the writings-2-第42章

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governs　him　by　a　set　of　rules　altogether　different　from　those

which　he　prescribes　for　himself。　　Allow　all　the　governed　an　equal

voice　in　the　government；　and　that；　and　that　only；　is　self…

government。



Let　it　not　be　said　that　I　am　contending　for　the　establishment　of

political　and　social　equality　between　the　whites　and　blacks。　　I

have　already　said　the　contrary。　　I　am　not　combating　the　argument

of　necessity；　arising　from　the　fact　that　the　blacks　are　already

among　us；　but　I　am　combating　what　is　set　up　as　moral　argument　for

allowing　them　to　be　taken　where　they　have　never　yet　beenarguing

against　the　extension　of　a　bad　thing；　which；　where　it　already

exists；　we　must　of　necessity　manage　as　we　best　can。



In　support　of　his　application　of　the　doctrine　of　self…government；

Senator　Douglas　has　sought　to　bring　to　his　aid　the　opinions　and

examples　of　our　Revolutionary　fathers。　　I　am　glad　he　has　done

this。　　I　love　the　sentiments　of　those　old…time　men；　and　shall　be

most　happy　to　abide　by　their　opinions。　　He　shows　us　that　when　it

was　in　contemplation　for　the　colonies　to　break　off　from　Great

Britain；　and　set　up　a　new　government　for　themselves；　several　of

the　States　instructed　their　delegates　to　go　for　the　measure；

provided　each　State　should　be　allowed　to　regulate　its　domestic

concerns　in　its　own　way。　　I　do　not　quote；　but　this　in　substance。

This　was　right；　I　see　nothing　objectionable　in　it。　　I　also　think

it　probable　that　it　had　some　reference　to　the　existence　of

slavery　among　them。　　I　will　not　deny　that　it　had。　　But　had　it　any

reference　to　the　carrying　of　slavery　into　new　countries？　　That　is

the　question；　and　we　will　let　the　fathers　themselves　answer　it。



This　same　generation　of　men；　and　mostly　the　same　individuals　of

the　generation　who　declared　this　principle；　who　declared

independence；　who　fought　the　war　of　the　Revolution　through；　who

afterward　made　the　Constitution　under　which　we　still　livethese

same　men　passed　the　Ordinance　of　'87；　declaring　that　slavery

should　never　go　to　the　Northwest　Territory。



I　have　no　doubt　Judge　Douglas　thinks　they　were　very　inconsistent

in　this。　　It　is　a　question　of　discrimination　between　them　and

him。　　But　there　is　not　an　inch　of　ground　left　for　his　claiming

that　their　opinions；　their　example；　their　authority；　are　on　his

side　in　the　controversy。



Again；　is　not　Nebraska；　while　a　Territory；　a　part　of　us？　　Do　we

not　own　the　country？　　And　if　we　surrender　the　control　of　it；　do

we　not　surrender　the　right　of　self…government？　　It　is　part　of

ourselves。　　If　you　say　we　shall　not　control　it；　because　it　is

only　part；　the　same　is　true　of　every　other　part；　and　when　all　the

parts　are　gone；　what　has　become　of　the　whole？　　What　is　then　left

of　us？　　What　use　for　the　General　Government；　when　there　is

nothing　left　for　it　to　govern？



But　you　say　this　question　should　be　left　to　the　people　of

Nebraska；　because　they　are　more　particularly　interested。　　If　this

be　the　rule；　you　must　leave　it　to　each　individual　to　say　for

himself　whether　he　will　have　slaves。　　What　better　moral　right

have　thirty…one　citizens　of　Nebraska　to　say　that　the　thirty…

second　shall　not　hold　slaves　than　the　people　of　the　thirty…one

States　have　to　say　that　slavery　shall　not　go　into　the　thirty…

second　State　at　all？



But　if　it　is　a　sacred　right　for　the　people　of　Nebraska　to　take

and　hold　slaves　there；　it　is　equally　their　sacred　right　to　buy

them　where　they　can　buy　them　cheapest；　and　that；　undoubtedly；

will　be　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　provided　you　will　consent　not　to

hang　them　for　going　there　to　buy　them。　　You　must　remove　this

restriction；　too；　from　the　sacred　right　of　self…government。　　I　am

aware　you　say　that　taking　slaves　from　the　States　to　Nebraska　does

not　make　slaves　of　freemen；　but　the　African　slave…trader　can　say

just　as　much。　　He　does　not　catch　free　negroes　and　bring　them

here。　　He　finds　them　already　slaves　in　the　hands　of　their　black

captors；　and　he　honestly　buys　them　at　the　rate　of　a　red　cotton

handkerchief　a　head。　　This　is　very　cheap；　and　it　is　a　great

abridgment　of　the　sacred　right　of　self…government　to　hang　men　for

engaging　in　this　profitable　trade。



Another　important　objection　to　this　application　of　the　right　of

self…government　is　that　it　enables　the　first　few　to　deprive　the

succeeding　many　of　a　free　exercise　of　the　right　of　self…

government。　　The　first　few　may　get　slavery　in；　and　the　subsequent

many　cannot　easily　get　it　out。　　How　common　is　the　remark　now　in

the　slave　States；　〃If　we　were　only　clear　of　our　slaves；　how　much

better　it　would　be　for　us。〃　They　are　actually　deprived　of　the

privilege　of　governing　themselves　as　they　would；　by　the　action　of

a　very　few　in　the　beginning。　　The　same　thing　was　true　of　the

whole　nation　at　the　time　our　Constitution　was　formed。



Whether　slavery　shall　go　into　Nebraska；　or　other　new　Territories；

is　not　a　matter　of　exclusive　concern　to　the　people　who　may　go

there。　　The　whole　nation　is　interested　that　the　best　use　shall　be

made　of　these　Territories。　　We　want　them　for　homes　of　free　white

people。　　This　they　cannot　be；　to　any　considerable　extent；　if

slavery　shall　be　planted　within　them。　　Slave　States　are　places

for　poor　white　people　to　remove　from；　not　to　remove　to。　　New　free

States　are　the　places　for　poor　people　to　go　to；　and　better　their

condition。　　For　this　use　the　nation　needs　these　Territories。



Still　further：　there　are　constitutional　relations　between　the

slave　and　free　States　which　are　degrading　to　the　latter。　　We　are

under　legal　obligations　to　catch　and　return　their　runaway　slaves

to　them：　a　sort　of　dirty；　disagreeable　job；　which；　I　believe；　as

a　general　rule；　the　slaveholders　will　not　perform　for　one

another。　　Then　again；　in　the　control　of　the　governmentthe

management　of　the　partnership　affairsthey　have　greatly　the

advantage　of　us。　　By　the　Constitution　each　State　has　two

senators；　each　has　a　number　of　representatives　in　proportion　to

the　number　of　its　people；　and　each　has　a　number　of　Presidential

electors　equal　to　the　whole　number　of　its　senators　and

representatives　together。　　But　in　ascertaining　the　number　of　the

people　for　this　purpose；　five　slaves　are　counted　as　being　equal

to　three　whites。　　The　slaves　do　not　vote；　they　are　only　counted

and　so　used　as　to　swell　the　influence　of　the　white　people's

votes。　　The　practical　effect　of　this　is　more　aptly　shown　by　a

comparison　of　the　States　of　South　Carolina　and　Maine。　　South

Carolina　has　six　representatives；　and　so　has　Maine；　South

Carolina　has　eight　Presidential　electors；　and　so　has　Maine。　　This

is　precise　equality　so　far；　and　of　course　they　are　equal　in

senators；　each　having　two。　　Thus　in　the　control　of　the　government

the　two　States　are　equals　precisely。　　But　how　are　they　in　the

number　of　their　white　people？　　Maine　has　581；813；　while　South

Carolina　has　274；567；　Maine　has　twice　as　many　as　South　Carolina；

and　32；679　over。　　Thus；　each　white　man　in　South　Carolina　is　more

than　the　double　of　any　man　in　Maine。　　This　is　all　because　South

Carolina；　besides　her　free　people；　has　384；984　slaves。　　The　South

Carolinian　has　precisely　the　same　advantage　over　the　white　man　in

every　other　free　State　as　well　as　in　Maine。　　He　is　more　than　the

double　of　any　one　of　us　in　this　crowd。　　The　same　advantage；　but

not　to　the　same　extent；　is　held　by　all　the　citizens　of　the　slave

States　over　those　of　the　free；　and　it　is　an　absolute　truth；

without　an　exception；　that　there　is　no　voter　in　any　slave　State

but　who　has　more　legal　power　in　the　government　than　any　voter　in

any　free　State。　　There　is　no　instance　of　exact　equality；　and　the

disadvantage　is　against　us　the　whole　chapter　through。　　This

principle；　in　the　aggregate；　gives　the　slave　States　in　the

present　Congress　twenty　additional　representatives；　being　seven

more　than　the　whole　majority　by　which　they　passed　the　Nebraska

Bill。



Now　all　this　is　manifestly　unfair；　yet　I　do　not　mention　it　to

complain　of　it；　in　so　far　as　it　is　already　settled。　　It　is　in　the

Constitu