the life of stephen a. douglas-第29章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


asserting　that　principle　every　Whig　and　every　Democrat　voted　in　the　affirmative。〃

In　1854　Lincoln；　the　leader　of　the　Whigs；　and　Trumbull；　one　of　the　Democratic　chiefs；　entered　into　an　arrangement　to　dissolve　the　old　Whig　and　Democratic　parties　and　to　unite　the　members　of　both　into　the　Abolition　party　under　the　name　and　guise　of　a　Republican　party。　　The　terms　were　that　Lincoln　should　have　Shield's　place　in　the　Senate；　then　about　to　become　vacant；　and　that　Trumbull　should　have　Douglas'　seat　when　his　term　expired。　　Lincoln　went　to　work　to　Abolitionize　the　old　Whig　party；　pretending　that　he　was　as　good　a　Whig　as　ever；　and　Trumbull　began　preaching　Abolitionism　in　milder　and　lighter　form；　hoping　to　Abolitionize　the　Democratic　party。　The　party　met　at　Springfield　in　October；　1854；　and　proclaimed　its　platform。　　This　document　christened　the　coalition　the　Republican　party。　　It　pledged　the　party　to　bring　the　administration　of　the　Government　back　to　the　control　of　first　principles；　to　restore　Kansas　and　Nebraska　to　the　position　of　free　Territories；　to　repeal　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law；　to　restrict　slavery　to　those　States　in　which　it　existed；　to　prohibit　the　admission　of　any　more　slave　States　into　the　Union；　to　abolish　slavery　in　the　District　of　Columbia；　to　exclude　it　from　all　the　Territories　and　resist　the　acquirement　of　more　unless　it　should　be　prohibited　therein。　　He　asked　Lincoln　to　answer　whether　he　stood　pledged　to　each　article　in　that　creed　and　would　carry　it　out。

〃I　ask　Abraham　Lincoln　to　answer　these　questions　in　order　that　when　I　trot　him　down　to　lower　Egypt　（Southern　Illinois）　I　may　put　the　same　questions　to　him。　　My　principles　are　the　same　everywhere。　I　can　proclaim　them　alike　in　the　North　and　the　South；　the　East　and　the　West。　　My　principles　will　apply　wherever　the　Constitution　prevails　and　the　American　flag　waves。　　I　desire　to　know　whether　Mr。　Lincoln's　principles　will　bear　transplanting　from　Ottawa　to　Jonesboro。　　I　put　these　questions　to　him　to…day　distinctly　and　ask　an　answer。　　I　have　a　right　to　an　answer；　for　I　quote　from　the　platform　of　the　Republican　party；　made　by　himself　and　others　at　the　time　that　party　was　formed　and　bargain　made　by　Lincoln　to　dissolve　and　kill　the　old　Whig　party　and　transfer　its　members；　bound　hand　and　foot　to　the　Abolition　party。　　*　*　*　I　mean　nothing　personally　disrespectful　or　unkind　to　Lincoln。　　I　have　known　him　for　nearly　twenty…five　years。　　There　were　many　points　of　sympathy　between　us　when　we　first　got　acquainted。　　We　were　both　comparatively　boys　and　both　struggling　with　poverty　in　a　strange　land。　　I　was　a　school　teacher　in　the　town　of　Winchester；　and　he　a　flourishing　grocery　keeper　in　the　town　of　Salem。　　*　*　*　I　made　as　good　a　school　teacher　as　I　could　and；　when　a　cabinet　maker；　I　made　a　good　bedstead　and　tables；　although　my　old　boss　said　I　succeeded　better　with　bureaus　and　secretaries　than　anything　else。　　*　*　*　Lincoln　was　then　just　as　good　at　telling　an　anecdote　as　now。　　He　could　beat　any　of　the　boys　wrestling　or　running　a　foot　race；　in　pitching　quoits　or　tossing　a　copper；　could　ruin　more　liquor　than　all　the　boys　of　the　town　together；　and　the　dignity　and　impartiality　with　which　he　presided　at　a　horse　race　or　a　fist　fight　excited　the　admiration　and　won　the　praise　of　everybody。〃

After　Lincoln　and　Trumbull　had　formed　their　combination　to　Abolitionize　the　old　parties　and　put　themselves　into　the　Senate；　he　said；　Trumbull　broke　faith　by　demanding　Shield's　place　for　himself　when　it　fell　vacant　and　leaving　Lincoln　to　fight　for　Douglas'　seat　two　years　later。　　Trumbull　was　stumping　the　State　for　Lincoln　in　order　to　quiet　him。　　Lincoln　was　opposed　to　the　Dred　Scott　decision　and　would　not　submit　to　it　because　it　deprived　the　negro　of　the　rights　and　privileges　of　citizenship。

〃Do　you　desire；〃　he　asked；　〃to　*　*　*　allow　the　free　negroes　to　flow　in　and　cover　your　prairies　with　black　settlements？　　Do　you　desire　to　turn　this　beautiful　State　into　a　free　negro　colony；　in　order　that　when　Missouri　abolishes　slavery　she　can　send　one　hundred　thousand　emancipated　slaves　into　Illinois　to　become　citizens　and　voters　on　an　equality　with　yourselves？　　*　*　*　Mr。　Lincoln；　following　the　example　and　lead　of　all　the　little　Abolition　orators　who　go　around　and　lecture　in　the　basements　of　schools　and　churches；　reads　from　the　Declaration　of　Independence　that　all　men　were　created　equal；　and　then　asks；　'How　can　you　deprive　the　negro　of　that　equality　which　God　and　the　Declaration　of　Independence　awards　him？'〃　*　*　*

〃Now　I　do　not　believe　that　the　Almighty　ever　intended　the　negro　to　be　the　equal　of　the　white　man。　　If　he　did　he　has　been　a　long　time　demonstrating　the　fact。　　For　thousands　of　years　the　negro　has　been　a　race　upon　the　earth　and　during　all　that　time；　in　all　latitudes　and　climates；　wherever　he　has　wandered　or　been　taken；　he　has　been　inferior　to　the　race　which　he　there　met。　　He　belongs　to　an　inferior　race　and　must　always　occupy　an　inferior　position。　　The　question；　what　rights　and　privileges　shall　be　conferred　on　the　negro；　is　one　which　each　State　and　Territory　must　decide　for　itself。　　This　doctrine　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　of　uniformity　among　the　institutions　of　the　different　States；　is　a　new　doctrine；　never　dreamed　of　by　Washington；　Madison　or　the　founders　of　this　Government。　　Mr。　Lincoln　and　the　Republican　party　set　themselves　up　as　wiser　than　these　men　who　made　this　Government　which　has　flourished　for　seventy　years　under　the　principle　of　popular　sovereignty；　recognizing　the　right　of　each　state　to　do　as　it　pleased。　　Under　that　principle　we　have　grown　from　a　nation　of　three　or　four　millions　to　a　nation　of　about　thirty　millions　of　people；　we　have　crossed　the　Allegheny　Mountains　and　filled　up　the　whole　Northwest；　turning　the　prairie　into　a　garden　and　building　up　churches　and　schools；　thus　spreading　civilization　and　Christianity　where　before　there　was　nothing　but　savage　barbarism。

〃Under　that　principle　we　have　become；　from　a　feeble　nation；　the　most　powerful　on　the　face　of　the　earth；　and　if　we　only　adhere　to　that　principle；　we　can　go　forward　increasing　in　territory；　in　power；　in　strength　and　in　glory；　until　the　Republic　of　America　shall　be　the　North　Star　that　shall　guide　the　friends　of　freedom　throughout　the　civilized　world。　　*　*　*　I　believe　that　this　new　doctrine　preached　by　Mr。　Lincoln　and　his　party　will　dissolve　the　Union　if　it　succeeds。　They　are　trying　to　array　all　the　Northern　States　in　one　body　against　the　South；　to　excite　a　sectional　war　between　the　free　States　and　the　slave　States；　in　order　that　the　one　or　the　other　may　be　driven　to　the　wall。〃

When　the　applause　subsided；　Lincoln　rose　to　reply。　　Addressing　himself　first　to　the　personal　matters　contained　in　Douglas'　speech；　he　denied　the　charge　of　a　secret　bargain　between　himself　and　Trumbull　dividing　the　two　seats　in　the　Senate　between　them。　　〃All　I　have　to　say　upon　that　subject　is；　that　I　think　no　mannot　even　Judge　Douglascan　prove　it；　because　it　is　not　true。〃　　He　denied　utterly　that　he　had　anything　to　do　with　the　Republican　platform　drafted　by　the　party　leaders　in　1854；　having　refused　to　meet　with　the　committee　or　take　any　part　in　the　organization。

〃I　have　no　means；〃　he　said；　〃　of　totally　disproving　such　charges　as　this。　　I　cannot　prove　a　negative；　but　have　a　right　to　say　that；　when　he　makes　an　affirmative　charge；　he　must　offer　some　proof　of　its　truth。　　Douglas'　argument　about　'perfect　social　and　political　equality　with　the　negro'　is　but　a　specious　and　fantastic　arrangement　of　words　by　which　a　man　can　prove　a　horse　chestnut　to　be　a　chestnut　horse。　　I　will　say　here；　while　upon　the　subject；　that　I　have　no　purpose　directly　or　indirectly；　to　interfere　with　the　institution　of　slavery　in　the　States　where　it　exists。　　I　believe　I　have　no　lawful　right　to　do　so。　　I　have　no　purpose　to　introduce　political　and　social　equality　between　the　white　and　black　races。　　There　is　a　physical　difference　between　the　two；　which　in　my　judgement　will　forever　forbid　their　living　together　upon　a　footing　of　perfect　equality；　and　inasmuch　as　it　becomes　a　necessity　that　there　must　be　a　difference；　I　am　in　favor　of　the　race　to　which　I　belong　having　the　superior　position。　　I　agree　with　Judge　Douglas　that　the　negro　is　not　my　equal　in　many　respectscertainly　not　in　colorperhaps　not　in　moral　or　intellectual