the writings-2-第23章

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Democrats？　　Is　it　all　union　and　harmony　in　your　ranks？　　no

bickerings？　　no　divisions？　　If　there　be　doubt　as　to　which　of　our

divisions　will　get　our　candidate；　is　there　no　doubt　as　to　which

of　your　candidates　will　get　your　party？　　I　have　heard　some　things

from　New　York；　and　if　they　are　true；　one　might　well　say　of　your

party　there；　as　a　drunken　fellow　once　said　when　he　heard　the

reading　of　an　indictment　for　hog…stealing。　　The　clerk　read　on

till　he　got　to　and　through　the　words；　〃did　steal；　take；　and　carry

away　ten　boars；　ten　sows；　ten　shoats；　and　ten　pigs；〃　at　which　he

exclaimed；　〃Well；　by　golly；　that　is　the　most　equally　divided　gang

of　hogs　I　ever　did　hear　of！〃　　If　there　is　any　other　gang　of　hogs

more　equally　divided　than　the　Democrats　of　New　York　are　about

this　time；　I　have　not　heard　of　it。









SPEECH　DELIVERED　AT　WORCESTER；　MASS。；　ON

SEPT。　12；　1848。



（From　the　Boston　Advertiser。）



Mr。　Kellogg　then　introduced　to　the　meeting　the　Hon。　　Abram

Lincoln；　Whig　member　of　Congress　from　Illinois；　a　representative

of　free　soil。



Mr。　Lincoln　has　a　very　tall　and　thin　figure；　with　an　intellectual

face；　showing　a　searching　mind；　and　a　cool　judgment。　　He　spoke　in

a　clear　and　cool　and　very　eloquent　manner；　for　an　hour　and　a

half；　carrying　the　audience　with　him　in　his　able　arguments　and

brilliant　illustrationsonly　interrupted　by　warm　and　frequent

applause。　　He　began　by　expressing　a　real　feeling　of　modesty　in

addressing　an　audience　〃this　side　of　the　mountains；〃　a　part　of

the　country　where；　in　the　opinion　of　the　people　of　his　section；

everybody　was　supposed　to　be　instructed　and　wise。　　But　he　had

devoted　his　attention　to　the　question　of　the　coming　Presidential

election；　and　was　not　unwilling　to　exchange　with　all　whom　he

might　the　ideas　to　which　he　had　arrived。　　He　then　began　to　show

the　fallacy　of　some　of　the　arguments　against　Gen。　Taylor；　making

his　chief　theme　the　fashionable　statement　of　all　those　who　oppose

him　（〃the　old　Locofocos　as　well　as　the　new〃）　that　he　has　no

principles；　and　that　the　Whig　party　have　abandoned　their

principles　by　adopting　him　as　their　candidate。　　He　maintained

that　Gen。　　Taylor　occupied　a　high　and　unexceptionable　Whig

ground；　and　took　for　his　first　instance　and　proof　of　this　the

statement　in　the　Allison　letterwith　regard　to　the　bank；　tariff；

rivers　and　harbors；　etc。that　the　will　of　the　people　should

produce　its　own　results；　without　executive　influence。　　The

principle　that　the　people　should　do　whatunder　the　Constitution…

…as　they　please；　is　a　Whig　principle。　　All　that　Gen。　　Taylor　is　not

only　to　consent　to；　but　appeal　to　the　people　to　judge　and　act　for

themselves。　　And　this　was　no　new　doctrine　for　Whigs。　　It　was　the

〃platform〃　on　which　they　had　fought　all　their　battles；　the

resistance　of　executive　influence；　and　the　principle　of　enabling

the　people　to　frame　the　government　according　to　their　will。　　Gen。

Taylor　consents　to　be　the　candidate；　and　to　assist　the　people　to

do　what　they　think　to　be　their　duty；　and　think　to　be　best　in

their　national　affairs；　but　because　he　don't　want　to　tell　what　we

ought　to　do；　he　is　accused　of　having　no　principles。　　The　Whigs

here　maintained　for　years　that　neither　the　influence；　the　duress；

or　the　prohibition　of　the　executive　should　control　the

legitimately　expressed　will　of　the　people；　and　now　that；　on　that

very　ground；　Gen。　Taylor　says　that　he　should　use　the　power　given

him　by　the　people　to　do；　to　the　best　of　his　judgment；　the　will　of

the　people；　he　is　accused　of　want　of　principle；　and　of

inconsistency　in　position。



Mr。　Lincoln　proceeded　to　examine　the　absurdity　of　an　attempt　to

make　a　platform　or　creed　for　a　national　party；　to　all　parts　of

which　all　must　consent　and　agree；　when　it　was　clearly　the

intention　and　the　true　philosophy　of　our　government；　that　in

Congress　all　opinions　and　principles　should　be　represented；　and

that　when　the　wisdom　of　all　had　been　compared　and　united；　the

will　of　the　majority　should　be　carried　out。　　On　this　ground　he

conceived　（and　the　audience　seemed　to　go　with　him）　that　Gen。

Taylor　held　correct；　sound　republican　principles。



Mr。　Lincoln　then　passed　to　the　subject　of　slavery　in　the　States；

saying　that　the　people　of　Illinois　agreed　entirely　with　the

people　of　Massachusetts　on　this　subject；　except　perhaps　that　they

did　not　keep　so　constantly　thinking　about　it。　　All　agreed　that

slavery　was　an　evil；　but　that　we　were　not　responsible　for　it　and

cannot　affect　it　in　States　of　this　Union　where　we　do　not　live。

But　the　question　of　the　extension　of　slavery　to　new　territories

of　this　country　is　a　part　of　our　responsibility　and　care；　and　is

under　our　control。　　In　opposition　to　this　Mr。　L。　　believed　that

the　self…named　〃Free　Soil〃　party　was　far　behind　the　Whigs。　　Both

parties　opposed　the　extension。　　As　he　understood　it　the　new　party

had　no　principle　except　this　opposition。　　If　their　platform　held

any　other；　it　was　in　such　a　general　way　that　it　was　like　the　pair

of　pantaloons　the　Yankee　pedlar　offered　for　sale；　〃large　enough

for　any　man；　small　enough　for　any　boy。〃　　They　therefore　had　taken

a　position　calculated　to　break　down　their　single　important

declared　object。　　They　were　working　for　the　election　of　either

Gen。　Cass　or　Gen。　Taylor。　　The　speaker　then　went　on　to　show；

clearly　and　eloquently；　the　danger　of　extension　of　slavery；

likely　to　result　from　the　election　of　Gen。　Cass。　　To　unite　with

those　who　annexed　the　new　territory　to　prevent　the　extension　of

slavery　in　that　territory　seemed　to　him　to　be　in　the　highest

degree　absurd　and　ridiculous。　　Suppose　these　gentlemen　succeed　in

electing　Mr。　Van　Buren；　they　had　no　specific　means　to　prevent　the

extension　of　slavery　to　New　Mexico　and　California；　and　Gen。

Taylor；　he　confidently　believed；　would　not　encourage　it；　and

would　not　prohibit　its　restriction。　　But　if　Gen。　Cass　was

elected；　he　felt　certain　that　the　plans　of　farther　extension　of

territory　would　be　encouraged；　and　those　of　the　extension　of

slavery　would　meet　no　check。　　The　〃Free　Soil〃　mart　in　claiming

that　name　indirectly　attempts　a　deception；　by　implying　that　Whigs

were　not　Free　Soil　men。　　Declaring　that　they　would　〃do　their　duty

and　leave　the　consequences　to　God　〃　merely　gave　an　excuse　for

taking　a　course　they　were　not　able　to　maintain　by　a　fair　and　full

argument。　　To　make　this　declaration　did　not　show　what　their　duty

was。　　If　it　did　we　should　have　no　use　for　judgment；　we　might　as

well　be　made　without　intellect；　and　when　divine　or　human　law　does

not　clearly　point　out　what　is　our　duty；　we　have　no　means　of

finding　out　what　it　is　but　by　using　our　most　intelligent　judgment

of　the　consequences。　　If　there　were　divine　law　or　human　law　for

voting　for　Martin　Van　Buren；　or　if　a；　fair　examination　of　the

consequences　and　just　reasoning　would　show　that　voting　for　him

would　bring　about　the　ends　they　pretended　to　wishthen　he　would

give　up　the　argument。　　But　since　there　was　no　fixed　law　on　the

subject；　and　since　the　whole　probable　result　of　their　action

would　be　an　assistance　in　electing　Gen。　Cass；　he　must　say　that

they　were　behind　the　Whigs　in　their　advocacy　of　the　freedom　of

the　soil。



Mr。　Lincoln　proceeded　to　rally　the　Buffalo　convention　for

forbearing　to　say　anythingafter　all　the　previous　declarations

of　those　members　who　were　formerly　Whigson　the　subject　of　the

Mexican　War；　because　the　Van　Burens　had　been　known　to　have

supported　it。　　He　declared　that　of　all　the　parties　asking　the

confidence　of　the　country；　this　new　one　had　less　of　principle

than　any　other。



He　wondered　whether　it　was　still　the　opinion　of　these　Free　Soil

gentlemen；　as　declared　in　the　〃whereas〃　at　Buffalo；　that　the　Whig

and　Democratic　parties　were　both　entirely　dissolved　and　absorbed

into　their　own　body。　　Had　the　Vermont　election　given　them　any

light？　　They　had　calculated　on　making　as　great　an　impression　in

that　State　as　in　any　part　of　the　Union；　and　there　their　attempts

had　been　wholly　ineffectual。　　Their　failure　was　a　g