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any　free　negro　or　mulatto　from　entering　the　State。　　In　short；　our

Illinois　〃black　1aws〃　were　hidden　away　in　their　constitution

＇Laughter＇；　and　the　controversy　was　thus　revived。　　Then　it　was

that　Mr。　Clay's　talents　shone　out　conspicuously；　and　the

controversy　that　shook　the　union　to　its　foundation　was　finally

settled　to　the　satisfaction　of　the　conservative　parties　on　both

sides　of　the　line；　though　not　to　the　extremists　on　either；　and

Missouri　was　admitted　by　the　small　majority　of　six　in　the　lower

House。　　How　great　a　majority；　do　you　think；　would　have　been　given

had　Kansas　also　been　secured　for　slavery？　　＇A　voice：　〃A　majority

the　other　way。〃＇　〃A　majority　the　other　way；〃　is　answered。　　Do　you

think　it　would　have　been　safe　for　a　Northern　man　to　have

confronted　his　constituents　after　having　voted　to　consign　both

Missouri　and　Kansas　to　hopeless　slavery？　　And　yet　this　man

Douglas；　who　misrepresents　his　constituents　and　who　has　exerted

his　highest　talents　in　that　direction；　will　be　carried　in　triumph

through　the　State　and　hailed　with　honor　while　applauding　that

act。　　＇Three　groans　for　〃Dug！〃＇　And　this　shows　whither　we　are

tending。　　This　thing　of　slavery　is　more　powerful　than　its

supporterseven　than　the　high　priests　that　minister　at　its

altar。　　It　debauches　even　our　greatest　men。　　It　gathers　strength；

like　a　rolling　snowball；　by　its　own　infamy。　　Monstrous　crimes　are

committed　in　its　name　by　persons　collectively　which　they　would

not　dare　to　commit　as　individuals。　　Its　aggressions　and

encroachments　almost　surpass　belief。　　In　a　despotism；　one　might

not　wonder　to　see　slavery　advance　steadily　and　remorselessly　into

new　dominions；　but　is　it　not　wonderful；　is　it　not　even　alarming；

to　see　its　steady　advance　in　a　land　dedicated　to　the　proposition

that　〃all　men　are　created　equal〃？　　＇Sensation。＇



It　yields　nothing　itself；　it　keeps　all　it　has；　and　gets　all　it

can　besides。　　It　really　came　dangerously　near　securing　Illinois

in　1824；　it　did　get　Missouri　in　1821。　　The　first　proposition　was

to　admit　what　is　now　Arkansas　and　Missouri　as　one　slave　State。

But　the　territory　was　divided　and　Arkansas　came　in；　without

serious　question；　as　a　slave　State；　and　afterwards　Missouri；　not；

as　a　sort　of　equality；　free；　but　also　as　a　slave　State。　　Then　we

had　Florida　and　Texas；　and　now　Kansas　is　about　to　be　forced　into

the　dismal　procession。　　＇Sensation。＇　And　so　it　is　wherever　you

look。　　We　have　not　forgottenit　is　but　six　years　sincehow

dangerously　near　California　came　to　being　a　slave　State。　　Texas

is　a　slave　State；　and　four　other　slave　States　may　be　carved　from

its　vast　domain。　　And　yet；　in　the　year　1829；　slavery　was

abolished　throughout　that　vast　region　by　a　royal　decree　of　the

then　sovereign　of　Mexico。　　Will　you　please　tell　me　by　what　right

slavery　exists　in　Texas　to…day？　　By　the　same　right　as；　and　no

higher　or　greater　than；　slavery　is　seeking　dominion　in　Kansas：

by　political　forcepeaceful；　if　that　will　suffice；　by　the　torch

（as　in　Kansas）　and　the　bludgeon　（as　in　the　Senate　chamber）；　if

required。　　And　so　history　repeats　itself；　and　even　as　slavery　has

kept　its　course　by　craft；　intimidation；　and　violence　in　the　past；

so　it　will　persist；　in　my　judgment；　until　met　and　dominated　by

the　will　of　a　people　bent　on　its　restriction。



We　have；　this　very　afternoon；　heard　bitter　denunciations　of

Brooks　in　Washington；　and　Titus；　Stringfellow；　Atchison；　Jones；

and　Shannon　in　Kansasthe　battle…ground　of　slavery。　　I　certainly

am　not　going　to　advocate　or　shield　them；　but　they　and　their　acts

are　but　the　necessary　outcome　of　the　Nebraska　law。　　We　should

reserve　our　highest　censure　for　the　authors　of　the　mischief；　and

not　for　the　catspaws　which　they　use。　　I　believe　it　was

Shakespeare　who　said；　〃Where　the　offence　lies；　there　let　the　axe

fall〃；　and；　in　my　opinion；　this　man　Douglas　and　the　Northern　men

in　Congress　who　advocate　〃Nebraska〃　are　more　guilty　than　a

thousand　Joneses　and　Stringfellows；　with　all　their　murderous

practices；　can　be。　　＇Applause。＇



We　have　made　a　good　beginning　here　to…day。　　As　our　Methodist

friends　would　say；　〃I　feel　it　is　good　to　be　here。〃　While

extremists　may　find　some　fault　with　the　moderation　of　our

platform；　they　should　recollect　that　〃the　battle　is　not　always　to

the　strong；　nor　the　race　to　the　swift。〃　In　grave　emergencies；

moderation　is　generally　safer　than　radicalism；　and　as　this

struggle　is　likely　to　be　long　and　earnest；　we　must　not；　by　our

action；　repel　any　who　are　in　sympathy　with　us　in　the　main；　but

rather　win　all　that　we　can　to　our　standard。　　We　must　not　belittle

nor　overlook　the　facts　of　our　conditionthat　we　are　new　and

comparatively　weak；　while　our　enemies　are　entrenched　and

relatively　strong。　　They　have　the　administration　and　the

political　power；　and；　right　or　wrong；　at　present　they　have　the

numbers。　　Our　friends　who　urge　an　appeal　to　arms　with　so　much

force　and　eloquence　should　recollect　that　the　government　is

arrayed　against　us；　and　that　the　numbers　are　now　arrayed　against

us　as　well；　or；　to　state　it　nearer　to　the　truth；　they　are　not　yet

expressly　and　affirmatively　for　us；　and　we　should　repel　friends

rather　than　gain　them　by　anything　savoring　of　revolutionary

methods。　　As　it　now　stands；　we　must　appeal　to　the　sober　sense　and

patriotism　of　the　people。　　We　will　make　converts　day　by　day；　we

will　grow　strong　by　calmness　and　moderation；　we　will　grow　strong

by　the　violence　and　injustice　of　our　adversaries。　　And；　unless

truth　be　a　mockery　and　justice　a　hollow　lie；　we　will　be　in　the

majority　after　a　while；　and　then　the　revolution　which　we　will

accomplish　will　be　none　the　less　radical　from　being　the　result　of

pacific　measures。　　The　battle　of　freedom　is　to　be　fought　out　on

principle。　　Slavery　is　a　violation　of　the　eternal　right。　　We　have

temporized　with　it　from　the　necessities　of　our　condition；　but　as

sure　as　God　reigns　and　school　children　read；　THAT　BLACK　FOUL　LIE

CAN　NEVER　BE　CONSECRATED　INTO　GOD'S　HALLOWED　TRUTH！　＇Immense

applause　lasting　some　time。＇



One　of　our　greatest　difficulties　is；　that　men　who　know　that

slavery　is　a　detestable　crime　and　ruinous　to　the　nation　are

compelled；　by　our　peculiar　condition　and　other　circumstances；　to

advocate　it　concretely；　though　damning　it　in　the　raw。　　Henry　Clay

was　a　brilliant　example　of　this　tendency；　others　of　our　purest

statesmen　are　compelled　to　do　so；　and　thus　slavery　secures　actual

support　from　those　who　detest　it　at　heart。　　Yet　Henry　Clay

perfected　and　forced　through　the　compromise　which　secured　to

slavery　a　great　State　as　well　as　a　political　advantage。　　Not　that

he　hated　slavery　less；　but　that　he　loved　the　whole　Union　more。

As　long　as　slavery　profited　by　his　great　compromise；　the　hosts　of

proslavery　could　not　sufficiently　cover　him　with　praise；　but　now

that　this　compromise　stands　in　their　way…



〃。。。。they　never　mention　him；

His　name　is　never　heard：

Their　lips　are　now　forbid　to　speak

That　once　familiar　word。〃



They　have　slaughtered　one　of　his　most　cherished　measures；　and　his

ghost　would　arise　to　rebuke　them。　　＇Great　applause。＇



Now；　let　us　harmonize；　my　friends；　and　appeal　to　the　moderation

and　patriotism　of　the　people：　to　the　sober　second　thought；　to　the

awakened　public　conscience。　　The　repeal　of　the　sacred　Missouri

Compromise　has　installed　the　weapons　of　violence：　the　bludgeon；

the　incendiary　torch；　the　death…dealing　rifle；　the　bristling

cannonthe　weapons　of　kingcraft；　of　the　inquisition；　of

ignorance；　of　barbarism；　of　oppression。　　We　see　its　fruits　in　the

dying　bed　of　the　heroic　Sumner；　in　the　ruins　of　the　〃Free　State〃

hotel；　in　the　smoking　embers　of　the　Herald　of　Freedom；　in　the

free…State　Governor　of　Kansas　chained　to　a　stake　on　freedom's

soil　like　a　horse…thief；　for　the　crime　of　freedom。　　＇Applause。＇

We　see　it　in　Christian　statesmen；　and　Christian　newspapers；　and

Christian　pulpits　applauding　the　cowardly　act　of　a　low　bully；　WHO

CRAWLED　UPON　HIS　VICTIM　BEHIND　HIS　BACK　AND　DEALT　THE　DEADLY

BLOW。　　＇Sensation　and　applause。＇　We　note　our　political

demoralization　in　the　catch…words　that　are　coming　into　such

common　use；　on　the　one　hand；　〃freedom…shriekers；〃　and　sometimes

〃freedom…screechers〃　＇Laughter＇；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　〃border…

ruffians；〃　and　that　fully　deserved。　　And　the　significance　of

catch…words　cannot　pass　unheeded；　for　they　constitute　a　sign　of

the　times。　　Everything　in　this　world　〃jibes〃　in　with　everything

else；　and　all　the　fruits　of　this　Nebraska　Bill　are　like　the

poisoned　source　from　which　they　come。　　I　will　not　say　that　we　may

not　sooner　or　later　be　compelled　to　meet　force　by　force；　but　the

time　has　not　yet　come；　and；　if　we　are　true　to　ourselves；　may

never　come。　　Do　not　mistake　that　the　ballot　is　stronger　than　the

bullet。　　Therefore　let　the　legions　of　slavery　use　bullets；　but

let　us　wait　patiently　till　November　and　fire　ballots　at　them　in

return；　and　by　that　peaceful　policy　I　believe　we　shall　ultimately

win。　　＇Applause。＇



It　was　by　that　policy　that　here　in　Illinois　the　early　fathers

fought　the　good　fight　and　gained　the　victory。　　In　1824　the　free

men　of　our　State；　led　by　Governor　Coles　（who　was　a　native　of

Maryland　and　President　Madison's　private　secretary）；　determined

that　those　beautiful　groves　should　never　re…echo　the　dirge　of　one

who　has　no　title　to　himself。　　By　their　resolute　determination；

the　winds　that　sweep　across　our　broad　prairies　shall　never　cool

the　parched　brow；　nor　shall　the　unfettered　streams　that　bring　joy

and　gladness　to　our　free　soil　water　the　tired　feet；　of　a　slave；

but　so　long　as　those　heavenly　breezes　and　sparkling　streams　bless

the　land；　or　the　groves　and　their　fragrance　or　memory　remain；　the

humanity　to　which　they　minister　SHALL　BE　FOREVER　FREE！　＇Great

applause＇　Palmer；　Yates；　Williams；　Browning；　and　some　more　in

this　convention　came　from　Kentucky　to　Illinois　（instead　of　going

to　Missouri）；　not　only　to　better　their　conditions；　but　also　to

get　away　from　slavery。　　They　have　said　so　to　me；　and　it　is