the writings-3-第8章

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

marry　all　the　white　women；　and　enough　black　men　to　marry　all　the

black　women；　and　in　God's　name　let　them　be　so　married。　　The　Judge

regales　us　with　the　terrible　enormities　that　take　place　by　the

mixture　of　races；　that　the　inferior　race　bears　the　superior　down。

Why；　Judge；　if　we　do　not　let　them　get　together　in　the

Territories；　they　won't　mix　there。



＇A　voice：　〃Three　cheers　for　Lincoln〃。　The　cheers　were　given

with　a　hearty　good…will。＇



I　should　say　at　least　that　that　is　a　self…evident　truth。



Now；　it　happens　that　we　meet　together　once　every　year；　sometimes

about　the　4th　of　July；　for　some　reason　or　other。　　These　4th　of

July　gatherings　I　suppose　have　their　uses。　　If　you　will　indulge

me；　I　will　state　what　I　suppose　to　be　some　of　them。



We　are　now　a　mighty　nation；　we　are　thirty　or　about　thirty

millions　of　people；　and　we　own　and　inhabit　about　one　fifteenth

part　of　the　dry　land　of　the　whole　earth。　　We　run　our　memory　back

over　the　pages　of　history　for　about　eighty…two　years；　and　we

discover　that　we　were　then　a　very　small　people　in　point　of

numbers；　vastly　inferior　to　what　we　are　now；　with　a　vastly　less

extent　of　country；　with　vastly　less　of　everything　we　deem

desirable　among　men；　we　look　upon　the　change　as　exceedingly

advantageous　to　us　and　to　our　posterity；　and　we　fix　upon

something　that　happened　away　back；　as　in　some　way　or　other　being

connected　with　this　rise　of　prosperity。　　We　find　a　race　of　men

living　in　that　day　whom　we　claim　as　our　fathers　and　grandfathers；

they　were　iron　men；　they　fought　for　the　principle　that　they　were

contending　for；　and　we　understood　that　by　what　they　then　did　it

has　followed　that　the　degree　of　prosperity　which　we　now　enjoy　has

come　to　us。　　We　hold　this　annual　celebration　to　remind　ourselves

of　all　the　good　done　in　this　process　of　time；　of　how　it　was　done

and　who　did　it；　and　how　we　are　historically　connected　with　it；

and　we　go　from　these　meetings　in　better　humor　with　ourselves；　we

feel　more　attached　the　one　to　the　other；　and　more　firmly　bound　to

the　country　we　inhabit。　　In　every　way　we　are　better　men　in　the

age　and　race　and　country　in　which　we　live；　for　these

celebrations。　　But　after　we　have　done　all　this　we　have　not　yet

reached　the　whole。　　There　is　something　else　connected　with　it。

We　havebesides　these；　men　descended　by　blood　from　our

ancestorsamong　us　perhaps　half　our　people　who　are　not

descendants　at　all　of　these　men；　they　are　men　who　have　come　from

Europe；　German；　Irish；　French；　and　Scandinavian；men　that　have

come　from　Europe　themselves；　or　whose　ancestors　have　come　hither

and　settled　here；　finding　themselves　our　equals　in　all　things。

If　they　look　back　through　this　history　to　trace　their　connection

with　those　days　by　blood；　they　find　they　have　none；　they　cannot

carry　themselves　back　into　that　glorious　epoch　and　make

themselves　feel　that　they　are　part　of　us；　but　when　they　look

through　that　old　Declaration　of　Independence；　they　find　that

those　old　men　say　that　〃We　hold　these　truths　to　be　self…evident；

that　all　men　are　created　equal〃；　and　then　they　feel　that　that

moral　sentiment；　taught　in　that　day；　evidences　their　relation　to

those　men；　that　it　is　the　father　of　all　moral　principle　in　them；

and　that　they　have　a　right　to　claim　it　as　though　they　were　blood

of　the　blood；　and　flesh　of　the　flesh；　of　the　men　who　wrote　that

Declaration；　and　so　they　are。　　That　is　the　electric　cord　in　that

Declaration　that　links　the　hearts　of　patriotic　and　liberty…loving

men　together；　that　will　link　those　patriotic　hearts　as　long　as

the　love　of　freedom　exists　in　the　minds　of　men　throughout　the

world。



Now；　sirs；　for　the　purpose　of　squaring　things　with　this　idea　of

〃don't　care　if　slavery　is　voted　up　or　voted　down；〃　for　sustaining

the　Dred　Scott　decision；　for　holding　that　the　Declaration　of

Independence　did　not　mean　anything　at　all；　we　have　Judge　Douglas

giving　his　exposition　of　what　the　Declaration　of　Independence

means；　and　we　have　him　saying　that　the　people　of　America　are

equal　to　the　people　of　England。　　According　to　his　construction；

you　Germans　are　not　connected　with　it。　　Now；　I　ask　you　in　all

soberness　if　all　these　things；　if　indulged　in；　if　ratified；　if

confirmed　and　indorsed；　if　taught　to　our　children；　and　repeated

to　them；　do　not　tend　to　rub　out　the　sentiment　of　liberty　in　the

country；　and　to　transform　this　government　into　a　government　of

some　other　form。　　Those　arguments　that　are　made；　that　the

inferior　race　are　to　be　treated　with　as　much　allowance　as　they

are　capable　of　enjoying；　that　as　much　is　to　be　done　for　them　as

their　condition　will　allow；what　are　these　arguments？　　They　are

the　arguments　that　kings　have　made　for　enslaving　the　people　in

all　ages　of　the　world。　　You　will　find　that　all　the　arguments　in

favor　of　kingcraft　were　of　this　class；　they　always　bestrode　the

necks　of　the　people　not　that　they　wanted　to　do　it；　but　because

the　people　were　better　off　for　being　ridden。　　That　is　their

argument；　and　this　argument　of　the　Judge　is　the　same　old　serpent

that　says；　You　work；　and　I　eat；　you　toil；　and　I　will　enjoy　the

fruits　of　it。　　Turn　in　whatever　way　you　will；　whether　it　come

from　the　mouth　of　a　king；　an　excuse　for　enslaving　the　people　of

his　country；　or　from　the　mouth　of　men　of　one　race　as　a　reason　for

enslaving　the　men　of　another　race；　it　is　all　the　same　old

serpent；　and　I　hold；　if　that　course　of　argumentation　that　is　made

for　the　purpose　of　convincing　the　public　mind　that　we　should　not

care　about　this　should　be　granted；　it　does　not　stop　with　the

negro。　　I　should　like　to　know；　if　taking　this　old　Declaration　of

Independence；　which　declares　that　all　men　are　equal　upon

principle；　and　making　exceptions　to　it；　where　will　it　stop？　　If

one　man　says　it　does　not　mean　a　negro；　why　not　another　say　it

does　not　mean　some　other　man？　　If　that　Declaration　is　not　the

truth；　let　us　get　the　statute　book；　in　which　we　find　it；　and　tear

it　out！　　Who　is　so　bold　as　to　do　it？　　If　it　is　not　true；　let　us

tear　it　out！　　＇Cries　of　〃No；　no。〃＇　Let　us　stick　to　it；　then；　let

us　stand　firmly　by　it；　then。



It　may　be　argued　that　there　are　certain　conditions　that　make

necessities　and　impose　them　upon　us；　and　to　the　extent　that　a

necessity　is　imposed　upon　a　man；　he　must　submit　to　it。　　I　think

that　was　the　condition　in　which　we　found　ourselves　when　we

established　this　government。　　We　had　slavery　among　us；　we　could

not　get　our　Constitution　unless　we　permitted　them　to　remain　in

slavery；　we　could　not　secure　the　good　we　did　secure　if　we　grasped

for　more；　and　having　by　necessity　submitted　to　that　much；　it　does

not　destroy　the　principle　that　is　the　charter　of　our　liberties。

Let　that　charter　stand　as　our　standard。



My　friend　has　said　to　me　that　I　am　a　poor　hand　to　quote

Scripture。　　I　will　try　it　again；　however。　　It　is　said　in　one　of

the　admonitions　of　our　Lord；　〃As　your　Father　in　heaven　is

perfect；　be　ye　also　perfect。〃　　The　Savior；　I　suppose；　did　not

expect　that　any　human　creature　could　be　perfect　as　the　Father　in

heaven；　but　he　said；　〃As　your　Father　in　heaven　is　perfect；　be　ye

also　perfect。〃　　He　set　that　up　as　a　standard；　and　he　who　did　most

towards　reaching　that　standard　attained　the　highest　degree　of

moral　perfection。　　So　I　say　in　relation　to　the　principle　that　all

men　are　created　equal；　let　it　be　as　nearly　reached　as　we　can。　　If

we　cannot　give　freedom　to　every　creature；　let　us　do　nothing　that

will　impose　slavery　upon　any　other　creature。　　Let　us　then　turn

this　government　back　into　the　channel　in　which　the　framers　of　the

Constitution　originally　placed　it。　　Let　us　stand　firmly　by　each

other。　　If　we　do　not　do　so；　we　are　turning　in　the　contrary

direction；　that　our　friend　Judge　Douglas　proposesnot

intentionallyas　working　in　the　traces　tends　to　make　this　one

universal　slave　nation。　　He　is　one　that　runs　in　that　direction；

and　as　such　I　resist　him。



My　friends；　I　have　detained　you　about　as　long　as　I　desired　to　do；