the writings-3-第7章

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any　other　decision。　　I　have　never　heard　of　such　a　thing。　　Why；

decisions　apparently　contrary　to　that　decision；　or　that　good

lawyers　thought　were　contrary　to　that　decision；　have　been　made　by

that　very　court　before。　　It　is　the　first　of　its　kind；　it　is　an

astonisher　in　legal　history。　　It　is　a　new　wonder　of　the　world。

It　is　based　upon　falsehood　in　the　main　as　to　the　facts；

allegations　of　facts　upon　which　it　stands　are　not　facts　at　all　in

many　instances；　and　no　decision　made　on　any　questionthe　first

instance　of　a　decision　made　under　so　many　unfavorable

circumstancesthus　placed；　has　ever　been　held　by　the　profession

as　law；　and　it　has　always　needed　confirmation　before　the　lawyers

regarded　it　as　settled　law。　　But　Judge　Douglas　will　have　it　that

all　hands　must　take　this　extraordinary　decision；　made　under　these

extraordinary　circumstances；　and　give　their　vote　in　Congress　in

accordance　with　it；　yield　to　it；　and　obey　it　in　every　possible

sense。　　Circumstances　alter　cases。　　Do　not　gentlemen　here

remember　the　case　of　that　same　Supreme　Court　some　twenty…five　or

thirty　years　ago　deciding　that　a　National　Bank　was

constitutional？　　I　ask；　if　somebody　does　not　remember　that　a

National　Bank　was　declared　to　be　constitutional？　　Such　is　the

truth；　whether　it　be　remembered　or　not。　　The　Bank　charter　ran

out；　and　a　recharter　was　granted　by　Congress。　　That　recharter　was

laid　before　General　Jackson。　　It　was　urged　upon　him；　when　he

denied　the　constitutionality　of　the　Bank；　that　the　Supreme　Court

had　decided　that　it　was　constitutional；　and　General　Jackson　then

said　that　the　Supreme　Court　had　no　right　to　lay　down　a　rule　to

govern　a　coordinate　branch　of　the　government；　the　members　of

which　had　sworn　to　support　the　Constitution；　that　each　member　had

sworn　to　support　that　Constitution　as　he　understood　it。　　I　will

venture　here　to　say　that　I　have　heard　Judge　Douglas　say　that　he

approved　of　General　Jackson　for　that　act。　　What　has　now　become　of

all　his　tirade　about　〃resistance　of　the　Supreme　Court〃？



My　fellow…citizens；　getting　back　a　little；for　I　pass　from　these

points；when　Judge　Douglas　makes　his　threat　of　annihilation　upon

the　〃alliance；〃　he　is　cautious　to　say　that　that　warfare　of　his　is

to　fall　upon　the　leaders　of　the　Republican　party。　　Almost　every

word　he　utters；　and　every　distinction　he　makes；　has　its

significance。　　He　means　for　the　Republicans　who　do　not　count

themselves　as　leaders；　to　be　his　friends；　he　makes　no　fuss　over

them；　it　is　the　leaders　that　he　is　making　war　upon。　　He　wants　it

understood　that　the　mass　of　the　Republican　party　are　really　his

friends。　　It　is　only　the　leaders　that　are　doing　something　that

are　intolerant；　and　that　require　extermination　at　his　hands。　　As

this　is　dearly　and　unquestionably　the　light　in　which　he　presents

that　matter；　I　want　to　ask　your　attention；　addressing　myself　to

the　Republicans　here；　that　I　may　ask　you　some　questions　as　to

where　you；　as　the　Republican　party；　would　be　placed　if　you

sustained　Judge　Douglas　in　his　present　position　by　a　re…election？

I　do　not　claim；　gentlemen；　to　be　unselfish；　I　do　not　pretend　that

I　would　not　like　to　go　to　the　United　States　Senate；I　make　no

such　hypocritical　pretense；　but　I　do　say　to　you　that　in　this

mighty　issue　it　is　nothing　to　younothing　to　the　mass　of　the

people　of　the　nation；whether　or　not　Judge　Douglas　or　myself

shall　ever　be　heard　of　after　this　night；　it　may　be　a　trifle　to

either　of　us；　but　in　connection　with　this　mighty　question；　upon

which　hang　the　destinies　of　the　nation；　perhaps；　it　is　absolutely

nothing：　but　where　will　you　be　placed　if　you　reindorse　Judge

Douglas？　　Don't　you　know　how　apt　he　is；　how　exceedingly　anxious

he　is　at　all　times；　to　seize　upon　anything　and　everything　to

persuade　you　that　something　he　has　done　you　did　yourselves？　　Why；

he　tried　to　persuade　you　last　night　that　our　Illinois　Legislature

instructed　him　to　introduce　the　Nebraska　Bill。　　There　was　nobody

in　that　Legislature　ever　thought　of　such　a　thing；　and　when　he

first　introduced　the　bill；　he　never　thought　of　it；　but　still　he

fights　furiously　for　the　proposition；　and　that　he　did　it　because

there　was　a　standing　instruction　to　our　Senators　to　be　always

introducing　Nebraska　bills。　　He　tells　you　he　is　for　the

Cincinnati　platform；　he　tells　you　he　is　for　the　Dred　Scott

decision。　　He　tells　you；　not　in　his　speech　last　night；　but

substantially　in　a　former　speech；　that　he　cares　not　if　slavery　is

voted　up　or　down；　he　tells　you　the　struggle　on　Lecompton　is　past；

it　may　come　up　again　or　not；　and　if　it　does；　he　stands　where　he

stood　when；　in　spite　of　him　and　his　opposition；　you　built　up　the

Republican　party。　　If　you　indorse　him；　you　tell　him　you　do　not

care　whether　slavery　be　voted　up　or　down；　and　he　will　close　or

try　to　close　your　mouths　with　his　declaration；　repeated　by　the

day；　the　week；　the　month；　and　the　year。　　Is　that　what　you　mean？

＇Cries　of　〃No；〃　one　voice　Yes。〃＇　Yes；　I　have　no　doubt　you　who

have　always　been　for　him；　if　you　mean　that。　　No　doubt　of　that；

soberly　I　have　said；　and　I　repeat　it。　　I　think；　in　the　position

in　which　Judge　Douglas　stood　in　opposing　the　Lecompton

Constitution；　he　was　right；　he　does　not　know　that　it　will　return；

but　if　it　does　we　may　know　where　to　find　him；　and　if　it　does　not；

we　may　know　where　to　look　for　him；　and　that　is　on　the　Cincinnati

platform。　　Now；　I　could　ask　the　Republican　party；　after　all　the

hard　names　that　Judge　Douglas　has　called　them　by　all　his　repeated

charges　of　their　inclination　to　marry　with　and　hug　negroes；　all

his　declarations　of　Black　Republicanism；by　the　way；　we　are

improving；　the　black　has　got　rubbed　off；but　with　all　that；　if

he　be　indorsed　by　Republican　votes；　where　do　you　stand？　　Plainly；

you　stand　ready　saddled；　bridled；　and　harnessed；　and　waiting　to

be　driven　over　to　the　slavery　extension　camp　of　the　nation；just

ready　to　be　driven　over；　tied　together　in　a　lot；　to　be　driven

over；　every　man　with　a　rope　around　his　neck；　that　halter　being

held　by　Judge　Douglas。　　That　is　the　question。　　If　Republican　men

have　been　in　earnest　in　what　they　have　done；　I　think　they　had

better　not　do　it；　but　I　think　that　the　Republican　party　is　made

up　of　those　who；　as　far　as　they　can　peaceably；　will　oppose　the

extension　of　slavery；　and　who　will　hope　for　its　ultimate

extinction。　　If　they　believe　it　is　wrong　in　grasping　up　the　new

lands　of　the　continent　and　keeping　them　from　the　settlement　of

free　white　laborers；　who　want　the　land　to　bring　up　their　families

upon；　if　they　are　in　earnest；　although　they　may　make　a　mistake；

they　will　grow　restless；　and　the　time　will　come　when　they　will

come　back　again　and　reorganize；　if　not　by　the　same　name；　at　least

upon　the　same　principles　as　their　party　now　has。　　It　is　better；

then；　to　save　the　work　while　it　is　begun。　　You　have　done　the

labor；　maintain　it；　keep　it。　　If　men　choose　to　serve　you；　go　with

them；　but　as　you　have　made　up　your　organization　upon　principle；

stand　by　it；　for；　as　surely　as　God　reigns　over　you；　and　has

inspired　your　mind；　and　given　you　a　sense　of　propriety；　and

continues　to　give　you　hope；　so　surely　will　you　still　cling　to

these　ideas；　and　you　will　at　last　come　back　again　after　your

wanderings；　merely　to　do　your　work　over　again。



We　were　often；more　than　once；　at　least；in　the　course　of　Judge

Douglas's　speech　last　night；　reminded　that　this　government　was

made　for　white　men；　that　he　believed　it　was　made　for　white　men。

Well；　that　is　putting　it　into　a　shape　in　which　no　one　wants　to

deny　it；　but　the　Judge　then　goes　into　his　passion　for　drawing

inferences　that　are　not　warranted。　　I　protest；　now　and　forever；

against　that　counterfeit　logic　which　presumes　that　because　I　did

not　want　a　negro　woman　for　a　slave；　I　do　necessarily　want　her　for

a　wife。　　My　understanding　is　that　I　need　not　have　her　for　either；

but；　as　God　made　us　separate；　we　can　leave　one　another　alone；　and

do　one　another　much　good　thereby。　　There　are　white　men　enough　to

marry　all　the　white　women；　and　enough　black　men　to