the writings-3-第26部分

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！



construes　the　Constitution。　　But　if　I　acknowledge；　with　Judge

Douglas；　that　this　decision　properly　construes　the　Constitution；

I　cannot　conceive　that　I　would　be　less　than　a　perjured　man　if　I

should　refuse　in　Congress　to　give　such　protection　to　that

property　as　in　its　nature　it　needed。



At　the　end　of　what　I　have　said　here　I　propose　to　give　the　Judge

my　fifth　interrogatory；　which　he　may　take　and　answer　at　his

leisure。　　My　fifth　interrogatory　is　this：



If　the　slaveholding　citizens　of　a　United　States　Territory　should

need　and　demand　Congressional　legislation　for　the　protection　of

their　slave　property　in　such　Territory；　would　you；　as　a　member　of

Congress；　vote　for　or　against　such　legislation？



＇Judge　DOUGLAS：　Will　you　repeat　that？　　I　want　to　answer　that

question。＇



If　the　slaveholding　citizens　of　a　United　States　Territory　should

need　and　demand　Congressional　legislation　for　the　protection　of

their　slave　property　in　such　Territory；　would　you；　as　a　member　of

Congress；　vote　for　or　against　such　legislation？



I　am　aware　that　in　some　of　the　speeches　Judge　Douglas　has　made；

he　has　spoken　as　if　he　did　not　know　or　think　that　the　Supreme

Court　had　decided　that　a　Territorial　Legislature　cannot　exclude

slavery。　　Precisely　what　the　Judge　would　say　upon　the　subject

whether　he　would　say　definitely　that　he　does　not　understand　they

have　so　decided；　or　whether　he　would　say　he　does　understand　that

the　court　have　so　decided；I　do　not　know；　but　I　know　that　in　his

speech　at　Springfield　he　spoke　of　it　as　a　thing　they　had　not

decided　yet；　and　in　his　answer　to　me　at　Freeport；　he　spoke　of　it；

so　far；　again；　as　I　can　comprehend　it；　as　a　thing　that　had　not

yet　been　decided。　　Now；　I　hold　that　if　the　Judge　does　entertain

that　view；　I　think　that　he　is　not　mistaken　in　so　far　as　it　can　be

said　that　the　court　has　not　decided　anything　save　the　mere

question　of　jurisdiction。　　I　know　the　legal　arguments　that　can　be

made；that　after　a　court　has　decided　that　it　cannot　take

jurisdiction　in　a　case；　it　then　has　decided　all　that　is　before

it；　and　that　is　the　end　of　it。　　A　plausib1e　argument　can　be　made

in　favor　of　that　proposition；　but　I　know　that　Judge　Douglas　has

said　in　one　of　his　speeches　that　the　court　went　forward；　like

honest　men　as　they　were；　and　decided　all　the　points　in　the　case。

If　any　points　are　really　extra…judicially　decided；　because　not

necessarily　before　them；　then　this　one　as　to　the　power　of　the

Territorial　Legislature；　to　exclude　slavery　is　one　of　them；　as

also　the　one　that　the　Missouri　Compromise　was　null　and　void。

They　are　both　extra…judicial；　or　neither　is；　according　as　the

court　held　that　they　had　no　jurisdiction　in　the　case　between　the

parties；　because　of　want　of　capacity　of　one　party　to　maintain　a

suit　in　that　court。　　I　want；　if　I　have　sufficient　time；　to　show

that　the　court　did　pass　its　opinion；　but　that　is　the　only　thing

actually　done　in　the　case。　　If　they　did　not　decide；　they　showed

what　they　were　ready　to　decide　whenever　the　matter　was　before

them。　　What　is　that　opinion？　　After　having　argued　that　Congress

had　no　power　to　pass　a　law　excluding　slavery　from　a　United　States

Territory；　they　then　used　language　to　this　effect：　　That　inasmuch

as　Congress　itself　could　not　exercise　such　a　power；　it　followed

as　a　matter　of　course　that　it　could　not　authorize　a　Territorial

government　to　exercise　it；　for　the　Territorial　Legislature　can　do

no　more　than　Congress　could　do。　　Thus　it　expressed　its　opinion

emphatically　against　the　power　of　a　Territorial　Legislature　to

exclude　slavery；　leaving　us　in　just　as　little　doubt　on　that　point

as　upon　any　other　point　they　really　decided。



Now；　my　fellow…citizens；　I　will　detain　you　only　a　little　while

longer；　my　time　is　nearly　out。　　I　find　a　report　of　a　speech　made

by　Judge　Douglas　at　Joliet；　since　we　last　met　at　Freeport；

published；　I　believe；　in　the　Missouri　Republican；　on　the　9th　of

this　month；　in　which　Judge　Douglas　says：



〃You　know　at　Ottawa　I　read　this　platform；　and　asked　him　if　he

concurred　in　each　and　all　of　the　principles　set　forth　in　it。　　He

would　not　answer　these　questions。　　At　last　I　said　frankly；　I　wish

you　to　answer　them；　because　when　I　get　them　up　here　where　the

color　of　your　principles　are　a　little　darker　than　in　Egypt；　I

intend　to　trot　you　down　to　Jonesboro。　　The　very　notice　that　I　was

going　to　take　him　down　to　Egypt　made　him　tremble　in　his　knees　so

that　he　had　to　be　carried　from　the　platform。　　He　laid　up　seven

days；　and　in　the　meantime　held　a　consultation　with　his　political

physicians；　they　had　Lovejoy　and　Farnsworth　and　all　the　leaders

of　the　Abolition　party；　they　consulted　it　all　over；　and　at　last

Lincoln　came　to　the　conclusion　that　he　would　answer；　so　he　came

up　to　Freeport　last　Friday。〃



Now；　that　statement　altogether　furnishes　a　subject　for

philosophical　contemplation。　　I　have　been　treating　it　in　that

way；　and　I　have　really　come　to　the　conclusion　that　I　can　explain

it　in　no　other　way　than　by　believing　the　Judge　is　crazy。　　If　he

was　in　his　right　mind　I　cannot　conceive　how　he　would　have　risked

disgusting　the　four　or　five　thousand　of　his　own　friends　who　stood

there　and　knew；　as　to　my　having　been　carried　from　the　platform；

that　there　was　not　a　word　of　truth　in　it。



＇Judge　DOUGLAS：　Did　n't　they　carry　you　off？＇



There　that　question　illustrates　the　character　of　this　man　Douglas

exactly。　　He　smiles　now；　and　says；　〃Did　n't　they　carry　you　off？〃

but　he　said　then　〃he　had　to　be　carried　off〃；　and　he　said　it　to

convince　the　country　that　he　had　so　completely　broken　me　down　by

his　speech　that　I　had　to　be　carried　away。　　Now　he　seeks　to　dodge

it；　and　asks；　〃Did　n't　they　carry　you　off？〃　Yes；　they　did。　　But；

Judge　Douglas；　why　didn't　you　tell　the　truth？〃　I　would　like　to

know　why　you　did　n't　tell　the　truth　about　it。　　And　then　again　〃He

laid　up　seven　days。〃　　He　put　this　in　print　for　the　people　of　the

country　to　read　as　a　serious　document。　　I　think　if　he　had　been　in

his　sober　senses　he　would　not　have　risked　that　barefacedness　in

the　presence　of　thousands　of　his　own　friends　who　knew　that　I　made

speeches　within　six　of　the　seven　days　at　Henry；　Marshall　County；

Augusta；　Hancock　County；　and　Macomb；　McDonough　County；　including

all　the　necessary　travel　to　meet　him　again　at　Freeport　at　the　end

of　the　six　days。　　Now　I　say　there　is　no　charitable　way　to　look　at

that　statement；　except　to　conclude　that　he　is　actually　crazy。

There　is　another　thing　in　that　statement　that　alarmed　me　very

greatly　as　he　states　it；　that　he　was　going　to　〃trot　me　down　to

Egypt。〃　　Thereby　he　would　have　you　infer　that　I　would　not　come　to

Egypt　unless　he　forced　methat　I　could　not　be　got　here　unless

he；　giant…like；　had　hauled　me　down　here。　　That　statement　he

makes；　too；　in　the　teeth　of　the　knowledge　that　I　had　made　the

stipulation　to　come　down　here　and　that　he　himself　had　been　very

reluctant　to　enter　into　the　stipulation。　　More　than　all　this：

Judge　Douglas；　when　he　made　that　statement；　must　have　been　crazy

and　wholly　out　of　his　sober　senses；　or　else　he　would　have　known

that　when　he　got　me　down　here；　that　promisethat　windy　promise

of　his　powers　to　annihilate　me；　would　n't　amount　to　anything。

Now；　how　little　do　I　look　like　being　carried　away　trembling？　　Let

the　Judge　go　on；　and　after　he　is　done　with　his　half…hour；　I　want

you　all；　if　I　can't　go　home　myself；　to　let　me　stay　and　rot　here；

and　if　anything　happens　to　the　Judge；　if　I　cannot　carry　him　to

the　hotel　and　put　him　to　bed；　let　me　stay　here　and　rot。　　I　say；

then；　here　is　something　extraordinary　in　this　statement。　　I　ask

you　if　you　know　any　other　living　man　who　would　make　such　a

statement？　　I　will　ask　my　friend　Casey；　over　there；　if　he　would

do　such　a　thing？　　Would　he　send　that　out　and　have　his　men　take　it

as　the　truth？　　Did　the　Judge　talk　of　trotting　me　down　to　Egypt　to

scare　me　to　death？　　Why；　I　know　this　people　better　than　he　does。

I　was　raised　just　a　little　east　of　here。　　I　am　a　part　of　this

people。　　But　the　Judge　was　raised　farther　north；　and　perhaps　he

has　some　horrid　idea　of　what　this　people　might　be　induced　to　do。

But　really　I　have　talked　about　this　matter　perhaps　longer　than　I

ought；　for　it　is　no　great　thing；　and　yet　the　smallest　are　often

the　most　difficult　things　to　deal　with。　　The　Judge　has　set　about

seriously　trying　to　make　the　impression　that　when　we　meet　at

different　places　I　am　literally　in　his　clutchesthat　I　am　a

poor；　helpless；　decrepit　mouse；　and　that　I　can　do　nothing　at　all。

This　is　one　of　the　ways　he　has　taken　to　create　that　impression。

I　don't　know　any　other　way　to　meet　it　except　this。　　I　don't　want

to　quarrel　with　himto　call　him　a　liar；　but　when　I　come　square

up　to　him　I　don't　know　what　else　to　call　him　if　I　must　tell　the

truth　out。　　I　want　to　be　at　peace；　and　reserve　all　my　fighting

powers　for　necessary　occasions。　　My　time　now　is　very　nearly　out；

and　I　give　up　the　trifle　that　is　left　to　the　Judge；　to　let　him

set　my　knees　trembling　again；　if　he　can。











End　of　Volume　3