the writings-3-第5章

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little　and　so　small　a　thing　that　he　concludes；　if　I　could　desire

that　anything　should　be　done　to　bring　about　the　ultimate

extinction　of　that　little　thing；　I　must　be　in　favor　of　bringing

about　an　amalgamation　of　all　the　other　little　things　in　the

Union。　　Now；　it　so　happensand　there；　I　presume；　is　the

foundation　of　this　mistakethat　the　Judge　thinks　thus；　and　it　so

happens　that　there　is　a　vast　portion　of　the　American　people　that

do　not　look　upon　that　matter　as　being　this　very　little　thing。

They　look　upon　it　as　a　vast　moral　evil；　they　can　prove　it　as　such

by　the　writings　of　those　who　gave　us　the　blessings　of　liberty

which　we　enjoy；　and　that　they　so　looked　upon　it；　and　not　as　an

evil　merely　confining　itself　to　the　States　where　it　is　situated；

and　while　we　agree　that；　by　the　Constitution　we　assented　to；　in

the　States　where　it　exists；　we　have　no　right　to　interfere　with

it；　because　it　is　in　the　Constitution；　and　we　are　by　both　duty

and　inclination　to　stick　by　that　Constitution；　in　all　its　letter

and　spirit；　from　beginning　to　end；



So　much；　then；　as　to　my　dispositionmy　wish　to　have　all　the

State　legislatures　blotted　out；　and　to　have　one　consolidated

government；　and　a　uniformity　of　domestic　regulations　in　all　the

States；　by　which　I　suppose　it　is　meant；　if　we　raise　corn　here；　we

must　make　sugar…cane　grow　here　too；　and　we　must　make　those　which

grow　North　grow　in　the　South。　　All　this　I　suppose　he　understands

I　am　in　favor　of　doing。　　Now；　so　much　for　all　this　nonsense；　for

I　must　call　it　so。　　The　Judge　can　have　no　issue　with　me　on　a

question　of　establishing　uniformity　in　the　domestic　regulations

of　the　States。



A　little　now　on　the　other　point；the　Dred　Scott　decision。

Another　of　the　issues　he　says　that　is　to　be　made　with　me　is　upon

his　devotion　to　the　Dred　Scott　decision；　and　my　opposition　to　it。



I　have　expressed　heretofore；　and　I　now　repeat；　my　opposition　to

the　Dred　Scott　decision；　but　I　should　be　allowed　to　state　the

nature　of　that　opposition；　and　I　ask　your　indulgence　while　I　do

so。　　What　is　fairly　implied　by　the　term　Judge　Douglas　has　used；

〃resistance　to　the　decision〃？　　I　do　not　resist　it。　　If　I　wanted

to　take　Dred　Scott　from　his　master；　I　would　be　interfering　with

property；　and　that　terrible　difficulty　that　Judge　Douglas　speaks

of；　of　interfering　with　property；　would　arise。　　But　I　am　doing　no

such　thing　as　that；　but　all　that　I　am　doing　is　refusing　to　obey

it　as　a　political　rule。　　If　I　were　in　Congress；　and　a　vote　should

come　up　on　a　question　whether　slavery　should　be　prohibited　in　a

new　Territory；　in　spite　of　the　Dred　Scott　decision；　I　would　vote

that　it　should。



That　is　what　I　should　do。　　Judge　Douglas　said　last　night　that

before　the　decision　he　might　advance　his　opinion；　and　it　might　be

contrary　to　the　decision　when　it　was　made；　but　after　it　was　made

he　would　abide　by　it　until　it　was　reversed。　　Just　so！　　We　let

this　property　abide　by　the　decision；　but　we　will　try　to　reverse

that　decision。　　We　will　try　to　put　it　where　Judge　Douglas　would

not　object；　for　he　says　he　will　obey　it　until　it　is　reversed。

Somebody　has　to　reverse　that　decision；　since　it　is　made；　and　we

mean　to　reverse　it；　and　we　mean　to　do　it　peaceably。



What　are　the　uses　of　decisions　of　courts？　　They　have　two　uses。

As　rules　of　property　they　have　two　uses。　　First；　they　decide　upon

the　question　before　the　court。　　They　decide　in　this　case　that

Dred　Scott　is　a　slave。　　Nobody　resists　that；　not　only　that；　but

they　say　to　everybody　else　that　persons　standing　just　as　Dred

Scott　stands　are　as　he　is。　　That　is；　they　say　that　when　a

question　comes　up　upon　another　person；　it　will　be　so　decided

again；　unless　the　court　decides　in　another　way；　unless　the　court

overrules　its　decision。　　Well；　we　mean　to　do　what　we　can　to　have

the　court　decide　the　other　way。　　That　is　one　thing　we　mean　to　try

to　do。



The　sacredness　that　Judge　Douglas　throws　around　this　decision　is

a　degree　of　sacredness　that　has　never　been　before　thrown　around

any　other　decision。　　I　have　never　heard　of　such　a　thing。　　Why；

decisions　apparently　contrary　to　that　decision；　or　that　good

lawyers　thought　were　contrary　to　that　decision；　have　been　made　by

that　very　court　before。　　It　is　the　first　of　its　kind；　it　is　an

astonisher　in　legal　history。　　It　is　a　new　wonder　of　the　world。

It　is　based　upon　falsehood　in　the　main　as　to　the　facts；

allegations　of　facts　upon　which　it　stands　are　not　facts　at　all　in

many　instances；　and　no　decision　made　on　any　questionthe　first

instance　of　a　decision　made　under　so　many　unfavorable

circumstancesthus　placed；　has　ever　been　held　by　the　profession

as　law；　and　it　has　always　needed　confirmation　before　the　lawyers

regarded　it　as　settled　law。　　But　Judge　Douglas　will　have　it　that

all　hands　must　take　this　extraordinary　decision；　made　under　these

extraordinary　circumstances；　and　give　their　vote　in　Congress　in

accordance　with　it；　yield　to　it；　and　obey　it　in　every　possible

sense。　　Circumstances　alter　cases。　　Do　not　gentlemen　here

remember　the　case　of　that　same　Supreme　Court　some　twenty…five　or

thirty　years　ago　deciding　that　a　National　Bank　was

constitutional？　　I　ask；　if　somebody　does　not　remember　that　a

National　Bank　was　declared　to　be　constitutional？　　Such　is　the

truth；　whether　it　be　remembered　or　not。　　The　Bank　charter　ran

out；　and　a　recharter　was　granted　by　Congress。　　That　recharter　was

laid　before　General　Jackson。　　It　was　urged　upon　him；　when　he

denied　the　constitutionality　of　the　Bank；　that　the　Supreme　Court

had　decided　that　it　was　constitutional；　and　General　Jackson　then

said　that　the　Supreme　Court　had　no　right　to　lay　down　a　rule　to

govern　a　coordinate　branch　of　the　government；　the　members　of

which　had　sworn　to　support　the　Constitution；　that　each　member　had

sworn　to　support　that　Constitution　as　he　understood　it。　　I　will

venture　here　to　say　that　I　have　heard　Judge　Douglas　say　that　he

approved　of　General　Jackson　for　that　act。　　What　has　now　become　of

all　his　tirade　about　〃resistance　of　the　Supreme　Court〃？



My　fellow…citizens；　getting　back　a　little；for　I　pass　from　these

points；when　Judge　Douglas　makes　his　threat　of　annihilation　upon

the　〃alliance；〃　he　is　cautious　to　say　that　that　warfare　of　his　is

to　fall　upon　the　leaders　of　the　Republican　party。　　Almost　every

word　he　utters；　and　every　distinction　he　makes；　has　its

significance。　　He　means　for　the　Republicans　who　do　not　count

themselves　as　leaders；　to　be　his　friends；　he　makes　no　fuss　over

them；　it　is　the　leaders　that　he　is　making　war　upon。　　He　wants　it

understood　that　the　mass　of　the　Republican　party　are　really　his

friends。　　It　is　only　the　leaders　that　are　doing　something　that

are　intolerant；　and　that　require　extermination　at　his　hands。　　As

this　is　dearly　and　unquestionably　the　light　in　which　he　presents

that　matter；　I　want　to　ask　your　attention；　addressing　myself　to

the　Republicans　here；　that　I　may　ask　you　some　questions　as　to

where　you；　as　the　Republican　party；　would　be　placed　if　you

sustained　Judge　Douglas　in　his　present　position　by　a　re…election？

I　do　not　claim；　gentlemen；　to　be　unselfish；　I　do　not　pretend　that

I　would　not　like　to　go　to　the　United　States　Senate；I　make　no

such　hypocritical　pretense；　but　I　do　say　to　you　that　in　this

mighty　issue　it　is　nothing　to　younothing　to　the　mass　of　the

people　of　the　nation；whether　or　not　Judge　Douglas　or　myself

shall　ever　be　heard　of　after　this　night；　it　may　be　a　trifle　to

either　of　us；　but　in　connection　with　this　mighty　question；　upon

which　hang　the　destinies　of　the　nation；　perhaps；　it　is　absolutely

nothing：　but　where　will　you　be　placed　if　you　reindorse　Judge

Douglas？　　Don't　you　know　how　apt　he　is；　how　exceedingly　anxious

he　is　at　all　times；　to　seize　upon　anything　and　everything　to

persuade　you　that　something　he　has　done　you　did　yourselves？　　Why；

he　tried　to　persuade　you　last　night　that　our　Illinois　Legislature

instructed　him　to　introduce　the　Nebraska　Bill。　　There　was　nobody

in　that　Legislature　ever　thought　of　such　a　thing；　and　when　he

first　introduced　the　bill；　he　never　thought　of　it；　but　still　he

fights　furiously　for　the　proposition；　and　that　he　did　it　because

there　was　a　standing　instruction　to　our　Senators　to　be　always

introducing　Nebraska　bills。　　He　tells　you　he　is　for　the

Cincinnati　platform；　he　tells　you　he　is　for　the　Dred　Scott

decision。　　He　tells　you；　not　in　his　speech　last　night；　but

substantially　in　a　former　speech；　that　he　cares　not　if　slavery　is

voted　up　or　down；　he　tells　you　the　struggle　on　Lecompton　is　past；

it　may　come　up　again　or　not；　and　if　it　does；　he　stands　where　he

stood　when；　in　spite　of　him　and　his　opposition；　you　built　up　the

Republican　party。　　If　you　indorse　him；　you　tell　him　you　do　not

care　whether　slavery　be　voted　up　or　down；　and　he　will　close　or

try　to　close　your　mouths　with　his　declaration；　repeated　by　the

day；　the　week；　the　month；　and　the　year。　　Is　that　what　you　mean？

＇Cries　of　〃No；〃　one　voice　Yes。〃＇　Yes；　I　have　no　doubt　you　who

have　always　been　for　him；　if　you　mean　that。　　No　doubt　of　that；

soberly　I　have　said；　and　I　repeat　it。　　I　think；　in　the　position

in　which　Judge　Douglas　stood　in　opposing　the　Lecompton

Constitution；　he　was　right；　he　does　not　know　that　it　will　return；

but　if　it　does　we　may　know　where　to　find　him；　and　if　it　does　not；

we　may　know　where　to　look　for　him；　and　that　is　on　the　Cincinnati

platform。　　Now；　I　could　ask　the　Republican　party；　after　all　the

hard　names　that　Judge　Douglas　has　called　them　by　all　his　repeated

charges　of　their　inclination　to　marry　with　and　hug　negroes；　all

his　declarations　of　Black　Republicanism；by　the　way；　we　are

improving；　the　black　has　got　rubbed　off；but　with　all　that；　if

he　be　indorsed　by　Republican　votes；　where　do　you　stand？　　Plainly；

you　stand　ready　saddled；　bridled；　and　harnessed；　and　waiting　to

be　driven　over　to　the　slavery　extension　camp　of　the　nation；just

ready　to　be　driven　over；　tied　together　in　a　lot；　to　be　driven

over；　every　man　with　a　rope　around　his　neck；　that　halter　being

held　by　Judge　Douglas。　　That　is　the　question。　　If　Republican　men

have　been　in　earnest　in　what　they　have　done；　I　think　they　had

better　not　do　it；　but　I　think　that　the　Republican　party　is　made

up　of　those　who；　as　far　as　they　can　peaceably；　will　oppose　the

extension　of　slavery；　and　who　will　hope　for　its　ultimate

extinction。　　If　they　believe　it　is　wrong　in　grasping　up　the　new

lands　of　the　continent　and　keeping　them　from　the　settlement　of

free　white　laborers；　who　want　the　land　to　bring　up　their　families

upon；　if　they　are　in　earnest；　although　they　may　make　a　mistake；

they　will　grow　restless；　and　the　time　will　come　when　they　will

come　back　again　and　reorganize；　if　not　by　the　same　name；　at　least

upon　the　same　principles　as　their　party　now　has。　　It　is　better；

then；　to　save　the　work　while　it　is　begun。　　You　have　done　the

labor；　maintain　it；　keep　it。　　If　men　choose　to　serve　you；　go　with

them；　but　as　you　have　made　up　your　organization　upon　principle；

stand　by　it；　for；　as　sur