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this　constitutional　power　to　charter　a　bank　has　gone　into　the

Democratic　platform；　at　their　National　Conventions；　and　was

brought　forward　and　reaffirmed　in　their　last　Convention　at

Cincinnati。　　They　have　contended　for　that　declaration；　in　the

very　teeth　of　the　Supreme　Court；　for　more　than　a　quarter　of　a

century。　　In　fact；　they　have　reduced　the　decision　to　an　absolute

nullity。　　That　decision；　I　repeat；　is　repudiated　in　the

Cincinnati　platform；　and　still；　as　if　to　show　that　effrontery　can

go　no　further；　Judge　Douglas　vaunts　in　the　very　speeches　in　which

he　denounces　me　for　opposing　the　Dred　Scott　decision　that　he

stands　on　the　Cincinnati　platform。



Now；　I　wish　to　know　what　the　Judge　can　charge　upon　me；　with

respect　to　decisions　of　the　Supreme　Court；　which　does　not　lie　in

all　its　length；　breadth；　and　proportions　at　his　own　door。　　The

plain　truth　is　simply　this：　Judge　Douglas　is　for　Supreme　Court

decisions　when　he　likes　and　against　them　when　he　does　not　like

them。　　He　is　for　the　Dred　Scott　decision　because　it　tends　to

nationalize　slavery；　because　it　is　part　of　the　original

combination　for　that　object。　　It　so　happens；　singularly　enough；

that　I　never　stood　opposed　to　a　decision　of　the　Supreme　Court

till　this；　on　the　contrary；　I　have　no　recollection　that　he　was

ever　particularly　in　favor　of　one　till　this。　　He　never　was　in

favor　of　any　nor　opposed　to　any；　till　the　present　one；　which

helps　to　nationalize　slavery。



Free　men　of　Sangamon；　free　men　of　Illinois；　free　men　everywhere；

judge　ye　between　him　and　me　upon　this　issue。



He　says　this　Dred　Scott　case　is　a　very　small　matter　at　most；

that　it　has　no　practical　effect；　that　at　best；　or　rather；　I

suppose；　at　worst；　it　is　but　an　abstraction。　　I　submit　that　the

proposition　that　the　thing　which　determines　whether　a　man　is　free

or　a　slave　is　rather　concrete　than　abstract。　　I　think　you　would

conclude　that　it　was；　if　your　liberty　depended　upon　it；　and　so

would　Judge　Douglas；　if　his　liberty　depended　upon　it。　　But

suppose　it　was　on　the　question　of　spreading　slavery　over　the　new

Territories　that　he　considers　it　as　being　merely　an　abstract

matter；　and　one　of　no　practical　importance。　　How　has　the　planting

of　slavery　in　new　countries　always　been　effected？　　It　has　now

been　decided　that　slavery　cannot　be　kept　out　of　our　new

Territories　by　any　legal　means。　　In　what　do　our　new　Territories

now　differ　in　this　respect　from　the　old　Colonies　when　slavery　was

first　planted　within　them？　　It　was　planted；　as　Mr。　Clay　once

declared；　and　as　history　proves　true；　by　individual　men；　in　spite

of　the　wishes　of　the　people；　the　Mother　Government　refusing　to

prohibit　it；　and　withholding　from　the　people　of　the　Colonies　the

authority　to　prohibit　it　for　themselves。　　Mr。　Clay　says　this　was

one　of　the　great　and　just　causes　of　complaint　against　Great

Britain　by　the　Colonies；　and　the　best　apology　we　can　now　make　for

having　the　institution　amongst　us。　　In　that　precise　condition　our

Nebraska　politicians　have　at　last　succeeded　in　placing　our　own

new　Territories；　the　government　will　not　prohibit　slavery　within

them；　nor　allow　the　people　to　prohibit　it。



I　defy　any　man　to　find　any　difference　between　the　policy　which

originally　planted　slavery　in　these　Colonies　and　that　policy

which　now　prevails　in　our　new　Territories。　　If　it　does　not　go

into　them；　it　is　only　because　no　individual　wishes　it　to　go。　　The

Judge　indulged　himself　doubtless　to…day　with　the　question　as　to

what　I　am　going　to　do　with　or　about　the　Dred　Scott　decision。

Well；　Judge；　will　you　please　tell　me　what　you　did　about　the　bank

decision？　　Will　you　not　graciously　allow　us　to　do　with　the　Dred

Scott　decision　precisely　as　you　did　with　the　bank　decision？　　You

succeeded　in　breaking　down　the　moral　effect　of　that　decision：　did

you　find　it　necessary　to　amend　the　Constitution；　or　to　set　up　a

court　of　negroes　in　order　to　do　it？



There　is　one　other　point。　　Judge　Douglas　has　a　very　affectionate

leaning　toward　the　Americans　and　Old　Whigs。　　Last　evening；　in　a

sort　of　weeping　tone；　he　described　to　us　a　death…bed　scene。　　He

had　been　called　to　the　side　of　Mr。　Clay；　in　his　last　moments；　in

order　that　the　genius　of　〃popular　sovereignty〃　might　duly　descend

from　the　dying　man　and　settle　upon　him；　the　living　and　most

worthy　successor。　　He　could　do　no　less　than　promise　that　he　would

devote　the　remainder　of　his　life　to　〃popular　sovereignty〃；　and

then　the　great　statesman　departs　in　peace。　　By　this　part　of　the

〃plan　of　the　campaign〃　the　Judge　has　evidently　promised　himself

that　tears　shall　be　drawn　down　the　cheeks　of　all　Old　Whigs；　as

large　as　half…grown　apples。



Mr。　Webster；　too；　was　mentioned；　but　it　did　not　quite　come　to　a

death…bed　scene　as　to　him。　　It　would　be　amusing；　if　it　were　not

disgusting；　to　see　how　quick　these　compromise…breakers　administer

on　the　political　effects　of　their　dead　adversaries；　trumping　up

claims　never　before　heard　of；　and　dividing　the　assets　among

themselves。　　If　I　should　be　found　dead　to…morrow　morning；　nothing


but　my　insignificance　could　prevent　a　speech　being　made　on　my

authority；　before　the　end　of　next　week。　　It　so　happens　that　in

that　〃popular　sovereignty〃　with　which　Mr。　Clay　was　identified；

the　Missouri　Compromise　was　expressly　reversed；　and　it　was　a

little　singular　if　Mr。　Clay　cast　his　mantle　upon　Judge　Douglas　on

purpose　to　have　that　compromise　repealed。



Again；　the　Judge　did　not　keep　faith　with　Mr。　Clay　when　he　first

brought　in　his　Nebraska　Bill。　　He　left　the　Missouri　Compromise

unrepealed；　and　in　his　report　accompanying　the　bill　he　told　the

world　he　did　it　on　purpose。　　The　manes　of　Mr。　Clay　must　have　been

in　great　agony　till　thirty　days　later；　when　〃popular　sovereignty〃

stood　forth　in　all　its　glory。



One　more　thing。　　Last　night　Judge　Douglas　tormented　himself　with

horrors　about　my　disposition　to　make　negroes　perfectly　equal　with

white　men　in　social　and　political　relations。　　He　did　not　stop　to

show　that　I　have　said　any　such　thing；　or　that　it　legitimately

follows　from　anything　I　have　said；　but　he　rushes　on　with　his

assertions。　　I　adhere　to　the　Declaration　of　Independence。　　If

Judge　Douglas　and　his　friends　are　not　willing　to　stand　by　it；　let

them　come　up　and　amend　it。　　Let　them　make　it　read　that　all　men

are　created　equal　except　negroes。　　Let　us　have　it　decided　whether

the　Declaration　of　Independence；　in　this　blessed　year　of　1858；

shall　be　thus　amended。　　In　his　construction　of　the　Declaration

last　year；　he　said　it　only　meant　that　Americans　in　America　were

equal　to　Englishmen　in　England。　　Then；　when　I　pointed　out　to　him

that　by　that　rule　he　excludes　the　Germans；　the　Irish；　the

Portuguese；　and　all　the　other　people　who　have　come　among　us　since

the　revolution；　he　reconstructs　his　construction。　　In　his　last

speech　he　tells　us　it　meant　Europeans。



I　press　him　a　little　further；　and　ask　if　it　meant　to　include　the

Russians　in　Asia；　or　does　he　mean　to　exclude　that　vast　population

from　the　principles　of　our　Declaration　of　Independence？　　I　expect

ere　long　he　will　introduce　another　amendment　to　his　definition。

He　is　not　at　all　particular。　　He　is　satisfied　with　anything　which

does　not　endanger　the　nationalizing　of　negro　slavery。　　It　may

draw　white　men　down；　but　it　must　not　lift　negroes　up。



Who　shall　say；　〃I　am　the　superior；　and　you　are　the　inferior〃？



My　declarations　upon　this　subject　of　negro　slavery　may　be

misrepresented；　but　cannot　be　misunderstood。　　I　have　said　that　I

do　not　understand　the　Declaration　to　mean　that　all　men　were

created　equal　in　all　respects。　　They　are　not　our　equal　in　color；

but　I　suppose　that　it　does　mean　to　declare　that　all　men　are　equal

in　some　respects；　they　are　equal　in　their　right　to　〃life；

liberty；　and　the　pursuit　of　happiness。〃　　Certainly　the　negro　is

not　our　equal　in　color；　perhaps　not　in　many　other　respects；

still；　in　the　right　to　put　into　his　mouth　the　bread　that　his　own

hands　have　earned；　he　is　the　equal　of　every　other　man；　white　or

black。　　In　pointing　out　that　more　has　been　given　you；　you　cannot

be　justified　in　taking　away　the　little　which　has　been　given　him。

All　I　ask　for　the　negro　is　that　if　you　do　not　like　him；　let　him

alone。　　If　God　gave　him　but　little；　that　little　let　him　enjoy。



When　our　government　was　established　we　had　the　institution　of

slavery　among　us。　　We　were　in　a　certain　sense　compelled　to

tolerate　its　existence。　　It　was　a　sort　of　necessity。　　We　had　gone

through　our　struggle　and　secured　our　own　independence。　　The

framers　of　the　Constitution　found　the　institution　of　slavery

amongst　their　own　institutions　at　the　time。　　They　found　that　by

an　effort　to　eradicate　it　they　might　lose　much　of　what　they　had

already　gained。　　They　were　obliged　to　bow　to　the　necessity。　　They

gave　power　to　Congress　to　abolish　the　slave　trade　at　the　end　of

twenty　years。　　They　also　prohibited　it　in　the　Territories　where

it　did　not　exist。　　They　did　what　they　could；　and　yielded　to　the

necessity　for　the　rest。　　I　also　yield　to　all　which　follows　from

that　necessity。　　What　I　would　most　desire　would　be　the　separation

of　the　white　and　black　races。



One　more　point　on　this　Springfield　speech　which　Judge　Douglas

says　he　has　read　so　carefully。　　I　expressed　my　belief　in　the

existence　of　a　conspiracy　to　perpetuate　and　nationalize　slavery。

I　did　not　profess　to　know　it；　nor　do　I　now。　　I　showed　the　part

Judge　Douglas　had　played　in　the　string　of　facts　constituting　to

my　mind　the　proof　of　that　conspiracy。　　I　showed　the　parts　played

by　others。



I　charged　that　the　people　had　been　deceived　into　carrying　the

last　Presidential　election；　by　the　impression　that　the　people　of

the　Territories　might　exclude　slavery　if　they　chose；　when　it　was

known　in　advance　by　the　conspirators　that　the　court　was　to　decide

that　neither　Congress　nor　the　people　could　so　exclude　slavery。

These　charges　are　more　distinctly　made　than　anything　else　in　the

speech。



Judge　Douglas　has　carefully　read　and　reread　that　spee