the writings-2-第26章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





A。　B。　MOREAU；　ESQ。



SIR：Stranger　though　I　am；　personally；　being　a　brother　in　the

faith；　I　venture　to　write　you。　　Yates　can　not　come　to　your　court

next　week。　　He　is　obliged　to　be　at　Pike　court　where　he　has　a

case；　with　a　fee　of　five　hundred　dollars；　two　hundred　dollars

already　paid。　　To　neglect　it　would　be　unjust　to　himself；　and

dishonest　to　his　client。　　Harris　will　be　with　you；　head　up　and

tail　up；　for　Nebraska。　　You　must　have　some　one　to　make　an　anti…

Nebraska　speech。　　Palmer　is　the　best；　if　you　can　get　him；　I

think。　　Jo。　　Gillespie；　if　you　can　not　get　Palmer；　and　somebody

anyhow；　if　you　can　get　neither。　　But　press　Palmer　hard。　　It　is　in

his　Senatorial　district；　I　believe。



Yours　etc。；



A。　LINCOLN。









REPLY　TO　SENATOR　DOUGLASPEORIA　SPEECH



SPEECH　AT　PEORIA；　ILLINOIS；

IN　REPLY　TO　SENATOR　DOUGLAS；



OCTOBER　16；　1854。



I　do　not　rise　to　speak　now；　if　I　can　stipulate　with　the　audience

to　meet　me　here　at　half…past　six　or　at　seven　o'clock。　　It　is　now

several　minutes　past　five；　and　Judge　Douglas　has　spoken　over

three　hours。　　If　you　hear　me　at　all；　I　wish　you　to　hear　me

through。　　It　will　take　me　as　long　as　it　has　taken　him。　　That　will

carry　us　beyond　eight　o'clock　at　night。　　Now；　every　one　of　you

who　can　remain　that　long　can　just　as　well　get　his　supper；　meet　me

at　seven；　and　remain　an　hour　or　two　later。　　The　Judge　has　already

informed　you　that　he　is　to　have　an　hour　to　reply　to　me。　　I　doubt

not　but　you　have　been　a　little　surprised　to　learn　that　I　have

consented　to　give　one　of　his　high　reputation　and　known　ability

this　advantage　of　me。　　Indeed；　my　consenting　to　it；　though

reluctant；　was　not　wholly　unselfish；　for　I　suspected；　if　it　were

understood　that　the　Judge　was　entirely　done；　you　Democrats　would

leave　and　not　hear　me；　but　by　giving　him　the　close；　I　felt

confident　you　would　stay　for　the　fun　of　hearing　him　skin　me。



The　audience　signified　their　assent　to　the　arrangement；　and

adjourned　to　seven　o'clock　P。M。；　at　which　time　they　reassembled；

and　Mr。　Lincoln　spoke　substantially　as　follows：



The　repeal　of　the　Missouri　Compromise；　and　the　propriety　of　its

restoration；　constitute　the　subject　of　what　I　am　about　to　say。

As　I　desire　to　present　my　own　connected　view　of　this　subject；　my

remarks　will　not　be　specifically　an　answer　to　Judge　Douglas；　yet；

as　I　proceed；　the　main　points　he　has　presented　will　arise；　and

will　receive　such　respectful　attention　as　I　may　be　able　to　give

them。　　I　wish　further　to　say　that　I　do　not　propose　to　question

the　patriotism　or　to　assail　the　motives　of　any　man　or　class　of

men；　but　rather　to　confine　myself　strictly　to　the　naked　merits　of

the　question。　　I　also　wish　to　be　no　less　than　national　in　all　the

positions　I　may　take；　and　whenever　I　take　ground　which　others

have　thought；　or　may　think；　narrow；　sectional；　and　dangerous　to

the　Union；　I　hope　to　give　a　reason　which　will　appear　sufficient；

at　least　to　some；　why　I　think　differently。



And　as　this　subject　is　no　other　than　part　and　parcel　of　the

larger　general　question　of　domestic　slavery；　I　wish　to　make　and

to　keep　the　distinction　between　the　existing　institution　and　the

extension　of　it　so　broad　and　so　clear　that　no　honest　man　can

misunderstand　me；　and　no　dishonest　one　successfully　misrepresent

me。



In　order　to　a　clear　understanding　of　what　the　Missouri　Compromise

is；　a　short　history　of　the　preceding　kindred　subjects　will

perhaps　be　proper。



When　we　established　our　independence；　we　did　not　own　or　claim　the

country　to　which　this　compromise　applies。　　Indeed；　strictly

speaking；　the　Confederacy　then　owned　no　country　at　all；　the

States　respectively　owned　the　country　within　their　limits；　and

some　of　them　owned　territory　beyond　their　strict　State　limits。

Virginia　thus　owned　the　Northwestern　Territorythe　country　out

of　which　the　principal　part　of　Ohio；　all　Indiana；　all　Illinois；

all　Michigan；　and　all　Wisconsin　have　since　been　formed。　　She　also

owned　（perhaps　within　her　then　limits）　what　has　since　been　formed

into　the　State　of　Kentucky。　　North　Carolina　thus　owned　what　is

now　the　State　of　Tennessee；　and　South　Carolina　and　Georgia　owned；

in　separate　parts；　what　are　now　Mississippi　and　Alabama。

Connecticut；　I　think；　owned　the　little　remaining　part　of　Ohio；

being　the　same　where　they　now　send　Giddings　to　Congress　and　beat

all　creation　in　making　cheese。



These　territories；　together　with　the　States　themselves；

constitute　all　the　country　over　which　the　Confederacy　then

claimed　any　sort　of　jurisdiction。　　We　were　then　living　under　the

Articles　of　Confederation；　which　were　superseded　by　the

Constitution　several　years　afterward。　　The　question　of　ceding　the

territories　to　the　General　Government　was　set　on　foot。　　Mr。

Jefferson；the　author　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　and

otherwise　a　chief　actor　in　the　Revolution；　then　a　delegate　in

Congress；　afterward；　twice　President；　who　was；　is；　and　perhaps

will　continue　to　be；　the　most　distinguished　politician　of　our

history；　a　Virginian　by　birth　and　continued　residence；　and　withal

a　slaveholder；conceived　the　idea　of　taking　that　occasion　to

prevent　slavery　ever　going　into　the　Northwestern　Territory。　　He

prevailed　on　the　Virginia　Legislature　to　adopt　his　views；　and　to

cede　the　Territory；　making　the　prohibition　of　slavery　therein　a

condition　of　the　deed。　　（Jefferson　got　only　an　understanding；　not

a　condition　of　the　deed　to　this　wish。）　Congress　accepted　the

cession　with　the　condition；　and　the　first　ordinance　（which　the

acts　of　Congress　were　then　called）　for　the　government　of　the

Territory　provided　that　slavery　should　never　be　permitted

therein。　　This　is　the　famed　〃Ordinance　of　'87；〃　so　often　spoken

of。



Thenceforward　for　sixty…one　years；　and　until；　in　1848；　the　last

scrap　of　this　Territory　came　into　the　Union　as　the　State　of

Wisconsin；　all　parties　acted　in　quiet　obedience　to　this

ordinance。　　It　is　now　what　Jefferson　foresaw　and　intendedthe

happy　home　of　teeming　millions　of　free；　white；　prosperous　people；

and　no　slave　among　them。



Thus；　with　the　author　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　the

policy　of　prohibiting　slavery　in　new　territory　originated。　　Thus；

away　back　to　the　Constitution；　in　the　pure；　fresh；　free　breath　of

the　Revolution；　the　State　of　Virginia　and　the　national　Congress

put　that　policy　into　practice。　　Thus；　through　more　than　sixty　of

the　best　years　of　the　republic；　did　that　policy　steadily　work　to

its　great　and　beneficent　end。　　And　thus；　in　those　five　States；

and　in　five　millions　of　free；　enterprising　people；　we　have　before

us　the　rich　fruits　of　this　policy。



But　now　new　light　breaks　upon　us。　　Now　Congress　declares　this

ought　never　to　have　been；　and　the　like　of　it　must　never　be　again。

The　sacred　right　of　self…government　is　grossly　violated　by　it。

We　even　find　some　men　who　drew　their　first　breathand　every

other　breath　of　their　livesunder　this　very　restriction；　now

live　in　dread　of　absolute　suffocation　if　they　should　be

restricted　in　the　〃sacred　right〃　of　taking　slaves　to　Nebraska。

That　perfect　liberty　they　sigh　forthe　liberty　of　making　slaves

of　other　people；　Jefferson　never　thought　of；　their　own　fathers

never　thought　of；　they　never　thought　of　themselves；　a　year　ago。

How　fortunate　for　them　they　did　not　sooner　become　sensible　of

their　great　misery！　Oh；　how　difficult　it　is　to　treat　with　respect

such　assaults　upon　all　we　have　ever　really　held　sacred！



But　to　return　to　history。　　In　1803　we　purchased　what　was　then

called　Louisiana；　of　France。　　It　included　the　present　States　of

Louisiana；　Arkansas；　Missouri；　and　Iowa；　also　the　Territory　of

Minnesota；　and　the　present　bone　of　contention；　Kansas　and

Nebraska。　　Slavery　already　existed　among　the　French　at　New

Orleans；　and　to　some　extent　at　St。　　Louis。　　In　1812　Louisiana

came　into　the　Union　as　a　slave　State；　without　controversy。　　In

1818　or　'19；　Missouri　showed　signs　of　a　wish　to　come　in　with

slavery。　　This　was　resisted　by　Northern　members　of　Congress；　and

thus　began　the　first　great　slavery　agitation　in　the　nation。　　This

controversy　lasted　several　months；　and　became　very　angry　and

excitingthe　House　of　Representatives　voting　steadily　for　the

prohibition　of　slavery　in　Missouri；　and　the　Senate　voting　as

steadily　against　it。　　Threats　of　the　breaking　up　of　the　Union

were　freely　made；　and　the　ablest　public　men　of　the　day　became

seriously　alarmed。　　At　length　a　compromise　was　made；　in　which；　as

in　all　compromises；　both　sides　yielded　something。　　It　was　a　law；

passed　on　the　6th　of　March；　1820；　providing　that　Missouri　might

come　into　the　Union　with　slavery；　but　that　in　all　the　remaining

part　of　the　territory　purchased　of　France　which　lies　north　of

thirty…six　degrees　and　thirty　minutes　north　latitude；　slavery

should　never　be　permitted。　　This　provision　of　law　is　the

〃Missouri　Compromise。〃　In　excluding　slavery　north　of　the　line；

the　same　language　is　employed　as　in　the　Ordinance　of　1787。　　It

directly　applied　to　Iowa；　Minnesota；　and　to　the　present　bone　of

contention；　Kansas　and　Nebraska。　　Whether　there　should　or　should

not　be　slavery　south　of　that　line；　nothing　was　said　in　the　law。

But　Arkansas　constituted　the　principal　remaining　part　south　of

the　line；　and　it　has　since　been　admitted　as　a　slave　State；

without　serious　controversy。　　More　recently；　Iowa；　north　of　the

line；　came　in　as　a　free　State　without　controversy。　　Still　later；

Minnesota；　north　of　the　line；　had　a　territorial　organization

without　controversy。　　Texas；　principally　south　of　the　line；　and

west　of　Arkansas；　though　originally　within　the　purchase　from

France；　had；　in　1819；　been　traded　off　to　Spain　in　our　treaty　for

the　acquisition　of　Florida。　　It　had　thus　become　a　part　of　Mexico。

Mexico　revolutionized　and　became　independent　of　Spain。　　American

citizens　began　settling　rapidly　with　their　slaves　in　the　southern

part　of　Texas。　　Soon　they　revolutionized　against　Mexico；　and

established　an　independent　government　of　their　own；　adopting　a

constitution　with　slavery；　strongly　resembling　the　constitutions

of　our　slave　States。　　By　still　another　rapid　move；　Texas；

claiming　a　boundary　much　farther　west　than　when　we　parted　with

her　in　1819；　was　brought　back　to　the　United　States；　and　admitted

into　the　Union　as　a　slave　State。　　Then　there　was　little　or　no

settlement　in　the　northern　part　of　Texas；　a　considerable　portion

of　which　lay　north　of　the　Missouri　line；　and　in　the　resolutions

admitting　her　into　the　Union；　the　Missouri　restriction　was

expressly　extended　westward　across　her　territory。　　This　was　in

1845；　only　nine　years　ago。



Thus　originated　the　Missouri　Compromise；　and　thus　has　it　been

respected　down　to　1845。　　And　even　four　years　later；　in　1849；　our

distinguished　Senator；　in　a　public　address；　held　the　following

language　in　relation　to　it：



〃The　Missouri　Compromise　has　been　in　practical　operation　for

about　a　quarter　of　a　century；　and　has　received　the　sanction　and

approbation　of　men　of　all　parti