the life of stephen a. douglas-第31章

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r　the　United　States　Senate　and　it　is　possible　that；　if　he　should　be　elected；　he　would　have　to　vote　directly　on　that　question。　　He　dodges　it　also　under　the　cover　that　he　was　not　on　the　Committee。　　*　*　*　He　knows　I　will　trot　him　down　to　Egypt。　I　intend　to　make　him　answer　there。　　*　*　*　The　Convention　to　which　I　have　been　alluding　pledges　itself　to　exclude　slavery　from　all　the　Territories。　　*　*　*　I　want　to　know　whether　he　approves　that　provision。　*　*　*　I　want　to　know　whether　he　will　resist　the　acquirement　of　any　more　territory；　unless　slavery　therein　shall　be　prohibited。　　These　are　practical　questions；　based　upon　the　fundamental　principles　of　the　black　Republican　party；　and　I　want　to　know　whether　he　is　the　first；　last　and　only　choice　of　a　party　with　whom　he　does　not　agree　in　principle。

〃He　does　not　deny　but　that　that　principle　was　unanimously　adopted　by　the　Republican　party；　and　now　I　want　to　know　whether　that　party　is　unanimously　in　favor　of　a　man　who　does　not　adopt　that　creed　and　agree　with　them　in　their　principles；　I　want　to　know　whether　the　man　who　does　not　agree　with　them　and　who　is　afraid　to　avow　his　differences　is　the　first；　last　and　only　choice　of　the　party。　　*　*　*　The　party　stands　pledged　that　they　will　never　support　Lincoln　until　he　has　pledged　himself　to　that　platform；　but　he　cannot　devise　his　answer。　　He　has　not　made　up　his　mind　whether　he　will　or　not。　*　*　*　I　have　not　brought　a　charge　of　moral　turpitude　against　him。　　When　he　brings　one　against　me；　instead　of　disproving　it　I　will　say　that　it　is　a　lie　and　let　him　prove　it　if　he　can。　*　*　*

〃Mr。　Lincoln　has　not　character　enough　for　integrity　and　truth　merely　on　his　own　ipse　dixit　to　arraign　President　Buchanan；　President　Pierce　and　nine　Judges　of　the　Supreme　Court；　not　one　of　whom　would　be　complimented　by　being　put　on　an　equality　with　him。　　There　is　an　unpardonable　presumption　in　any　man　putting　himself　up　before　thousands　of　people　and　pretending　that　his　ipse　dixit；　without　proof；　without　fact　and　without　truth；　is　enough　to　bring　down　and　destroy　the　purest　and　best　of　living　men。　　*　*　*　The　word　'State'　as　well　as　'Territory'　was　put　into　the　Nebraska　bill　to　knock　in　the　head　this　Abolition　doctrine　that　there　will　be　no　more　slave　States　even　if　the　people　want　them。　　*　*　*　The　people　of　Missouri　formed　a　Constitution　as　a　slave　State　and　asked　admission　into　the　Union；　but　the　Free　Soil　party　of　the　North；　being　in　a　majority；　refused　to　admit　her　because　she　had　slavery　as　one　of　her　institutions。　　Hence；　the　first　slavery　agitation　arouse　upon　a　State　and　not　upon　a　Territory。　　*　*　*　The　whole　Abolition　agitation　arose　on　that　doctrine　of　prohibiting　a　State　from　coming　in　with　slavery　or　not　as　it　pleased；　and　that　same　doctrine　is　here　in　this　Republican　platform　of　1854。〃

The　peculiar　difficult　of　meeting　Douglas　in　argument　before　a　popular　audience　is　here　exhibited　in　its　most　perfect　form。　　The　persuasive　force　of　his　last　proposition　lay　in　a　most　ingenious　play　on　the　words　〃State〃　and　〃Territory。〃　　Although　the　people　of　Missouri　had　formed　a　State　Constitution；　they　did　not　become　a　State　until　Congress　approved　it　and　formally　admitted　them。　During　the　entire　period　of　dispute　they　continued　a　Territory。　Douglas'　argument　assumes　that　they　became　a　State　on　forming　a　Constitution。





Chapter　XV。　　The　Debates　with　Lincoln　Continued。




The　second　debate　was　held　at　Freeport　on　August　27th。　　Lincoln　opened　his　speech　with　a　series　of　answers　to　the　questions　asked　at　Ottawa。

〃I　do　not；〃　he　said；　*　*　*　〃stand　in　favor　of　the　unconditional　repeal　of　the　Fugitive　Slave　law。　　*　*　*

〃I　do　not　*　*　*　stand　pledged　against　the　admission　of　any　more　slave　States　into　the　Union。　　*　*　*　*

〃I　do　not　stand　pledged　against　the　admission　of　a　new　State。　　*　*　*　with　such　a　Constitutions　as　the　people　*　*　*　may　see　fit　to　make。　　*　*　*

〃I　do　not　stand　pledged　to　the　abolition　of　slavery　in　the　District　of　Columbia。　*　*　*

〃I'm　impliedly；　if　not　expressly；　pledged　to　a　belief　in　the　right　and　duty　of　Congress　to　prohibit　slavery　in　all　the　United　States　Territories。　　*　*　*

〃I　am　not　opposed　to　the　honest　acquisition　of　territory。　　*　*　*　I　would　or　would　not　oppose　such　acquisition　accordingly　as　I　might　think　such　acquisition　would　or　would　not　aggravate　the　slavery　question　among　ourselves。〃

The　questions　asked　and　answered　were；　whether　he　was　PLEDGED　to　any　of　these　things。　　He　was　willing；　however；　to　state　what　he　really　thought　of　them。

〃I　do　not　hesitate　to　say　that　*　*　*　under　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States　the　people　of　the　Southern　States　are　entitled　to　a　Congressional　Fugitive　Slave　Law。　　*　*　*　The　existing　Fugitive　Slave　Law　should　have　been　so　framed　as　to　be　free　from　some　of　the　objections　that　pertain　to　it　without　lessening　its　efficiency。　　*　*　*　*　In　regard　to　the　admission　of　any　more　slave　States　into　the　Union；　I　state　to　you　frankly　that　I　would　be　exceedingly　sorry　ever　to　be　put　in　a　position　of　having　to　pass　upon　that　question。　I　should　be　exceedingly　glad　to　know　that　there　would　never　be　another　slave　State　admitted　into　the　Union；　but　I　must　add　that；　if　slavery　be　kept　out　of　the　Territories　during　their　territorial　existence；　*　*　*　*　and　then　the　people　shall　*　*　*　adopt　a　slave　Constitution；　*　*　*　I　see　no　alternative　but　to　admit　them　into　the　Union。　　*　*　*　I　should　not　be　in　favor　of　abolishing　slavery　in　the　District　of　Columbia；　unless　upon　the　condition　that　abolition　should　be　gradual；　that　it　should　be　on　the　vote　of　a　majority　of　the　qualified　voters　of　the　District；　and　that　compensation　be　made　to　unwilling　owners。　　*　*　*　What　I　am　saying　here　I　suppose　I　say　to　a　vast　audience　as　strongly　tending　to　Abolitionism　as　any　audience　in　the　State　of　Illinois；　and　I　believe　I　am　saying　that　which；　if　it　would　be　offensive　to　any　persons　and　render　them　enemies　to　myself；　would　be　offensive　to　persons　in　this　audience。〃　He　then　asked　Douglas　four　questions：

1st。　　〃If　the　people　of　Kansas　shall　*　*　*　adopt　a　State　Constitution　and　ask　admission　*　*　*　*　before　they　have　the　requisite　number　of　inhabitants　under　the　English　bill；　*　*　*　will　you　vote　to　admit　them？

2nd。　　〃Can　the　people　of　a　*　*　*　Territory　in　any　lawful　way；　against　the　wish　of　any　citizen；　*　*　*　exclude　slavery　from　its　limits　prior　to　the　formation　of　a　State　Constitution？

3rd。　　〃If　the　Supreme　Court　*　*　*　*　shall　decide　that　States　cannot　exclude　slavery　from　their　limits；　are　you　in　favor　of　acquiescing　in；　adopting　and　following　such　decision　as　a　rule　of　political　action？

4th。　　〃Are　you　in　favor　of　acquiring　additional　territory　in　disregard　of　how　such　action　may　affect　the　Nation　on　the　slavery　question？

When　the　Nebraska　bill　was　introduced；　he　continued；　it　was　declared　the　intent　and　meaning　of　the　act　not　to　legislate　slavery　into　any　State　or　Territory　or　to　exclude　it　therefrom；　but　to　leave　the　people　perfectly　free　to　regulate　their　own　domestic　institutions　in　their　own　way。　　Chase　of　Ohio　introduced　an　amendment　expressly　declaring　that　the　people　of　a　Territory　should　have　the　power　to　exclude　slavery　if　they　saw　fit。　　Douglas　and　those　who　agreed　with　him；　voted　it　down。　　A　little　later　the　Supreme　Court　decided　that　a　territorial　legislature　had　no　right　to　exclude　slavery。

〃For　men　who　did　intend　that　the　people　of　the　Territory　should　have　the　right　to　exclude　slavery　*　*　*　*　the　voting　down　of　Chase's　amendment　is　wholly　inexplicable。　　It　is　a　puzzle；　a　riddle。　　But　*　*　*　with　men　who　did　look　forward　to　such　a　decision　*　*　*　*

the　voting　down　of　that　amendment　would　be　perfectly　rational　and　intelligible。　　It　would　keep　Congress　from　coming　into　collision　with　the　decision　when　it　was　made。　　*　*　*　If　there　was　an　intention　or　expectation　that　such　a　decision　was　to　follow；　it　would　not　be　very　desirable　for　the　Democratic　Supreme　Court　to　decide　one　way　when　the　party　in　Congress　had　decided　the　other。　　Hence　it　would　be　very　rational　for　men　expecting　such　a　decision　to　keep　the　niche　in　that　law　clear　for　it。　　*　*　*　It　looks　to　me　as　though　here　was　the　reason　why　Chase's　amendment　was　voted　down。　　*　*　*　If　it　was　done　for　a　different　reason；　*　*　*　he　knows　what　that　reason　was　and