the writings-2-第40章

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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

understood　among　us　Kentuckians　that　we　don't　like　it　one　bit。

Now；　can　we；　mindful　of　the　blessings　of　liberty　which　the　early

men　of　Illinois　left　to　us；　refuse　a　like　privilege　to　the　free

men　who　seek　to　plant　Freedom's　banner　on　our　Western　outposts？

＇〃No！〃　〃No！〃＇　Should　we　not　stand　by　our　neighbors　who　seek　to

better　their　conditions　in　Kansas　and　Nebraska？　　＇〃Yes！〃　〃Yes！〃＇

Can　we　as　Christian　men；　and　strong　and　free　ourselves；　wield　the

sledge　or　hold　the　iron　which　is　to　manacle　anew　an　already

oppressed　race？　　＇〃No！〃　〃No！〃＇　〃Woe　unto　them；〃　it　is　written；

〃that　decree　unrighteous　decrees　and　that　write　grievousness

which　they　have　prescribed。〃　Can　we　afford　to　sin　any　more　deeply

against　human　liberty？　　＇〃No！〃　〃No！〃＇



One　great　trouble　in　the　matter　is；　that　slavery　is　an　insidious

and　crafty　power；　and　gains　equally　by　open　violence　of　the

brutal　as　well　as　by　sly　management　of　the　peaceful。　　Even　after

the　Ordinance　of　1787；　the　settlers　in　Indiana　and　Illinois　（it

was　all　one　government　then）　tried　to　get　Congress　to　allow

slavery　temporarily；　and　petitions　to　that　end　were　sent　from

Kaskaskia；　and　General　Harrison；　the　Governor；　urged　it　from

Vincennes；　the　capital。　　If　that　had　succeeded；　good…bye　to

liberty　here。　　But　John　Randolph　of　Virginia　made　a　vigorous

report　against　it；　and　although　they　persevered　so　well　as　to　get

three　favorable　reports　for　it；　yet　the　United　States　Senate；

with　the　aid　of　some　slave　States；　finally　squelched　if　for　good。

＇Applause。＇　And　that　is　why　this　hall　is　to…day　a　temple　for　free

men　instead　of　a　negro　livery…stable。　　＇Great　applause　and

laughter。＇　Once　let　slavery　get　planted　in　a　locality；　by　ever　so

weak　or　doubtful　a　title；　and　in　ever　so　small　numbers；　and　it　is

like　the　Canada　thistle　or　Bermuda　grassyou　can't　root　it　out。

You　yourself　may　detest　slavery；　but　your　neighbor　has　five　or

six　slaves；　and　he　is　an　excellent　neighbor；　or　your　son　has

married　his　daughter；　and　they　beg　you　to　help　save　their

property；　and　you　vote　against　your　interests　and　principle　to

accommodate　a　neighbor；　hoping　that　your　vote　will　be　on　the

losing　side。　　And　others　do　the　same；　and　in　those　ways　slavery

gets　a　sure　foothold。　　And　when　that　is　done　the　whole　mighty

Unionthe　force　of　the　nationis　committed　to　its　support。　　And

that　very　process　is　working　in　Kansas　to…day。　　And　you　must

recollect　that　the　slave　property　is　worth　a　billion　of　dollars；

while　free…State　men　must　work　for　sentiment　alone。　　Then　there

are　〃blue　lodges〃as　they　call　themeverywhere　doing　their

secret　and　deadly　work。



It　is　a　very　strange　thing；　and　not　solvable　by　any　moral　law

that　I　know　of；　that　if　a　man　loses　his　horse；　the　whole　country

will　turn　out　to　help　hang　the　thief；　but　if　a　man　but　a　shade　or

two　darker　than　I　am　is　himself　stolen；　the　same　crowd　will　hang

one　who　aids　in　restoring　him　to　liberty。　　Such　are　the

inconsistencies　of　slavery；　where　a　horse　is　more　sacred　than　a

man；　and　the　essence　of　squatter　or　popular　sovereigntyI　don't

care　how　you　call　itis　that　if　one　man　chooses　to　make　a　slave

of　another；　no　third　man　shall　be　allowed　to　object。　　And　if　you

can　do　this　in　free　Kansas；　and　it　is　allowed　to　stand；　the　next

thing　you　will　see　is　shiploads　of　negroes　from　Africa　at　the

wharf　at　Charleston；　for　one　thing　is　as　truly　lawful　as　the

other；　and　these　are　the　bastard　notions　we　have　got　to　stamp

out；　else　they　will　stamp　us　out。　　＇Sensation　and　applause。＇



Two　years　ago；　at　Springfield；　Judge　Douglas　avowed　that　Illinois

came　into　the　Union　as　a　slave　State；　and　that　slavery　was　weeded

out　by　the　operation　of　his　great；　patent；　everlasting　principle

of　〃popular　sovereignty。〃　＇Laughter。＇　Well；　now；　that　argument

must　be　answered；　for　it　has　a　little　grain　of　truth　at　the

bottom。　　I　do　not　mean　that　it　is　true　in　essence；　as　he　would

have　us　believe。　　It　could　not　be　essentially　true　if　the

Ordinance　of　'87　was　valid。　　But；　in　point　of　fact；　there　were

some　degraded　beings　called　slaves　in　Kaskaskia　and　the　other

French　settlements　when　our　first　State　constitution　was　adopted；

that　is　a　fact；　and　I　don't　deny　it。　　Slaves　were　brought　here　as

early　as　1720；　and　were　kept　here　in　spite　of　the　Ordinance　of

1787　against　it。　　But　slavery　did　not　thrive　here。　　On　the

contrary；　under　the　influence　of　the　ordinance　the　number

decreased　fifty…one　from　1810　to　1820；　while　under　the　influence

of　squatter　sovereignty；　right　across　the　river　in　Missouri；　they

increased　seven　thousand　two　hundred　and　eleven　in　the　same　time；

and　slavery　finally　faded　out　in　Illinois；　under　the　influence　of

the　law　of　freedom；　while　it　grew　stronger　and　stronger　in

Missouri；　under　the　law　or　practice　of　〃popular　sovereignty。〃　In

point　of　fact　there　were　but　one　hundred　and　seventeen　slaves　in

Illinois　one　year　after　its　admission；　or　one　to　every　four

hundred　and　seventy　of　its　population；　or；　to　state　it　in　another

way；　if　Illinois　was　a　slave　State　in　1820；　so　were　New　York　and

New　Jersey　much　greater　slave　States　from　having　had　greater

numbers；　slavery　having　been　established　there　in　very　early

times。　　But　there　is　this　vital　difference　between　all　these

States　and　the　Judge's　Kansas　experiment：　that　they　sought　to

disestablish　slavery　which　had　been　already　established；　while

the　Judge　seeks；　so　far　as　he　can；　to　disestablish　freedom；　which

had　been　established　there　by　the　Missouri　Compromise。　　＇Voices：

〃Good！〃＇



The　Union　is　under…going　a　fearful　strain；　but　it　is　a　stout　old

ship；　and　has　weathered　many　a　hard　blow；　and　〃the　stars　in　their

courses；〃　aye；　an　invisible　Power；　greater　than　the　puny　efforts

of　men；　will　fight　for　us。　　But　we　ourselves　must　not　decline　the

burden　of　responsibility；　nor　take　counsel　of　unworthy　passions。

Whatever　duty　urges　us　to　do　or　to　omit　must　be　done　or　omitted；

and　the　recklessness　with　which　our　adversaries　break　the　laws；

or　counsel　their　violation；　should　afford　no　example　for　us。

Therefore；　let　us　revere　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　let　us

continue　to　obey　the　Constitution　and　the　laws；　let　us　keep　step

to　the　music　of　the　Union。　　Let　us　draw　a　cordon；　so　to　speak；

around　the　slave　States；　and　the　hateful　institution；　like　a

reptile　poisoning　itself；　will　perish　by　its　own　infamy。

＇Applause。＇



But　we　cannot　be　free　men　if　this　is；　by　our　national　choice；　to

be　a　land　of　slavery。　　Those　who　deny　freedom　to　others　deserve

it　not　for　themselves；　and；　under　the　rule　of　a　just　God；　cannot

long　retain

it。＇Loud　applause。＇



Did　you　ever；　my　friends；　seriously　reflect　upon　the　speed　with

which　we　are　tending　downwards？　　Within　the　memory　of　men　now

present　the　leading　statesman　of　Virginia　could　make　genuine；

red…hot　abolitionist　speeches　in　old　Virginia！　and；　as　I　have

said；　now　even　in　〃free　Kansas〃　it　is　a　crime　to　declare　that　it

is　〃free　Kansas。〃　The　very　sentiments　that　I　and　others　have　just

uttered　would　entitle　us；　and　each　of　us；　to　the　ignominy　and

seclusion　of　a　dungeon；　and　yet　I　suppose　that；　like　Paul；　we

were　〃free　born。〃　But　if　this　thing　is　allowed　to　continue；　it

will　be　but　one　step　further　to　impress　the　same　rule　in

Illinois。　　＇Sensation。＇



The　conclusion　of　all　is；　that　we　must　restore　the　Missouri

Compromise。　　We　must　highly　resolve　that　Kansas　must　be　free！

＇Great　applause。＇　We　must　reinstate　the　birthday　promise　of　the

Republic；　we　must　reaffirm　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　we

must　make　good　in　essence　as　well　as　in　form　Madison's　avowal

that　〃the　word　slave　ought　not　to　appear　in　the　Constitution〃；

and　we　must　even　go　further；　and　decree　that　only　local　law；　and

not　that　time…honored　instrument；　shall　shelter　a　slaveholder。

We　must　make　this　a　land　of　liberty　in　fact；　as　it　is　in　name。

But　in　seeking　to　attain　these　resultsso　indispensable　if　the

liberty　which　is　our　pride　and　boast　shall　endurewe　will　be

loyal　to　the　Constitution　and　to　the　〃flag　of　our　Union；〃　and　no

matter　what　our　grievanceeven　though　Kansas　shall　come　in　as　a

slave　State；　and　no　matter　what　theirseven　if　we　shall　restore

the　compromiseWE　WILL　SAY　TO　THE　SOUTHERN　DISUNIONISTS；　WE

WON'T　GO　OUT　OF　THE　UNION；　AND　YOU　SHAN'T！



＇This　was　the　climax；　the　audience　rose　to　its　feet　en　masse；

applauded；　stamped；　waved　handkerchiefs；　threw　hats　in　the　air；

and　ran　riot　for　several　minutes。　　The　arch…enchanter　who　wrought

this　transformation　looked；　meanwhile；　like　the　personification

of　political　justice。＇



But　let　us；　meanwhile；　appeal　to　the　sense　and　patriotism　of　the

people；　and　not　to　their　prejudices；　let　us　spread　the　floods　of

enthusiasm　here　aroused　all　over　these　vast　prairies；　so

suggestive　of　freedom。　　Let　us　commence　by　electing　the　gallant

soldier　Governor　（Colonel）　Bissell　who　stood　for　the　honor　of　our

State　alike　on　the　plains　and　amidst　the　chaparral　of　Mexico　and

on　the　floor　of　Congress；　while　he　defied　the　Southern　Hotspur；

and　that　will　have　a　greater　moral　effect　than　all　the　border

ruffians　can　accomplish　in　all　their　raids　on　Kansas。　　There　is

both　a　power　and　a　magic　in　popular　opinion。　　To　that　let　us　now

appeal；　and　while；　in　all　probability；　no　resort　to　force　will　be

needed；　our　moderation　and　forbearance　will　stand　US　in　good

stead　when；　if　ever；　WE　MUST　MAKE　AN　APPEAL　TO　BATTLE　AND　TO　THE

GOD　OF　HOSTS！　＇Immense　applause　and　a　rush　for　the　orator。＇



One　can　realize　with　this　ability　to　move　people's　minds　that　the

Southern　Conspiracy　were　right　to　hate　this　man。　　He；　better　than

any　at　the　time　was　able　to　uncover　their　stratagems　and　tear

down　their　sophisms　and　contradictions。









POLITICAL　CORRESPONDENCE



TO　W。　C。　WHITNEY。



SPRINGFIELD；　July　9；　1856。



DEAR　WHITNEY：I　now　expect　to　go　to　Chicago　on　the　15th；　and　I

probably　shall　remain　there　or　thereabouts　for　about　two　weeks。