the writings-3-第33章

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country　to　read　as　a　serious　document。　　I　think　if　he　had　been　in

his　sober　senses　he　would　not　have　risked　that　barefacedness　in

the　presence　of　thousands　of　his　own　friends　who　knew　that　I　made

speeches　within　six　of　the　seven　days　at　Henry；　Marshall　County；

Augusta；　Hancock　County；　and　Macomb；　McDonough　County；　including

all　the　necessary　travel　to　meet　him　again　at　Freeport　at　the　end

of　the　six　days。　　Now　I　say　there　is　no　charitable　way　to　look　at

that　statement；　except　to　conclude　that　he　is　actually　crazy。

There　is　another　thing　in　that　statement　that　alarmed　me　very

greatly　as　he　states　it；　that　he　was　going　to　〃trot　me　down　to

Egypt。〃　　Thereby　he　would　have　you　infer　that　I　would　not　come　to

Egypt　unless　he　forced　methat　I　could　not　be　got　here　unless

he；　giant…like；　had　hauled　me　down　here。　　That　statement　he

makes；　too；　in　the　teeth　of　the　knowledge　that　I　had　made　the

stipulation　to　come　down　here　and　that　he　himself　had　been　very

reluctant　to　enter　into　the　stipulation。　　More　than　all　this：

Judge　Douglas；　when　he　made　that　statement；　must　have　been　crazy

and　wholly　out　of　his　sober　senses；　or　else　he　would　have　known

that　when　he　got　me　down　here；　that　promisethat　windy　promise

of　his　powers　to　annihilate　me；　would　n't　amount　to　anything。

Now；　how　little　do　I　look　like　being　carried　away　trembling？　　Let

the　Judge　go　on；　and　after　he　is　done　with　his　half…hour；　I　want

you　all；　if　I　can't　go　home　myself；　to　let　me　stay　and　rot　here；

and　if　anything　happens　to　the　Judge；　if　I　cannot　carry　him　to

the　hotel　and　put　him　to　bed；　let　me　stay　here　and　rot。　　I　say；

then；　here　is　something　extraordinary　in　this　statement。　　I　ask

you　if　you　know　any　other　living　man　who　would　make　such　a

statement？　　I　will　ask　my　friend　Casey；　over　there；　if　he　would

do　such　a　thing？　　Would　he　send　that　out　and　have　his　men　take　it

as　the　truth？　　Did　the　Judge　talk　of　trotting　me　down　to　Egypt　to

scare　me　to　death？　　Why；　I　know　this　people　better　than　he　does。

I　was　raised　just　a　little　east　of　here。　　I　am　a　part　of　this

people。　　But　the　Judge　was　raised　farther　north；　and　perhaps　he

has　some　horrid　idea　of　what　this　people　might　be　induced　to　do。

But　really　I　have　talked　about　this　matter　perhaps　longer　than　I

ought；　for　it　is　no　great　thing；　and　yet　the　smallest　are　often

the　most　difficult　things　to　deal　with。　　The　Judge　has　set　about

seriously　trying　to　make　the　impression　that　when　we　meet　at

different　places　I　am　literally　in　his　clutchesthat　I　am　a

poor；　helpless；　decrepit　mouse；　and　that　I　can　do　nothing　at　all。

This　is　one　of　the　ways　he　has　taken　to　create　that　impression。

I　don't　know　any　other　way　to　meet　it　except　this。　　I　don't　want

to　quarrel　with　himto　call　him　a　liar；　but　when　I　come　square

up　to　him　I　don't　know　what　else　to　call　him　if　I　must　tell　the

truth　out。　　I　want　to　be　at　peace；　and　reserve　all　my　fighting

powers　for　necessary　occasions。　　My　time　now　is　very　nearly　out；

and　I　give　up　the　trifle　that　is　left　to　the　Judge；　to　let　him

set　my　knees　trembling　again；　if　he　can。











End　of　Volume　3