the life of stephen a. douglas-第25章

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　forced　upon　us　by　the　other　States　against　our　will？　　*　*　*　What　Southern　man　would　not　shed　the　last　drop　of　his　heart's　blood　to　prevent　Illinois　or　any　other　Northern　State　from　interfering　to　abolish　slavery　in　his　State？　　*　*　*　*　I　am　opposed　to　organizing　a　sectional　party　which　appeals　to　Northern　pride　and　Northern　passion　and　prejudice　against　Southern　institutions；　thus　stirring　up　ill　feeling　and　hot　blood　between　brethren　of　the　same　Republic。　　*　*　*　*　How　is　he　to　carry　out　his　principles　when　he　gets　to　the　Senate？　　Does　he　intend　to　introduce　a　bill　to　abolish　slavery　in　Kentucky？　　Does　he　intend　to　introduce　a　bill　to　interfere　with　slavery　in　Virginia？　　How　is　he　to　accomplish　what　he　professes　must　be　done　to　save　the　Union？

〃There　would　be　but　one　way　to　carry　out　his　ideas。　　That　would　be　to　establish　a　consolidated　empire　as　destructive　to　the　liberties　of　the　people　and　the　rights　of　the　citizen　as　that　of　Austria　or　Russia　or　any　other　despotism　that　rests　upon　the　necks　of　the　people　*　*　*　*。　　Who　among　you　expects　to　live　or　have　his　children　live　until　slavery　shall　be　established　in　Illinois　or　abolished　in　South　Carolina？　　*　*　*　*　There　is　but　one　possible　way　in　which　slavery　can　be　abolished　and　that　is　by　leaving　a　State　*　*　*　*　perfectly　free　to　form　and　regulate　its　institutions　in　its　own　way。　　That　was　the　principle　upon　which　this　Republic　was　founded。　*　*　*　*　Under　its　operation　slavery　disappeared　from　New　Hampshire；　from　Rhode　Island；　from　Connecticut；　from　New　York；　from　New　Jersey；　from　Pennsylvania；　from　six　of　the　twelve　original　slave　holding　States；　and　this　gradual　emancipation　went　on　so　long　as　we　in　the　free　states　minded　our　own　business　and　left　our　neighbors　alone；　*　*　*　*　so　long　as　the　free　States　were　content　with　managing　their　own　affairs　and　leaving　the　South　perfectly　free　to　do　as　they　pleased。　　But　the　moment　the　North　said；　'We　are　powerful　enough　to　control　you　of　the　South；'　*　*　*　*　that　moment　the　South　combined　to　resist　the　attack　and　thus　sectional　parties　were　formed　and　gradual　emancipation　ceased　in　all　the　Northern　slave　holding　States　*　*　*。

〃Lincoln　makes　another　issue；　*　*　*　*　a　crusade　against　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　Sates　because　of　its　decision　in　the　Dred　Scott　case。　　*　*　*　*　I　have　no　crusade　to　preach　against　that　august　body。　　*　*　*　*　I　receive　the　decision　of　the　Judges　of　that　Court　when　pronounced　as　the　final　adjudication　upon　all　questions　within　their　jurisdiction。　　*　*　*　*　Unless　we　respect　and　bow　in　deference　to　the　final　decisions　of　the　highest　judicial　tribunal　in　our　country；　we　are　driven　at　once　to　anarchy；　to　violence；　to　mob　law；　and　there　is　no　security　left　for　our　property　or　our　own　civil　rights。　　*　*　*　*　Are　we　to　appeal　from　the　Supreme　Court　to　a　country　meeting　like　this？　　*　*　*　Does　Mr。　Lincoln　intend　to　appeal　from　the　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court　to　a　Republican　caucus　or　a　town　meeting？　　*　*　*　He　tells　you　that　he　is　opposed　to　the　decision　in　the　Dred　Scott　case。　　Well；　suppose　he　is；　what　is　he　going　to　do　about　it？　　I　never　got　beat　in　a　law　suit　in　my　life　that　I　was　not　opposed　to　the　decision。　　*　*　*　*　This　Government　is　divided　into　three　separate　and　distinct　branches。　　*　*　*　*　Each　one　is　supreme　within　the　circle　of　its　own　powers。　　The　functions　of　Congress　are　to　enact　the　statutes；　the　province　of　the　Court　is　to　pronounce　upon　their　validity；　and　the　duty　of　the　Executive　is　to　carry　the　decision　into　effect。〃

Yet；　he　said；　Lincoln　wants　to　be　elected　Senator　in　order　to　reverse　the　Dred　Scott　decision　by　passing　another　unconstitutional　statute。　　He　can　not　get　rid　of　the　Judges　now　on　the　bench　until　they　die。　　He　must　first　elect　a　Republican　President　by　Northern　votes　bound　by　pledges　to　appoint　none　but　Republicans　to　the　bench。　He　must　then　persuade　the　Judges　to　die。　　The　President　must　pledge　his　new　Judges　in　advance　to　decide　this　slavery　question　according　to　the　wishes　of　his　party；　regardless　of　the　Constitution。　　What　confidence　would　the　people　have　in　a　Court　thus　constituted？a　Court　composed　of　partisan　Judges；　appointed　on　political　grounds；　catechized　in　advance　and　pledged　in　regard　to　a　decision　before　the　argument　and　without　reference　to　the　state　of　facts？　　Would　such　a　Court　command　the　respect　of　the　country？　　Without　regard　to　the　Dred　Scott　decision　slavery　will　go　just　where　the　people　want　it　and　not　one　inch　further。

〃I　tell　you；　my　friends；　it　is　impossible　under　our　institutions　to　force　slavery　on　an　unwilling　people。　　If　this　principle　of　popular　sovereignty　*　*　*　be　fairly　carried　out　by　letting　the　people　decide　the　question　for　themselves　by　a　fair　vote　at　a　fair　election　and　with　honest　returns；　slavery　will　never　exist　one　day　or　one　hour　in　any　Territory　against　the　unfriendly　legislation　of　an　unfriendly　people。　　I　care　not　how　the　Dred　Scott　decision　may　have　settled　the　abstract　question　so　far　as　the　practical　results　are　concerned。　　*　*　*　If　the　people　of　the　Territory　want　slavery　they　will　encourage　it　by　passing　affirmatory　laws　and　the　necessary　police　regulations；　patrol　laws　and　slave　code；　if　they　do　not　want　it　they　will　withhold　that　legislation　and　by　withholding　it　slavery　is　a　dead　as　if　prohibited　by　a　constitutional　provision。　　*　*　*　*　*　They　could　pass　such　local　laws　as　would　drive　slavery　out　in　one　day　or　one　hour；　if　they　were　opposed　to　it；　and　therefore；　so　far　as　the　question　of　slavery　in　the　Territory　is　concerned；　so　far　as　the　principle　of　popular　sovereignty　is　concerned　in　its　practical　operation；　it　matters　not　how　the　Dred　Scott　case　may　be　decided。　*　*　*　*　*　Whether　slavery　shall　exist　or　shall　not　exist　in　any　State　or　Territory　will　depend　on　whether　the　people　are　for　or　against　it；　and　which　ever　way　they　shall　decide　it　will　be　entirely　satisfactory　to　me。〃

The　Dred　Scott　case；　he　continued；　decides　that　negroes　are　not　citizens。　　But　Lincoln　insists　on　conferring　on　them　all　the　privileges；　rights　and　immunities　of　citizens。　　〃I　believe　this　Government　of　ours　was　founded　on　the　white　basis。　　I　believe　it　was　established　for　white　men；　of　the　benefit　of　white　men　and　their　posterity　in　all　time　to　come。　　I　do　not　believe　that　it　was　the　design　or　intention　of　the　signers　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence　or　the　framers　of　the　Constitution　to　include　negroes　as　citizens。　　*　*　*　The　position　Lincoln　has　taken　on　this　question　not　only　presents　him　as　claiming　for　them　the　right　to　vote；　but　their　right　under　the　divine　law　and　the　Declaration　of　Independence　to　be　elected　to　office；　to　become　members　of　the　legislature；　to　go　to　Congress；　to　become　Governors　or　United　States　Senators；　or　Judges　of　the　Supreme　Court。　　*　*　*　He　would　permit　them　to　marry；　would　he　not？　　And　if　he　gives　them　that　right　I　suppose　he　will　let　them　marry　whom　they　please；　provided　they　marry　their　equals。　If　the　divine　law　declares　that　the　white　man　is　the　equal　of　the　negro　woman；　that　they　are　on　a　perfect　equality；　I　suppose　he　admits　the　right　of　the　negro　woman　to　marry　the　white　man。　　*　*　*　I　do　not　believe　that　the　signers　of　the　Declaration　had　any　reference　to　negroes　when　they　used　the　expression　that　all　men　were　created　equal。　　*　*　*　They　were　speaking　only　of　the　white　race。　　*　*　*　Every　one　of　the　thirteen　colonies　was　a　slave…holding　constituency。　Did　they　intend　*　*　*　to　declare　that　their　own　slaves　were　on　an　equality　with　them？　　What　are　the　negroes'　rights　and　privileges？　That　is　a　question　which　each　State　and　Territory　must　decide　for　itself。　　We　have　decided　that　question。　　We　have　said　that　in　this　State　the　negro　shall　not　be　a　slave　but　that　he　shall　enjoy　no　political　rights；　that　negro　equality　shall　not　exist。　　*　*　*　For　my　own　part；　I　do　not　consider　the　negro　any　kin　to　me　nor　to　any　other　white　man；　but　I　would　still　carry　my　humanity　and　philanthropy　to　the　extent　of　giving　him　every　privilege　and　every　immunity　that　he　could　enjoy　consistent　with　our　own　good。〃

Maine　allows　the　negro　to　vote　on　an　equality　with　the　white　man。　New　York　permits　him　to　vote；　provided　he　owns　250　worth　of　property。　　In　Kentucky　they　deny　the　negro　all　political　and　civil　rights。　　Each　is　a　sovereign　State　and　h