　he　had　merely　dragged　the　chain　over　the

ground；　without　keeping　any　record。　　By　the　〃go…it…ometer；〃　he

found　he　had　made　ten　miles。　　Being　skeptical　about　this；　he

asked　a　drayman　who　was　passing　how　far　it　was　to　the　Plaza。　　The

drayman　replied　it　was　just　half　a　mile；　and　the　surveyor　put　it

down　in　his　book；just　as　Judge　Douglas　says；　after　he　had　made

his　calculations　and　computations；　he　took　Toombs's　statement。　　I

have　no　doubt　that　after　Judge　Douglas　had　made　his　charge；　he

was　as　easily　satisfied　about　its　truth　as　the　surveyor　was　of

the　drayman's　statement　of　the　distance　to　the　Plaza。　　Yet　it　is

a　fact　that　the　man　who　put　forth　all　that　matter　which　Douglas

deemed　a　〃fatal　blow〃　at　State　sovereignty　was　elected　by　the

Democrats　as　public　printer。



Now；　gentlemen；　you　may　take　Judge　Douglas's　speech　of　March　22；

1858；　beginning　about　the　middle　of　page　21；　and　reading　to　the

bottom　of　page　24；　and　you　will　find　the　evidence　on　which　I　say

that　he　did　not　make　his　charge　against　the　editor　of　the　Union

alone。　　I　cannot　stop　to　read　it；　but　I　will　give　it　to　the

reporters。　　Judge　Douglas　said：



〃Mr。　President；　you　here　find　several　distinct　propositions

advanced　boldly　by　the　Washington　Union　editorially；　and

apparently　authoritatively；　and　every