the writings-4-第12章

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They　are　estopped　from　denying　it；　and　being　estopped　from　denying

it；　the　conclusion　follows　that；　the　Constitution　of　the　United

States　being　the　supreme　law；　no　constitution　or　law　can　interfere

with　it。　　It　being　affirmed　in　the　decision　that　the　right　of

property　in　a　slave　is　distinctly　and　expressly　affirmed　in　the

Constitution；　the　conclusion　inevitably　follows　that　no　State　law　or

constitution　can　destroy　that　right。　　I　then　say　to　Judge　Douglas　and

to　all　others　that　I　think　it　will　take　a　better　answer　than　a　sneer

to　show　that　those　who　have　said　that　the　right　of　property　in　a

slave　is　distinctly　and　expressly　affirmed　in　the　Constitution；　are

not　prepared　to　show　that　no　constitution　or　law　can　destroy　that

right。　　I　say　I　believe　it　will　take　a　far　better　argument　than　a

mere　sneer　to　show　to　the　minds　of　intelligent　men　that　whoever　has

so　said　is　not　prepared；　whenever　public　sentiment　is　so　far　advanced

as　to　justify　it；　to　say　the　other。　　This　is　but　an　opinion；　and　the

opinion　of　one　very　humble　man；　but　it　is　my　opinion　that　the　Dred

Scott　decision；　as　it　is；　never　would　have　been　made　in　its　present

form　if　the　party　that　made　it　had　not　been　sustained　previously　by

the　elections。　　My　own　opinion　is；　that　the　new　Dred　Scott　decision；

deciding　against　the　right　of　the　people　of　the　States　to　exclude

slavery；　will　never　be　made　if　that　party　is　not　sustained　by　the

elections。　　I　believe；　further；　that　it　is　just　as　sure　to　be　made　as

to…morrow　is　to　come；　if　that　party　shall　be　sustained。　　I　have　said；

upon　a　former　occasion；　and　I　repeat　it　now；　that　the　course　of

arguement　that　Judge　Douglas　makes　use　of　upon　this　subject　（I　charge

not　his　motives　in　this）；　is　preparing　the　public　mind　for　that　new

Dred　Scott　decision。　　I　have　asked　him　again　to　point　out　to　me　the

reasons　for　his　first　adherence　to　the　Dred　Scott　decision　as　it　is。

I　have　turned　his　attention　to　the　fact　that　General　Jackson　differed

with　him　in　regard　to　the　political　obligation　of　a　Supreme　Court

decision。　　I　have　asked　his　attention　to　the　fact　that　Jefferson

differed　with　him　in　regard　to　the　political　obligation　of　a　Supreme

Court　decision。　　Jefferson　said　that　〃Judges　are　as　honest　as　other

men；　and　not　more　so。〃　　And　he　said；　substantially；　that　whenever　a

free　people　should　give　up　in　absolute　submission　to　any　department

of　government；　retaining　for　themselves　no　appeal　from　it；　their

liberties　were　gone。　　I　have　asked　his　attention　to　the　fact　that　the

Cincinnati　platform；　upon　which　he　says　he　stands；　disregards　a

time…honored　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court；　in　denying　the　power　of

Congress　to　establish　a　National　Bank。　　I　have　asked　his　attention　to

the　fact　that　he　himself　was　one　of　the　most　active　instruments　at

one　time　in　breaking　down　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　State　of　Illinois

because　it　had　made　a　decision　distasteful　to　him；a　struggle　ending

in　the　remarkable　circumstance　of　his　sitting　down　as　one　of　the　new

Judges　who　were　to　overslaugh　that　decision；　getting　his　title　of

Judge　in　that　very　way。



So　far　in　this　controversy　I　can　get　no　answer　at　all　from　Judge

Douglas　upon　these　subjects。　　Not　one　can　I　get　from　him；　except　that

he　swells　himself　up　and　says；　〃All　of　us　who　stand　by　the　decision

of　the　Supreme　Court　are　the　friends　of　the　Constitution；　all　you

fellows　that　dare　question　it　in　any　way　are　the　enemies　of　the

Constitution。〃　　Now；　in　this　very　devoted　adherence　to　this　decision；

in　opposition　to　all　the　great　political　leaders　whom　he　has

recognized　as　leaders；　in　opposition　to　his　former　self　and　history；

there　is　something　very　marked。　　And　the　manner　in　which　he　adheres

to　it；not　as　being　right　upon　the　merits；　as　he　conceives　（because

he　did　not　discuss　that　at　all）；　but　as　being　absolutely　obligatory

upon　every　one　simply　because　of　the　source　from　whence　it　comes；　as

that　which　no　man　can　gainsay；　whatever　it　may　be；this　is　another

marked　feature　of　his　adherence　to　that　decision。　　It　marks　it　in

this　respect；　that　it　commits　him　to　the　next　decision；　whenever　it

comes；　as　being　as　obligatory　as　this　one；　since　he　does　not

investigate　it；　and　won't　inquire　whether　this　opinion　is　right　or

wrong。　　So　he　takes　the　next　one　without　inquiring　whether　it　is

right　or　wrong。　　He　teaches　men　this　doctrine；　and　in　so　doing

prepares　the　public　mind　to　take　the　next　decision　when　it　comes；

without　any　inquiry。　　In　this　I　think　I　argue　fairly　（without

questioning　motives　at　all）　that　Judge　Douglas　is　most　ingeniously

and　powerfully　preparing　the　public　mind　to　take　that　decision　when

it　comes；　and　not　only　so；　but　he　is　doing　it　in　various　other　ways。

In　these　general　maxims　about　liberty；　in　his　assertions　that　he

〃don't　care　whether　slavery　is　voted　up　or　voted　down；〃；　that

〃whoever　wants　slavery　has　a　right　to　have　it〃；　that　〃upon　principles

of　equality　it　should　be　allowed　to　go　everywhere〃；　that　〃there　is　no

inconsistency　between　free　and　slave　institutions　〃…　in　this　he　is

also　preparing　（whether　purposely　or　not）　the　way　for　making　the

institution　of　slavery　national！　　I　repeat　again；　for　I　wish　no

misunderstanding；　that　I　do　not　charge　that　he　means　it　so；　but　I

call　upon　your　minds　to　inquire；　if　you　were　going　to　get　the　best

instrument　you　could；　and　then　set　it　to　work　in　the　most　ingenious

way；　to　prepare　the　public　mind　for　this　movement；　operating　in　the

free　States；　where　there　is　now　an　abhorrence　of　the　institution　of

slavery；　could　you　find　an　instrument　so　capable　of　doing　it　as　Judge

Douglas；　or　one　employed　in　so　apt　a　way　to　do　it？



I　have　said　once　before；　and　I　will　repeat　it　now；　that　Mr。　Clay；

when　he　was　once　answering　an　objection　to　the　Colonization　Society；

that　it　had　a　tendency　to　the　ultimate　emancipation　of　the　slaves；

said　that：



〃those　who　would　repress　all　tendencies　to　liberty　and　ultimate

emancipation　must　do　more　than　put　down　the　benevolent　efforts　of　the

Colonization　Society：　they　must　go　back　to　the　era　of　our　liberty　and

independence；　and　muzzle　the　cannon　that　thunders　its　annual　joyous

return；　they　must　blow　out　the　moral　lights　around　us；　they　must

penetrate　the　human　soul；　and　eradicate　the　light　of　reason　and　the

love　of　liberty！〃



And　I　do　thinkI　repeat；　though　I　said　it　on　a　former　occasionthat

Judge　Douglas　and　whoever；　like　him；　teaches　that　the　negro　has　no

share；　humble　though　it　may　be；　in　the　Declaration　of　Independence；

is　going　back　to　the　era　of　our　liberty　and　independence；　and；　so　far

as　in　him　lies；　muzzling　the　cannon　that　thunders　its　annual　joyous

return；　that　he　is　blowing　out　the　moral　lights　around　us；　when　he

contends　that　whoever　wants　slaves　has　a　right　to　hold　them；　that　he

is　penetrating；　so　far　as　lies　in　his　power；　the　human　soul；　and

eradicating　the　light　of　reason　and　the　love　of　liberty；　when　he　is

in　every　possible　way　preparing　the　public　mind；　by　his　vast

influence；　for　making　the　institution　of　slavery　perpetual　and

national。



There　is；　my　friends；　only　one　other　point　to　which　I　will　call　your

attention　for　the　remaining　time　that　I　have　left　me；　and　perhaps　I

shall　not　occupy　the　entire　time　that　I　have；　as　that　one　point　may

not　take　me　clear　through　it。



Among　the　interrogatories　that　Judge　Douglas　propounded　to　me　at

Freeport；　there　was　one　in　about　this　language：



〃Are　you　opposed　to　the　acquisition　of　any　further　territory　to　the

United　States；　unless　slavery　shall　first　be　prohibited　therein？〃



I　answered；　as　I　thought；　in　this　way：　that　I　am　not　generally

opposed　to　the　acquisition　of　additional　territory；　and　that　I　would

support　a　proposition　for　the　acquisition　of　additional　territory

according　as　my　supporting　it　was　or　was　not　calculated　to　aggravate

this　slavery　question　amongst　us。　　I　then　proposed　to　Judge　Douglas

another　interrogatory；　which　was　correlative　to　that：　〃Are　you　in

favor　of　acquiring　additional　territory；　in　disregard　of　ho