the writings-2-第43章

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

Constitution；　and　I　do　not　for　that　cause；　or　any　other　cause；

propose　to　destroy；　or　alter；　or　disregard　the　Constitution。　　I

stand　to　it；　fairly；　fully；　and　firmly。



But　when　I　am　told　I　must　leave　it　altogether　to　other　people　to

say　whether　new　partners　are　to　be　bred　up　and　brought　into　the

firm；　on　the　same　degrading　terms　against　me；　I　respectfully

demur。　　I　insist　that　whether　I　shall　be　a　whole　man　or　only　the

half　of　one；　in　comparison　with　others　is　a　question　in　which　I

am　somewhat　concerned；　and　one　which　no　other　man　can　have　a

sacred　right　of　deciding　for　me。　　If　I　am　wrong　in　this；　if　it

really　be　a　sacred　right　of　self…government　in　the　man　who　shall

go　to　Nebraska　to　decide　whether　he　will　be　the　equal　of　me　or

the　double　of　me；　then；　after　he　shall　have　exercised　that　right；

and　thereby　shall　have　reduced　me　to　a　still　smaller　fraction　of

a　man　than　I　already　am；　I　should　like　for　some　gentleman；　deeply

skilled　in　the　mysteries　of　sacred　rights；　to　provide　himself

with　a　microscope；　and　peep　about；　and　find　out；　if　he　can；　what

has　become　of　my　sacred　rights。　　They　will　surely　be　too　small

for　detection　with　the　naked　eye。



Finally；　I　insist　that　if　there　is　anything　which　it　is　the　duty

of　the　whole　people　to　never　intrust　to　any　hands　but　their　own；

that　thing　is　the　preservation　and　perpetuity　of　their　own

liberties　and　institutions。　　And　if　they　shall　think　as　I　do；

that　the　extension　of　slavery　endangers　them　more　than　any　or　all

other　causes；　how　recreant　to　themselves　if　they　submit　The

question；　and　with　it　the　fate　of　their　country；　to　a　mere

handful　of　men　bent　only　on　seif…interest。　　If　this　question　of

slavery　extension　were　an　insignificant　one；　one　having　no　power

to　do　harmit　might　be　shuffled　aside　in　this　way；　and　being；　as

it　is；　the　great　Behemoth　of　danger；　shall　the　strong　grip　of　the

nation　be　loosened　upon　him；　to　intrust　him　to　the　hands　of　such

feeble　keepers？



I　have　done　with　this　mighty　argument　of　self…government。　　Go；

sacred　thing！　Go　in　peace。



But　Nebraska　is　urged　as　a　great　Union…saving　measure。　　Well；　I

too　go　for　saving　the　Union。　　Much　as　I　hate　slavery；　I　would

consent　to　the　extension　of　it　rather　than　see　the　Union

dissolved；　just　as　I　would　consent　to　any　great　evil　to　avoid　a

greater　one。　　But　when　I　go　to　Union…saving；　I　must　believe；　at

least；　that　the　means　I　employ　have　some　adaptation　to　the　end。

To　my　mind；　Nebraska　has　no　such　adaptation。



〃It　hath　no　relish　of　salvation　in　it。〃



It　is　an　aggravation；　rather；　of　the　only　one　thing　which　ever

endangers　the　Union。　　When　it　came　upon　us；　all　was　peace　and

quiet。　　The　nation　was　looking　to　the　forming　of　new　bends　of

union；　and　a　long　course　of　peace　and　prosperity　seemed　to　lie

before　us。　　In　the　whole　range　of　possibility；　there　scarcely

appears　to　me　to　have　been　anything　out　of　which　the　slavery

agitation　could　have　been　revived；　except　the　very　project　of

repealing　the　Missouri　Compromise。　　Every　inch　of　territory　we

owned　already　had　a　definite　settlement　of　the　slavery　question；

by　which　all　parties　were　pledged　to　abide。　　Indeed；　there　was　no

uninhabited　country　on　the　continent　which　we　could　acquire；　if

we　except　some　extreme　northern　regions　which　are　wholly　out　of

the　question。



In　this　state　of　affairs　the　Genius　of　Discord　himself　could

scarcely　have　invented　a　way　of　again　setting　us　by　the　ears　but

by　turning　back　and　destroying　the　peace　measures　of　the　past。

The　counsels　of　that　Genius　seem　to　have　prevailed。　　The　Missouri

Compromise　was　repealed；　and　here　we　are　in　the　midst　of　a　new

slavery　agitation；　such；　I　think；　as　we　have　never　seen　before。

Who　is　responsible　for　this？　　Is　it　those　who　resist　the　measure；

or　those　who　causelessly　brought　it　forward；　and　pressed　it

through；　having　reason　to　know；　and　in　fact　knowing；　it　must　and

would　be　so　resisted？　　It　could　not　but　be　expected　by　its　author

that　it　would　be　looked　upon　as　a　measure　for　the　extension　of

slavery；　aggravated　by　a　gross　breach　of　faith。



Argue　as　you　will　and　long　as　you　will；　this　is　the　naked　front

and　aspect　of　the　measure。　　And　in　this　aspect　it　could　not　but

produce　agitation。　　Slavery　is　founded　in　the　selfishness　of

man's　natureopposition　to　it　in　his　love　of　justice。　　These

principles　are　at　eternal　antagonism；　and　when　brought　into

collision　so　fiercely　as　slavery　extension　brings　them；　shocks

and　throes　and　convulsions　must　ceaselessly　follow。　　Repeal　the

Missouri　Compromise；　repeal　all　compromises；　repeal　the

Declaration　of　Independence；　repeal　all　past　history；　you　still

cannot　repeal　human　nature。　　It　still　will　be　the　abundance　of

man's　heart　that　slavery　extension　is　wrong；　and　out　of　the

abundance　of　his　heart　his　mouth　will　continue　to　speak。



The　structure；　too；　of　the　Nebraska　Bill　is　very　peculiar。　　The

people　are　to　decide　the　question　of　slavery　for　themselves；　but

when　they　are　to　decide；　or　how　they　are　to　decide；　or　whether；

when　the　question　is　once　decided；　it　is　to　remain　so　or　is　to　be

subject　to　an　indefinite　succession　of　new　trials；　the　law　does

not　say。　　Is　it　to　be　decided　by　the　first　dozen　settlers　who

arrive　there；　or　is　it　to　await　the　arrival　of　a　hundred？　　Is　it

to　be　decided　by　a　vote　of　the　people　or　a　vote　of　the

Legislature；　or；　indeed；　by　a　vote　of　any　sort？　　To　these

questions　the　law　gives　no　answer。　　There　is　a　mystery　about

this；　for　when　a　member　proposed　to　give　the　Legislature　express

authority　to　exclude　slavery；　it　was　hooted　down　by　the　friends

of　the　bill。　　This　fact　is　worth　remembering。　　Some　Yankees　in

the　East　are　sending　emigrants　to　Nebraska　to　exclude　slavery

from　it；　and；　so　far　as　I　can　judge；　they　expect　the　question　to

be　decided　by　voting　in　some　way　or　other。　　But　the　Missourians

are　awake；　too。　　They　are　within　a　stone's…throw　of　the　contested

ground。　　They　hold　meetings　and　pass　resolutions；　in　which　not

the　slightest　allusion　to　voting　is　made。　　They　resolve　that

slavery　already　exists　in　the　Territory；　that　more　shall　go

there；　that　they；　remaining　in　Missouri；　will　protect　it；　and

that　abolitionists　shall　be　hung　or　driven　away。　　Through　all

this　bowie　knives　and　six…shooters　are　seen　plainly　enough；　but

never　a　glimpse　of　the　ballot…box。



And；　really；　what　is　the　result　of　all　this？　　Each　party　within

having　numerous　and　determined　backers　without；　is　it　not

probable　that　the　contest　will　come　to　blows　and　bloodshed？

Could　there　be　a　more　apt　invention　to　bring　about　collision　and

violence　on　the　slavery　question　than　this　Nebraska　project　is？

I　do　not　charge　or　believe　that　such　was　intended　by　Congress；

but　if　they　had　literally　formed　a　ring　and　placed　champions

within　it　to　fight　out　the　controversy；　the　fight　could　be　no

more　likely　to　come　off　than　it　is。　　And　if　this　fight　should

begin；　is　it　likely　to　take　a　very　peaceful；　Union…saving　turn？

Will　not　the　first　drop　of　blood　so　shed　be　the　real　knell　of　the

Union？



The　Missouri　Compromise　ought　to　be　restored。　　For　the　sake　of

the　Union；　it　ought　to　be　restored。　　We　ought　to　elect　a　House　of

Representatives　which　will　vote　its　restoration。　　If　by　any　means

we　omit　to　do　this；　what　follows？　　Slavery　may　or　may　not　be

established　in　Nebraska。　　But　whether　it　be　or　not；　we　shall　have

repudiateddiscarded　from　the　councils　of　the　nationthe　spirit

of　compromise；　for　who；　after　this；　will　ever　trust　in　a　national

compromise？　　The　spirit　of　mutual　concessionthat　spirit　which

first　gave　us　the　Constitution；　and　which　has　thrice　saved　the

Unionwe　shall　have　strangled　and　cast　from　us　forever。　　And

what　shall　we　have　in　lieu　of　it？　　The　South　flushed　with　triumph

and　tempted　to　excess；　the　North；　betrayed　as　they　believe；

brooding　on　wrong　and　burning　for　revenge。　　One　side　will

provoke；　the　other　resent。　　The　one　will　taunt；　the　othe