the writings-2-第58章

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you　would　like　to　be　Speaker　go　right　up　and　see　Arnold。　　He　is

talented；　a　practised　debater；　and；　I　think；　would　do　himself

more　credit　on　the　floor　than　in　the　Speaker's　seat。　　Go　and　see

him；　and　if　you　think　fit；　show　him　this　letter。



Your　friend　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









1857





TO　JOHN　E。　　ROSETTE。

Private。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。；　February　10；　1857。



DEAR　SIR：Your　note　about　the　little　paragraph　in　the　Republican

was　received　yesterday；　since　which　time　I　have　been　too　unwell

to　notice　it。　　I　had　not　supposed　you　wrote　or　approved　it。　　The

whole　originated　in　mistake。　　You　know　by　the　conversation　with

me　that　I　thought　the　establishment　of　the　paper　unfortunate；　but

I　always　expected　to　throw　no　obstacle　in　its　way；　and　to

patronize　it　to　the　extent　of　taking　and　paying　for　one　copy。

When　the　paper　was　brought　to　my　house；　my　wife　said　to　me；　〃Now

are　you　going　to　take　another　worthless　little　paper？〃；　I　said　to

her　evasively；　〃I　have　not　directed　the　paper　to　be　left。〃　From

this；　in　my　absence；　she　sent　the　message　to　the　carrier。　　This

is　the　whole　story。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









RESPONSE　TO　A　DOUGLAS　SPEECH



SPEECH　IN　SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；

JUNE　26；　1857。



FELLOW…CITIZENS：I　am　here　to…night　partly　by　the　invitation　of

some　of　you；　and　partly　by　my　own　inclination。　　Two　weeks　ago

Judge　Douglas　spoke　here　on　the　several　subjects　of　Kansas；　the

Dred　Scott　decision；　and　Utah。　　I　listened　to　the　speech　at　the

time；　and　have　the　report　of　it　since。　　It　was　intended　to

controvert　opinions　which　I　think　just；　and　to　assail

（politically；　not　personally）　those　men　who；　in　common　with　me；

entertain　those　opinions。　　For　this　reason　I　wished　then；　and

still　wish；　to　make　some　answer　to　it；　which　I　now　take　the

opportunity　of　doing。



I　begin　with　Utah。　　If　it　prove　to　be　true；　as　is　probable；　that

the　people　of　Utah　are　in　open　rebellion　to　the　United　States；

then　Judge　Douglas　is　in　favor　of　repealing　their　territorial

organization；　and　attaching　them　to　the　adjoining　States　for

judicial　purposes。　　I　say；　too；　if　they　are　in　rebellion；　they

ought　to　be　somehow　coerced　to　obedience；　and　I　am　not　now

prepared　to　admit　or　deny　that　the　Judge's　mode　of　coercing　them

is　not　as　good　as　any。　　The　Republicans　can　fall　in　with　it

without　taking　back　anything　they　have　ever　said。　　To　be　sure；　it

would　be　a　considerable　backing　down　by　Judge　Douglas　from　his

much…vaunted　doctrine　of　self…government　for　the　Territories；　but

this　is　only　additional　proof　of　what　was　very　plain　from　the

beginning；　that　that　doctrine　was　a　mere　deceitful　pretense　for

the　benefit　of　slavery。　　Those　who　could　not　see　that　much　in　the

Nebraska　act　itself；　which　forced　governors；　and　secretaries；　and

judges　on　the　people　of　the　Territories　without　their　choice　or

consent；　could　not　be　made　to　see；　though　one　should　rise　from

the　dead。



But　in　all　this　it　is　very　plain　the　Judge　evades　the　only

question　the　Republicans　have　ever　pressed　upon　the　Democracy　in

regard　to　Utah。　　That　question　the　Judge　well　knew　to　be　this：

〃If　the　people　of　Utah　peacefully　form　a　State　constitution

tolerating　polygamy；　will　the　Democracy　admit　them　into　the

Union？〃　There　is　nothing　in　the　United　States　Constitution　or　law

against　polygamy；　and　why　is　it　not　a　part　of　the　Judge's　〃sacred

right　of　self…government〃　for　the　people　to　have　it；　or　rather　to

keep　it；　if　they　choose？　　These　questions；　so　far　as　I　know；　the

Judge　never　answers。　　It　might　involve　the　Democracy　to　answer

them　either　way；　and　they　go　unanswered。



As　to　Kansas。　　The　substance　of　the　Judge's　speech　on　Kansas　is

an　effort　to　put　the　free…State　men　in　the　wrong　for　not　voting

at　the　election　of　delegates　to　the　constitutional　convention。

He　says：



〃There　is　every　reason　to　hope　and　believe　that　the　law　will　be

fairly　interpreted　and　impartially　executed；　so　as　to　insure　to

every　bona　fide　inhabitant　the　free　and　quiet　exercise　of　the

elective　franchise。〃



It　appears　extraordinary　that　Judge　Douglas　should　make　such　a

statement。　　He　knows　that；　by　the　law；　no　one　can　vote　who　has

not　been　registered；　and　he　knows　that　the　free…State　men　place

their　refusal　to　vote　on　the　ground　that　but　few　of　them　have

been　registered。　　It　is　possible　that　this　is　not　true；　but　Judge

Douglas　knows　it　is　asserted　to　be　true　in　letters；　newspapers；

and　public　speeches；　and　borne　by　every　mail　and　blown　by　every

breeze　to　the　eyes　and　ears　of　the　world。　　He　knows　it　is　boldly

declared　that　the　people　of　many　whole　counties；　and　many　whole

neighborhoods　in　others；　are　left　unregistered；　yet　he　does　not

venture　to　contradict　the　declaration；　or　to　point　out　how　they

can　vote　without　being　registered；　but　he　just　slips　along；　not

seeming　to　know　there　is　any　such　question　of　fact；　and

complacently　declares：



　〃There　is　every　reason　to　hope　and　believe　that　the　law　will　be

fairly　and　impartially　executed；　so　as　to　insure　to　every　bona

fide　inhabitant　the　free　and　quiet　exercise　of　the　elective

franchise。〃



I　readily　agree　that　if　all　had　a　chance　to　vote　they　ought　to

have　voted。　　If；　on　the　contrary；　as　they　allege；　and　Judge

Douglas　ventures　not　to　particularly　contradict；　few　only　of　the

free…State　men　had　a　chance　to　vote；　they　were　perfectly　right　in

staying　from　the　polls　in　a　body。



By　the　way；　since　the　Judge　spoke；　the　Kansas　election　has　come

off。　　The　Judge　expressed　his　confidence　that　all　the　Democrats

in　Kansas　would　do　their　duty…including　〃free…State　Democrats；〃

of　course。　　The　returns　received　here　as　yet　are　very　incomplete；

but　so　far　as　they　go；　they　indicate　that　only　about　one　sixth　of

the　registered　voters　have　really　voted；　and　this；　too；　when　not

more；　perhaps；　than　one　half　of　the　rightful　voters　have　been

registered；　thus　showing　the　thing　to　have　been　altogether　the

most　exquisite　farce　ever　enacted。　　I　am　watching　with

considerable　interest　to　ascertain　what　figure　〃the　free…State

Democrats〃　cut　in　the　concern。　　Of　course　they　voted；all

Democrats　do　their　duty；and　of　course　they　did　not　vote　for

slave…State　candidates。　　We　soon　shall　know　how　many　delegates

they　elected；　how　many　candidates　they　had　pledged　to　a　free

State；　and　how　many　votes　were　cast　for　them。



Allow　me　to　barely　whisper　my　suspicion　that　there　were　no　such

things　in　Kansas　as　〃free…State　Democrats〃that　they　were

altogether　mythical；　good　only　to　figure　in　newspapers　and

speeches　in　the　free　States。　　If　there　should　prove　to　be　one

real　living　free…State　Democrat　in　Kansas；　I　suggest　that　it

might　be　well　to　catch　him；　and　stuff　and　preserve　his　skin　as　an

interesting　specimen　of　that　soon…to…be　extinct　variety　of　the

genus　Democrat。



And　now　as　to　the　Dred　Scott　decision。　　That　decision　declares

two　propositionsfirst；　that　a　negro　cannot　sue　in　the　United

States　courts；　and　secondly；　that　Congress　cannot　prohibit

slavery　in　the　Territories。　　It　was　made　by　a　divided　court

dividing　differently　on　the　different　points。　　Judge　Douglas　does

not　discuss　the　merits　of　the　decision；　and　in　that　respect　I

shall　follow　his　example；　believing　I　could　no　more　improve　on

McLean　and　Curtis　than　he　could　on　Taney。



He　denounces　all　who　question　the　correctness　of　that　decision；

as　offering　violent　resistance　to　it。　　But　who　resists　it？　　Who

has；　in　spite　of　the　decision；　declared　Dred　Scott　free；　and

resisted　the　authority　of　his　master　over　him？



Judicial　decisions　have　two　usesfirst；　to　absolutely　determine

the　case　decided；　and　secondly；　to　indicate　to　the　public　how

other　similar　cases　will　be　decided　when　they　arise。　　For　the

latter　use；　they　are　called　〃precedents〃　and　〃authorities。〃



We　believe　as　much　as　Judge　Douglas　（perhaps　more）　in　obedience

to；　and　respect　for；　the　judicial　department　of　government。　　We

think　its　decisions　on　constitutional　questions；