the writings-4-第14章

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reassembled　at　Springfield；　in　State　Convention；　and　adopted　again

their　platform；　as　I　suppose　not　differing　in　any　essential

particular　from　either　of　the　former　ones；　but　perhaps　adding

something　in　relation　to　the　new　developments　of　political　progress

in　the　country。



The　Convention　that　assembled　in　June　last　did　me　the　honor；　if　it　be

one；　and　I　esteem　it　such；　to　nominate　me　as　their　candidate　for　the

United　States　Senate。　　I　have　supposed　that；　in　entering　upon　this

canvass；　I　stood　generally　upon　these　platforms。　　We　are　now　met

together　on　the　13th　of　October　of　the　same　year；　only　four　months

from　the　adoption　of　the　last　platform；　and　I　am　unaware　that　in　this

canvass；　from　the　beginning　until　to…day；　any　one　of　our　adversaries

has　taken　hold　of　our　platforms；　or　laid　his　finger　upon　anything

that　he　calls　wrong　in　them。



In　the　very　first　one　of　these　joint　discussions　between　Senator

Douglas　and　myself；　Senator　Douglas；　without　alluding　at　all　to　these

platforms；　or　any　one　of　them；　of　which　I　have　spoken；　attempted　to

hold　me　responsible　for　a　set　of　resolutions　passed　long　before　the

meeting　of　either　one　of　these　conventions　of　which　I　have　spoken。

And　as　a　ground　for　holding　me　responsible　for　these　resolutions；　he

assumed　that　they　had　been　passed　at　a　State　Convention　of　the

Republican　party；　and　that　I　took　part　in　that　Convention。　　It　was

discovered　afterward　that　this　was　erroneous；　that　the　resolutions

which　he　endeavored　to　hold　me　responsible　for　had　not　been　passed　by

any　State　Convention　anywhere；　had　not　been　passed　at　Springfield；

where　he　supposed　they　had；　or　assumed　that　they　had；　and　that　they

had　been　passed　in　no　convention　in　which　I　had　taken　part。　　The

Judge；　nevertheless；　was　not　willing　to　give　up　the　point　that　he　was

endeavoring　to　make　upon　me；　and　he　therefore　thought　to　still　hold

me　to　the　point　that　he　was　endeavoring　to　make；　by　showing　that　the

resolutions　that　he　read　had　been　passed　at　a　local　convention　in　the

northern　part　of　the　State；　although　it　was　not　a　local　convention

that　embraced　my　residence　at　all；　nor　one　that　reached；　as　I

suppose；　nearer　than　one　hundred　and　fifty　or　two　hundred　miles　of

where　I　was　when　it　met；　nor　one　in　which　I　took　any　part　at　all。　　He

also　introduced　other　resolutions；　passed　at　other　meetings；　and　by

combining　the　whole；　although　they　were　all　antecedent　to　the　two

State　Conventions　and　the　one　National　Convention　I　have　mentioned；

still　he　insisted；　and　now　insists；　as　I　understand；　that　I　am　in

some　way　responsible　for　them。



At　Jonesboro；　on　our　third　meeting；　I　insisted　to　the　Judge　that　I

was　in　no　way　rightfully　held　responsible　for　the　proceedings　of　this

local　meeting　or　convention；　in　which　I　had　taken　no　part；　and　in

which　I　was　in　no　way　embraced；　but　I　insisted　to　him　that　if　he

thought　I　was　responsible　for　every　man　or　every　set　of　men

everywhere；　who　happen　to　be　my　friends；　the　rule　ought　to　work　both

ways；　and　he　ought　to　be　responsible　for　the　acts　and　resolutions　of

all　men　or　sets　of　men　who　were　or　are　now　his　supporters　and

friends；　and　gave　him　a　pretty　long　string　of　resolutions；　passed　by

men　who　are　now　his　friends；　and　announcing　doctrines　for　which　he

does　not　desire　to　be　held　responsible。



This　still　does　not　satisfy　Judge　Douglas。　　He　still　adheres　to　his

proposition；　that　I　am　responsible　for　what　some　of　my　friends　in

different　parts　of　the　State　have　done；　but　that　he　is　not

responsible　for　what　his　have　done。　　At　least；　so　I　understand　him。

But　in　addition　to　that；　the　Judge；　at　our　meeting　in　Galesburgh；

last　week；　undertakes　to　establish　that　I　am　guilty　of　a　species　of

double　dealing　with　the　public；　that　I　make　speeches　of　a　certain

sort　in　the　north；　among　the　Abolitionists；　which　I　would　not　make　in

the　south；　and　that　I　make　speeches　of　a　certain　sort　in　the　south

which　I　would　not　make　in　the　north。　　I　apprehend；　in　the　course　I

have　marked　out　for　myself；　that　I　shall　not　have　to　dwell　at　very

great　length　upon　this　subject。



As　this　was　done　in　the　Judge's　opening　speech　at　Galesburgh；　I　had

an　opportunity；　as　I　had　the　middle　speech　then；　of　saying　something

in　answer　to　it。　　He　brought　forward　a　quotation　or　two　from　a　speech

of　mine　delivered　at　Chicago；　and　then；　to　contrast　with　it；　he

brought　forward　an　extract　from　a　speech　of　mine　at　Charleston；　in

which　he　insisted　that　I　was　greatly　inconsistent；　and　insisted　that

his　conclusion　followed；　that　I　was　playing　a　double　part；　and

speaking　in　one　region　one　way；　and　in　another　region　another　way。　　I

have　not　time　now　to　dwell　on　this　as　long　as　I　would　like；　and　wish

only　now　to　requote　that　portion　of　my　speech　at　Charleston　which　the

Judge　quoted；　and　then　make　some　comments　upon　it。　　This　he　quotes

from　me　as　being　delivered　at　Charleston；　and　I　believe　correctly：



〃I　will　say；　then；　that　I　am　not；　nor　ever　have　been；　in　favor　of

bringing　about　in　any　way　the　social　and　political　equality　of　the

white　and　black　races；　that　I　am　not；　nor　ever　have　been；　in　favor　of

making　voters　or　jurors　of　negroes；　nor　of　qualifying　them　to　hold

office；　nor　to　intermarry　with　white　people；　and　I　will　say；　in

addition　to　this；　that　there　is　a　physical　difference　between　the

white　and　black　races　which　will　forever　forbid　the　two　races　living

together　on　terms　of　social　and　political　equality。　　And　inasmuch　as

they　cannot　so　live　while　they　do　remain　together；　there　must　be　the

position　of　superior　and　inferior。　　I　am　as　much　as　any　other　man　in

favor　of　having　the　superior　position　assigned　to　the　white　race。〃



This；　I　believe；　is　the　entire　quotation　from　Charleston　speech；　as

Judge　Douglas　made　it　his　comments　are　as　follows：



〃Yes；　here　you　find　men　who　hurrah　for　Lincoln；　and　say　he　is　right

when　he　discards　all　distinction　between　races；　or　when　he　declares

that　he　discards　the　doctrine　that　there　is　such　a　thing　as　a

superior　and　inferior　race；　and　Abolitionists　are　required　and

expected　to　vote　for　Mr。　Lincoln　because　he　goes　for　the　equality　of

races；　holding　that　in　the　Declaration　of　Independence　the　white　man

and　negro　were　declared　equal；　and　endowed　by　divine　law　with

equality。　　And　down　South；　with　the　old…line　Whigs；　with　the

Kentuckians；　the　Virginians　and　the　Tennesseeans；　he　tells　you　that

there　is　a　physical　difference　between　the　races；　making　the　one

superior；　the　other　inferior；　and　he　is　in　favor　of　maintaining　the

superiority　of　the　white　race　over　the　negro。〃



Those　are　the　Judges　comments。　　Now；　I　wish　to　show　you　that　a　month；

or　only　lacking　three　days　of　a　month；　before　I　made　the　speech　at

Charleston；　which　the　Judge　quotes　from；　he　had　himself　heard　me　say

substantially　the　same　thing　　It　was　in　our　first　meeting；　at　Ottawa…

…and　I　will　say　a　word　about　where　it　was；　and　the　atmosphere　it　was

in；　after　a　whilebut　at　our　first　meeting；　at　Ottawa；　I　read　an

extract　from　an　old　speech　of　mine；　made　nearly　four　years　ago；　not

merely　to　show　my　sentiments；　but　to　show　that　my　sentiments　were

long　entertained　and　openly　expressed；　in　which　extract　I　expressly

declared　that　my　own　feelings　would　not　admit　a　social　and　political

equality　between　the　white　and　black　races；　and　that　even　if　my　own

feelings　would　admit　of　it；　I　still　knew　that　the　public　sentiment　of

the　country　would　not；　and　that　such　a　thing　was　an　utter

impossibility；　or　substantially　that。　　That　extract　from　my　old

speech　the　reporters　by　some　sort　of　accident　passed　over；　and　it　was

not　reported。　　I　lay　no　blame　upon　anybody。　　I　suppose　they　thought

that　I　would　hand　it　over　to　them；　and　dropped　reporting　while　I　was

giving　it；　but　afterward　went　away　without　getting　it　from　me。　　At

the　end　of　that　quotation　from　my　old　speech；　which　I　read　at　Ottawa；

I　made　the　comments　which　were　reported　at　that　time；　and　which　I

will　now　read；　and　ask　you　to　notice　how　very　nearly　they　are　the

s