the writings-4-第23章

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the　opponents　of　slavery　will　arrest　the　further　spread　of　it；　and

place　it　where　the　public　mind　shall　rest　in　the　belief　that　it　is　in

the　course　of　ultimate　extinction；　or　its　advocates　will　push　it

forward　till　it　shall　become　alike　lawful　in　all　the　States；　old　as

well　as　new；　North　as　well　as　South。〃



That　extract　and　the　sentiments　expressed　in　it　have　been　extremely

offensive　to　Judge　Douglas。　　He　has　warred　upon　them　as　Satan　wars

upon　the　Bible。　　His　perversions　upon　it　are　endless。　　Here　now　are

my　views　upon　it　in　brief：



I　said　we　were　now　far　into　the　fifth　year　since　a　policy　was

initiated　with　the　avowed　object　and　confident　promise　of　putting　an

end　to　the　slavery　agitation。　　Is　it　not　so？　　When　that　Nebraska　Bill

was　brought　forward　four　years　ago　last　January；　was　it　not　for　the

〃avowed　object〃　of　putting　an　end　to　the　slavery　agitation？　　We　were

to　have　no　more　agitation　in　Congress；　it　was　all　to　be　banished　to

the　Territories。　　By　the　way；　I　will　remark　here　that；　as　Judge

Douglas　is　very　fond　of　complimenting　Mr。　Crittenden　in　these　days；

Mr。　Crittenden　has　said　there　was　a　falsehood　in　that　whole　business；

for　there　was　no　slavery　agitation　at　that　time　to　allay。　　We　were

for　a　little　while　quiet　on　the　troublesome　thing；　and　that　very

allaying　plaster　of　Judge　Douglas's　stirred　it　up　again。　　But　was　it

not　understood　or　intimated　with　the　〃confident　promise〃　of　putting

an　end　to　the　slavery　agitation？　　Surely　it　was。　　In　every　speech　you

heard　Judge　Douglas　make；　until　he　got　into　this　〃imbroglio；〃　as　they

call　it；　with　the　Administration　about　the　Lecompton　Constitution；

every　speech　on　that　Nebraska　Bill　was　full　of　his　felicitations　that

we　were　just　at　the　end　of　the　slavery　agitation。　　The　last　tip　of

the　last　joint　of　the　old　serpent's　tail　was　just　drawing　out　of

view。　　But　has　it　proved　so？　　I　have　asserted　that　under　that　policy

that　agitation　〃has　not　only　not　ceased；　but　has　constantly

augmented。〃　　When　was　there　ever　a　greater　agitation　in　Congress　than

last　winter？　　When　was　it　as　great　in　the　country　as　to…day？



There　was　a　collateral　object　in　the　introduction　of　that　Nebraska

policy；　which　was　to　clothe　the　people　of　the　Territories　with　a

superior　degree　of　self…government；　beyond　what　they　had　ever　had

before。　　The　first　object　and　the　main　one　of　conferring　upon　the

people　a　higher　degree　of　〃self…government〃　is　a　question　of　fact　to

be　determined　by　you　in　answer　to　a　single　question。　　Have　you　ever

heard　or　known　of　a　people　anywhere　on　earth　who　had　as　little　to　do

as；　in　the　first　instance　of　its　use；　the　people　of　Kansas　had　with

this　same　right　of　〃self…government　〃？　　In　its　main　policy　and　in　its

collateral　object；　it　has　been　nothing　but　a　living；　creeping　lie

from　the　time　of　its　introduction　till　to…day。



I　have　intimated　that　I　thought　the　agitation　would　not　cease　until　a

crisis　should　have　been　reached　and　passed。　　I　have　stated　in　what

way　I　thought　it　would　be　reached　and　passed。　　I　have　said　that　it

might　go　one　way　or　the　other。　　We　might；　by　arresting　the　further

spread　of　it；　and　placing　it　where　the　fathers　originally　placed　it；

put　it　where　the　public　mind　should　rest　in　the　belief　that　it　was　in

the　course　of　ultimate　extinction。　　Thus　the　agitation　may　cease。　　It

may　be　pushed　forward　until　it　shall　become　alike　lawful　in　all　the

States；　old　as　well　as　new；　North　as　well　as　South。　　I　have　said；　and

I　repeat；　my　wish　is　that　the　further　spread　of　it　may　be　arrested；

and　that　it　may　be　　where　the　public　mind　shall　rest　in　the　belief

that　it　is　in　the　course　of　ultimate　extinctionI　have　expressed

that　as　my　wish　　I　entertain　the　opinion；　upon　evidence　sufficient　to

my　mind；　that　the　fathers　of　this　government　placed　that　institution

where　the　public　mind　did　rest　in　the　belief　that　it　was　in　the

course　of　ultimate　extinction。　　Let　me　ask　why　they　made　provision

that　the　source　of　slaverythe　African　slave…tradeshould　be　cut

off　at　the　end　of　twenty　years？　　Why　did　they　make　provision　that　in

all　the　new　territory　we　owned　at　that　time　slavery　should　be　forever

inhibited？　　Why　stop　its　spread　in　one　direction；　and　cut　off　its

source　in　another；　if　they　did　not　look　to　its　being　placed　in　the

course　of　its　ultimate　extinction？



Again：　the　institution　of　slavery　is　only　mentioned　in　the

Constitution　of　the　United　States　two　or　three　times；　and　in　neither

of　these　cases　does　the　word　〃slavery〃　or　〃negro　race〃　occur；　but

covert　language　is　used　each　time；　and　for　a　purpose　full　of

significance。　　What　is　the　language　in　regard　to　the　prohibition　of

the　African　slave…trade？　　It　runs　in　about　this　way：



〃The　migration　or　importation　of　such　persons　as　any　of　the　States

now　existing　shall　think　proper　to　admit；　shall　not　be　prohibited　by

the　Congress　prior　to　the　year　one　thousand　eight　hundred　and　eight。〃



The　next　allusion　in　the　Constitution　to　the　question　of　slavery　and

the　black　race　is　on　the　subject　of　the　basis　of　representation；　and

there　the　language　used　is：



〃Representatives　and　direct　taxes　shall　be　apportioned　among　the

several　States　which　may　be　included　within　this　Union；　according　to

their　respective　numbers；　which　shall　be　determined　by　adding　to　the

whole　number　of　free　persons；　including　those　bound　to　service　for　a

term　of　years；　and　excluding　Indians　not　taxed；　　three…fifths　of　all

other　persons。〃



It　says　〃persons；〃　not　slaves；　not　negroes；　but　this　〃three…fifths〃

can　be　applied　to　no　other　class　among　us　than　the　negroes。



Lastly；　in　the　provision　for　the　reclamation　of　fugitive　slaves；　it

is　said：



〃No　person　held　to　service　or　labor　in　one　State；　under　the　laws

thereof；　escaping　into　another；　shall　in　consequence　of　any　law　or

regulation　therein　be　discharged　from　such　service　or　labor；　but

shall　be　delivered　up；　on　claim　of　the　party　to　whom　such　service　or

labor　may　be　due。〃



There　again　there　is　no　mention　of　the　word　〃negro〃　or　of　slavery。

In　all　three　of　these　places；　being　the　only　allusions　to　slavery　in

the　instrument；　covert　language　is　used。　　Language　is　used　not

suggesting　that　slavery　existed　or　that　the　black　race　were　among　us。

And　I　understand　the　contemporaneous　history　of　those　times　to　be

that　covert　language　was　used　with　a　purpose；　and　that　purpose　was

that　in　our　Constitution；　which　it　was　hoped　and　is　still　hoped　will

endure　forever；when　it　should　be　read　by　intelligent　and　patriotic

men；　after　the　institution　of　slavery　had　passed　from　among　us；

there　should　be　nothing　on　the　face　of　the　great　charter　of　liberty

suggesting　that　such　a　thing　as　negro　slavery　had　ever　existed　among

us。　　This　is　part　of　the　evidence　that　the　fathers　of　the　government

expected　and　intended　the　institution　of　slavery　to　come　to　an　end。

They　expected　and　intended　that　it　should　be　in　the　course　of

ultimate　extinction。　　And　when　I　say　that　I　desire　to　see　the　further

spread　of　it　arrested；　I　only　say　I　desire　to　see　that　done　which　the

fathers　have　first　done。　　When　I　say　I　desire　to　see　it　placed　where

the　public　mind　will　rest　in　the　belief　that　it　is　in　the　course　of

ultimate　extinction；　I　only　say　I　desire　to　see　it　placed　where　they

placed　it。　　It　is　not　true　that　our　fathers；　as　Judge　Douglas

assumes；　made　this　government　part　slave　and　part　free。　　Understand

the　sense　in　which　he　puts　it。　　He　assumes　that　slavery　is　a　rightful

thing　within　itself；was　introduced　by　the　framers　of　the

Constitution。　　The　exact　truth　is；　that　they　found　the　institution

existing　among　us；　and　they　left　it　as　they　found　it。　　But　in　making

the　government　they　left　this　institution　with　many　clear　marks　of

disapprobation　upon　it。　　They　found　slavery　among　them；　and　they　left

it　among　them　because　of　the　difficultythe　absolute　impossibility

of　its　immediate　removal。　　And　when　Judge　Douglas　asks　me　why　we

cannot　let　it　remain　part　slave　and　part　free；　as　the　fathers　of　the

gover