the writings-3-第4章

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him；　and　had；　among　other　things；　said　to　him：



〃。。。why；　you　don't　want　to　beat　Douglas？〃　　〃Yes；〃　said　he；　〃I　do

want　to　beat　him；　and　I　will　tell　you　why。　　I　believe　his

original　Nebraska　Bill　was　right　in　the　abstract；　but　it　was

wrong　in　the　time　that　it　was　brought　forward。　　It　was　wrong　in

the　application　to　a　Territory　in　regard　to　which　the　question

had　been　settled；　it　was　brought　forward　at　a　time　when　nobody

asked　him；　it　was　tendered　to　the　South　when　the　South　had　not

asked　for　it；　but　when　they　could　not　well　refuse　it；　and　for

this　same　reason　he　forced　that　question　upon　our　party。　　It　has

sunk　the　best　men　all　over　the　nation；　everywhere；　and　now；　when

our　President；　struggling　with　the　difficulties　of　this　man's

getting　up；　has　reached　the　very　hardest　point　to　turn　in　the

case；　he　deserts　him　and　I　am　for　putting　him　where　he　will

trouble　us　no　more。〃



Now；　gentlemen；　that　is　not　my　argument；　that　is　not　my　argument

at　all。　　I　have　only　been　stating　to　you　the　argument　of　a

Buchanan　man。　　You　will　judge　if　there　is　any　force　in　it。



Popular　sovereignty！　　Everlasting　popular　sovereignty！　　Let　us

for　a　moment　inquire　into　this　vast　matter　of　popular

sovereignty。　　What　is　popular　sovereignty？　　We　recollect　that　at

an　early　period　in　the　history　of　this　struggle　there　was　another

name　for　the　same　thing；〃squatter　sovereignty。〃　　It　was　not

exactly　popular　sovereignty；　but　squatter　sovereignty。　　What　do

those　terms　mean？　　What　do　those　terms　mean　when　used　now？　　And

vast　credit　is　taken　by　our　friend　the　Judge　in　regard　to　his

support　of　it；　when　he　declares　the　last　years　of　his　life　have

been；　and　all　the　future　years　of　his　life　shall　be；　devoted　to

this　matter　of　popular　sovereignty。　　What　is　it？　　Why；　it　is　the

sovereignty　of　the　people！　　What　was　squatter　sovereignty？　　I

suppose；　if　it　had　any　significance　at　all；　it　was　the　right　of

the　people　to　govern　themselves；　to　be　sovereign　in　their　own

affairs　while　they　were　squatted　down　in　a　country　not　their　own；

while　they　had　squatted　on　a　Territory　that　did　not　belong　to

them；　in　the　sense　that　a　State　belongs　to　the　people　who　inhabit

it；　when　it　belonged　to　the　nation；　such　right　to　govern

themselves　was　called　〃squatter　sovereignty。〃



Now；　I　wish　you　to　mark：　What　has　become　of　that　squatter

sovereignty？　what　has　become　of　it？　　Can　you　get　anybody　to　tell

you　now　that　the　people　of　a　Territory　have　any　authority　to

govern　themselves；　in　regard　to　this　mooted　question　of　slavery；

before　they　form　a　State　constitution？　　No　such　thing　at　all；

although　there　is　a　general　running　fire；　and　although　there　has

been　a　hurrah　made　in　every　speech　on　that　side；　assuming　that

policy　had　given　the　people　of　a　Territory　the　right　to　govern

themselves　upon　this　question；　yet　the　point　is　dodged。　　To…day

it　has　been　decidedno　more　than　a　year　ago　it　was　decidedby

the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　States；　and　is　insisted　upon

to…day　that　the　people　of　a　Territory　have　no　right　to　exclude

slavery　from　a　Territory；　that　if　any　one　man　chooses　to　take

slaves　into　a　Territory；　all　the　rest　of　the　people　have　no　right

to　keep　them　out。　　This　being　so；　and　this　decision　being　made

one　of　the　points　that　the　Judge　approved；　and　one　in　the

approval　of　which　he　says　he　means　to　keep　me　down；put　me　down

I　should　not　say；　for　I　have　never　been　up；he　says　he　is　in

favor　of　it；　and　sticks　to　it；　and　expects　to　win　his　battle　on

that　decision；　which　says　that　there　is　no　such　thing　as　squatter

sovereignty；　but　that　any　one　man　may　take　slaves　into　a

Territory；　and　all　the　other　men　in　the　Territory　may　be　opposed

to　it；　and　yet　by　reason　of　the　Constitution　they　cannot　prohibit

it。　　When　that　is　so；　how　much　is　left　of　this　vast　matter　of

squatter　sovereignty；　I　should　like　to　know？



When　we　get　back；　we　get　to　the　point　of　the　right　of　the　people

to　make　a　constitution。　　Kansas　was　settled；　for　example；　in

1854。　　It　was　a　Territory　yet；　without　having　formed　a

constitution；　in　a　very　regular　way；　for　three　years。　　All　this

time　negro　slavery　could　be　taken　in　by　any　few　individuals；　and

by　that　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court；　which　the　Judge　approves；

all　the　rest　of　the　people　cannot　keep　it　out；　but　when　they　come

to　make　a　constitution；　they　may　say　they　will　not　have　slavery。

But　it　is　there；　they　are　obliged　to　tolerate　it　some　way；　and

all　experience　shows　it　will　be　so；　for　they　will　not　take　the

negro　slaves　and　absolutely　deprive　the　owners　of　them。　　All

experience　shows　this　to　be　so。　　All　that　space　of　time　that　runs

from　the　beginning　of　the　settlement　of　the　Territory　until　there

is　sufficiency　of　people　to　make　a　State　constitution；all　that

portion　of　time　popular　sovereignty　is　given　up。　　The　seal　is

absolutely　put　down　upon　it　by　the　court　decision；　and　Judge

Douglas　puts　his　own　upon　the　top　of　that；　yet　he　is　appealing　to

the　people　to　give　him　vast　credit　for　his　devotion　to　popular

sovereignty。



Again；　when　we　get　to　the　question　of　the　right　of　the　people　to

form　a　State　constitution　as　they　please；　to　form　it　with　slavery

or　without　slavery；　if　that　is　anything　new；　I　confess　I　don't

know　it。　　Has　there　ever　been　a　time　when　anybody　said　that　any

other　than　the　people　of　a　Territory　itself　should　form　a

constitution？　　What　is　now　in　it　that　Judge　Douglas　should　have

fought　several　years　of　his　life；　and　pledge　himself　to　fight　all

the　remaining　years　of　his　life　for？　　Can　Judge　Douglas　find

anybody　on　earth　that　said　that　anybody　else　should　form　a

constitution　for　a　people？　　＇A　voice；　〃Yes。〃＇　Well；　I　should　like

you　to　name　him；　I　should　like　to　know　who　he　was。　　＇Same　voice；

〃John　Calhoun。〃＇



No；　sir；　I　never　heard　of　even　John　Calhoun　saying　such　a　thing。

He　insisted　on　the　same　principle　as　Judge　Douglas；　but　his　mode

of　applying　it；　in　fact；　was　wrong。　　It　is　enough　for　my　purpose

to　ask　this　crowd　whenever　a　Republican　said　anything　against　it。

They　never　said　anything　against　it；　but　they　have　constantly

spoken　for　it；　and　whoever　will　undertake　to　examine　the

platform；　and　the　speeches　of　responsible　men　of　the　party；　and

of　irresponsible　men；　too；　if　you　please；　will　be　unable　to　find

one　word　from　anybody　in　the　Republican　ranks　opposed　to　that

popular　sovereignty　which　Judge　Douglas　thinks　that　he　has

invented。　　I　suppose　that　Judge　Douglas　will　claim；　in　a　little

while；　that　he　is　the　inventor　of　the　idea　that　the　people　should

govern　themselves；　that　nobody　ever　thought　of　such　a　thing　until

he　brought　it　forward。　　We　do　not　remember　that　in　that　old

Declaration　of　Independence　it　is　said　that：



〃We　hold　these　truths　to　be　self…evident；　that　all　men　are

created　equal；　that　they　are　endowed　by　their　Creator　with

certain　inalienable　rights；　that　among　these　are　life；　liberty；

and　the　pursuit　of　happiness；　that　to　secure　these　rights；

governments　are　instituted　among　men；　deriving　their　just　powers

from　the　consent　of　the　governed。〃



There　is　the　origin　of　popular　sovereignty。　　Who；　then；　shall

come　in　at　this　day　and　claim　that　he　invented　it？



The　Lecompton　Constitution　connects　itself　with　this　question；

for　it　is　in　this　matter　of　the　Lecompton　Constitution　that　our

friend　Judge　Douglas　claims　such　vast　credit。　　I　agree　that　in

opposing　the　Lecompton　Constitution；　so　far　as　I　can　perceive；　he

was　right。　　I　do　not　deny　that　at　all；　and；　gentlemen；　you　will

readily　see　why　I　could　not　deny　it；　even　if　I　wanted　to。　　But　I

do　not　wish　to；　for　all　the　Republicans　in　the　nation　opposed　it；

and　they　would　have　opposed　it　just　as　much　without　Judge

Douglas's　aid　as　with　it。　　They　had　all　taken　ground　against　it

long　before　he　did。　　Why；　the　reason　that　he　urges　against　that

constitution　I　urged　against　him　a　year　before。　　I　have　the

printed　speech　in　my　hand。　　The　argument　that　he　makes；　why　that

constitution　should　not　be　adopted；　that　the　people　were　not

f