the writings-2-第50章

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created　equal。〃　We　now　practically　read　it　〃all　men　are　created

equal；　except　negroes。〃　When　the　Know…Nothings　get　control；　it

will　read　〃all　men　are　created　equal；　except　negroes　and

foreigners　and　Catholics。〃　When　it　comes　to　this；　I　shall　prefer

emigrating　to　some　country　where　they　make　no　pretense　of　loving

liberty；to　Russia；　for　instance；　where　despotism　can　be　taken

pure；　and　without　the　base　alloy　of　hypocrisy。



Mary　will　probably　pass　a　day　or　two　in　Louisville　in　October。

My　kindest　regards　to　Mrs。　　Speed。　　On　the　leading　subject　of

this　letter　I　have　more　of　her　sympathy　than　I　have　of　yours；　and

yet　let　me　say　I　am；



Your　friend　forever；



A。　LINCOLN。









1856





REQUEST　FOR　A　RAILWAY　PASS



TO　R。　P。　MORGAN



SPRINGFIELD；　February　13；　1856。



R。　P。　MORGAN；　ESQ。：



Says　Tom　to　John；　〃Here's　your　old　rotten　wheelbarrow。　　I've

broke　it　usin'　on　it。　　I　wish　you　would　mend　it；　'case　I　shall

want　to　borrow　it　this　arternoon。〃　　Acting　on　this　as　a

precedent；　I　say；　〃Here's　your　old　'chalked　hat；I　wish　you

would　take　it　and　send　me　a　new　one；　'case　I　shall　want　to　use　it

the　first　of　March。〃



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN



（A　'chalked　hat'　was　the　common　term；　at　that　time；　for　a

railroad　pass。）









SPEECH　DELIVERED　BEFORE　THE　FIRST　REPUBLICAN

STATE　CONVENTION　OF　ILLINOIS；



HELD　AT　BLOOMINGTON；　ON　MAY　29；　1856。



＇From　the　Report　by　William　C。　　Whitney。＇



（Mr。　Whitney's　notes　were　made　at　the　time；　but　not　written　out

until　1896。　　He　does　not　claim　that　the　speech；　as　here　reported；

is　literally　correct　only　that　he　has　followed　the　argument；　and

that　in　many　cases　the　sentences　are　as　Mr。　Lincoln　spoke　them。）





Mr。　CHAIRMAN　AND　GENTLEMEN：　I　was　over　at　＇Cries　of　〃Platform！〃

〃Take　the　platform！〃＇I　say；　that　while　I　was　at　Danville　Court；

some　of　our　friends　of　Anti…Nebraska　got　together　in　Springfield

and　elected　me　as　one　delegate　to　represent　old　Sangamon　with

them　in　this　convention；　and　I　am　here　certainly　as　a　sympathizer

in　this　movement　and　by　virtue　of　that　meeting　and　selection。

But　we　can　hardly　be　called　delegates　strictly；　inasmuch　as；

properly　speaking；　we　represent　nobody　but　ourselves。　　I　think　it

altogether　fair　to　say　that　we　have　no　Anti…Nebraska　party　in

Sangamon；　although　there　is　a　good　deal　of　Anti…Nebraska　feeling

there；　but　I　say　for　myself；　and　I　think　I　may　speak　also　for　my

colleagues；　that　we　who　are　here　fully　approve　of　the　platform

and　of　all　that　has　been　done　＇A　voice；　〃Yes！；〃＇；　and　even　if　we

are　not　regularly　delegates；　it　will　be　right　for　me　to　answer

your　call　to　speak。　　I　suppose　we　truly　stand　for　the　public

sentiment　of　Sangamon　on　the　great　question　of　the　repeal；

although　we　do　not　yet　represent　many　numbers　who　have　taken　a

distinct　position　on　the　question。



We　are　in　a　trying　timeit　ranges　above　mere　partyand　this

movement　to　call　a　halt　and　turn　our　steps　backward　needs　all　the

help　and　good　counsels　it　can　get；　for　unless　popular　opinion

makes　itself　very　strongly　felt；　and　a　change　is　made　in　our

present　course；　blood　will　flow　on　account　of　Nebraska；　and

brother's　hands　will　be　raised　against　brother！



＇The　last　sentence　was　uttered　in　such　an　earnest；　impressive；　if

not；　indeed；　tragic；　manner；　as　to　make　a　cold　chill　creep　over

me。　　Others　gave　a　similar　experience。＇



I　have　listened　with　great　interest　to　the　earnest　appeal　made　to

Illinois　men　by　the　gentleman　from　Lawrence　＇James　S。　　Emery＇　who

has　just　addressed　us　so　eloquently　and　forcibly。　　I　was　deeply

moved　by　his　statement　of　the　wrongs　done　to　free…State　men　out

there。　　I　think　it　just　to　say　that　all　true　men　North　should

sympathize　with　them；　and　ought　to　be　willing　to　do　any　possible

and　needful　thing　to　right　their　wrongs。　　But　we　must　not　promise

what　we　ought　not；　lest　we　be　called　on　to　perform　what　we

cannot；　we　must　be　calm　and　moderate；　and　consider　the　whole

difficulty；　and　determine　what　is　possible　and　just。　　We　must　not

be　led　by　excitement　and　passion　to　do　that　which　our　sober

judgments　would　not　approve　in　our　cooler　moments。　　We　have

higher　aims；　we　will　have　more　serious　business　than　to　dally

with　temporary　measures。



We　are　here　to　stand　firmly　for　a　principleto　stand　firmly　for

a　right。　　We　know　that　great　political　and　moral　wrongs　are　done；

and　outrages　committed；　and　we　denounce　those　wrongs　and

outrages；　although　we　cannot；　at　present；　do　much　more。　　But　we

desire　to　reach　out　beyond　those　personal　outrages　and　establish

a　rule　that　will　apply　to　all；　and　so　prevent　any　future

outrages。



We　have　seen　to…day　that　every　shade　of　popular　opinion　is

represented　here；　with　Freedom；　or　rather　Free　Soil；　as　the

basis。　　We　have　come　together　as　in　some　sort　representatives　of

popular　opinion　against　the　extension　of　slavery　into　territory

now　free　in　fact　as　well　as　by　law；　and　the　pledged　word　of　the

statesmen　of　the　nation　who　are　now　no　more。　　We　comewe　are

here　assembled　togetherto　protest　as　well　as　we　can　against　a

great　wrong；　and　to　take　measures；　as　well　as　we　now　can；　to　make

that　wrong　right；　to　place　the　nation；　as　far　as　it　may　be

possible　now；　as　it　was　before　the　repeal　of　the　Missouri

Compromise；　and　the　plain　way　to　do　this　is　to　restore　the

Compromise；　and　to　demand　and　determine　that　Kansas　shall　be

free！　＇Immense　applause。＇　While　we　affirm；　and　reaffirm；　if

necessary；　our　devotion　to　the　principles　of　the　Declaration　of

Independence；　let　our　practical　work　here　be　limited　to　the

above。　　We　know　that　there　is　not　a　perfect　agreement　of

sentiment　here　on　the　public　questions　which　might　be　rightfully

considered　in　this　convention；　and　that　the　indignation　which　we

all　must　feel　cannot　be　helped；　but　all　of　us　must　give　up

something　for　the　good　of　the　cause。　　There　is　one　desire　which

is　uppermost　in　the　mind；　one　wish　common　to　us　all；　to　which　no

dissent　will　be　made；　and　I　counsel　you　earnestly　to　bury　all

resentment；　to　sink　all　personal　feeling；　make　all　things　work　to

a　common　purpose　in　which　we　are　united　and　agreed　about；　and

which　all　present　will　agree　is　absolutely　necessarywhich　must

be　done　by　any　rightful　mode　if　there　be　such：

Slavery　must　be　kept　out　of　Kansas！　＇Applause。＇　The　testthe

pinchis　right　there。　　If　we　lose　Kansas　to　freedom；　an　example

will　be　set　which　will　prove　fatal　to　freedom　in　the　end。　　We；

therefore；　in　the　language　of　the　Bible；　must　〃lay　the　axe　to　the

root　of　the　tree。〃　Temporizing　will　not　do　longer；　now　is　the

time　for　decisionfor　firm；　persistent；　resolute　action。

＇Applause。＇



The　Nebraska　Bill；　or　rather　Nebraska　law；　is　not　one　of

wholesome　legislation；　but　was　and　is　an　act　of　legislative

usurpation；　whose　result；　if　not　indeed　intention；　is　to　make

slavery　national；　and　unless　headed　off　in　some　effective　way；　we

are　in　a　fair　way　to　see　this　land　of　boasted　freedom　converted

into　a　land　of　slavery　in　fact。　　＇Sensation。＇　Just　open　your　two

eyes；　and　see　if　this　be　not　so。　　I　need　do　no　more　than　state；

to　command　universal　approval；　that　almost　the　entire　North；　as

well　as　a　large　following　in　the　border　States；　is　radically

opposed　to　the　planting　of　slavery　in　free　territory。　　Probably

in　a　popular　vote　throughout　the　nation　nine　tenths　of　the　voters

in　the　free　States；　and　at　least　one…half　in　the　border　States；

if　they　could　express　their　sentiments　freely；　would　vote　NO　on

such　an　issue；　and　it　is　safe　to　say　that　two　thirds　of　the　votes

of　the　entire　nation　would　be　opposed　to　it。　　And　yet；　in　spite

of　this　overbalancing　of　sentiment　in　this　free　country；　we　are

in　a　fair　way　to　see　Kansas　present　itself　for　admission　as　a

slave　State。　　Indeed；　it　is　a　felony；　by　the　local　law　of　Kansas；

to　deny　that　slavery　exists　there　even　now。　　By　every　principle

of　law；　a　negro　in　Kansas　is　free；　yet　the　bogus　Legislature

makes　it　an　infamous　crime　to　tell　him