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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　surely　as　God　reigns　over　you；　and　has

inspired　your　mind；　and　given　you　a　sense　of　propriety；　and

continues　to　give　you　hope；　so　surely　will　you　still　cling　to

these　ideas；　and　you　will　at　last　come　back　again　after　your

wanderings；　merely　to　do　your　work　over　again。



We　were　often；more　than　once；　at　least；in　the　course　of　Judge

Douglas's　speech　last　night；　reminded　that　this　government　was

made　for　white　men；　that　he　believed　it　was　made　for　white　men。

Well；　that　is　putting　it　into　a　shape　in　which　no　one　wants　to

deny　it；　but　the　Judge　then　goes　into　his　passion　for　drawing

inferences　that　are　not　warranted。　　I　protest；　now　and　forever；

against　that　counterfeit　logic　which　presumes　that　because　I　did

not　want　a　negro　woman　for　a　slave；　I　do　necessarily　want　her　for

a　wife。　　My　understanding　is　that　I　need　not　have　her　for　either；

but；　as　God　made　us　separate；　we　can　leave　one　another　alone；　and

do　one　another　much　good　thereby。　　There　are　white　men　enough　to

marry　all　the　white　women；　and　enough　black　men　to　marry　all　the

black　women；　and　in　God's　name　let　them　be　so　married。　　The　Judge

regales　us　with　the　terrible　enormities　that　take　place　by　the

mixture　of　races；　that　the　inferior　race　bears　the　superior　down。

Why；　Judge；　if　we　do　not　let　them　get　together　in　the

Territories；　they　won't　mix　there。



＇A　voice：　〃Three　cheers　for　Lincoln〃。　The　cheers　were　given

with　a　hearty　good…will。＇



I　should　say　at　least　that　that　is　a　self…evident　truth。



Now；　it　happens　that　we　meet　together　once　every　year；　sometimes

about　the　4th　of　July；　for　some　reason　or　other。　　These　4th　of

July　gatherings　I　suppose　have　their　uses。　　If　you　will　indulge

me；　I　will　state　what　I　suppose　to　be　some　of　them。



We　are　now　a　mighty　nation；　we　are　thirty　or　about　thirty

millions　of　people；　and　we　own　and　inhabit　about　one　fifteenth

part　of　the　dry　land　of　the　whole　earth。　　We　run　our　memory　back

over　the　pages　of　history　for　about　eighty…two　years；　and　we

discover　that　we　were　then　a　very　small　people　in　point　of

numbers；　vastly　inferior　to　what　we　are　now；　with　a　vastly　less

extent　of　country；　with　vastly　less　of　everything　we　deem

desirable　among　men；　we　look　upon　the　change　as　exceedingly

advantageous　to　us　and　to　our　posterity；　and　we　fix　upon

something　that　happened　away　back；　as　in　some　way　or　other　being

connected　with　this　rise　of　prosperity。　　We　find　a　race　of　men

living　in　that　day　whom　we　claim　as　our　fathers　and　grandfathers；

they　were　iron　men；　they　fought　for　the　principle　that　they　were

contending　for；　and　we　understood　that　by　what　they　then　did　it

has　followed　that　the　degree　of　prosperity　which　we　now　enjoy　has

come　to　us。　　We　hold　this　annual　celebration　to　remind　ourselves

of　all　the　good　done　in　this　process　of　time；　of　how　it　was　done

and　who　did　it；　and　how　we　are　historically　connected　with　it；

and　we　go　from　these　meetings　in　better　humor　with　ourselves；　we

feel　more　attached　the　one　to　the　other；　and　more　firmly　bound　to

the　country　we　inhabit。　　In　every　way　we　are　better　men　in　the

age　and　race　and　country　in　which　we　live；　for　these

celebrations。　　But　after　we　have　done　all　this　we　have　not　yet

reached　the　whole。　　There　is　something　else　connected　with　it。

We　havebesides　these；　men　descended　by　blood　from　our

ancestorsamong　us　perhaps　half　our　people　who　are　not

descendants　at　all　of　these　men；　they　are　men　who　have　come　from

Europe；　German；　Irish；　French；　and　Scandinavian；men　that　have

come　from　Europe　themselves；　or　whose　ancestors　have　come　hither

and　settled　here；　finding　themselves　our　equals　in　all　things。

If　they　look　back　through　this　history　to　trace　their　connection

with　those　days　by　blood；　they　find　they　have　none；　they　cannot

carry　themselves　back　into　that　glorious　epoch　and　make

themselves　feel　that　they　are　part　of　us；　but　when　they　look

through　that　old　Declaration　of　Independence；　they　find　that

those　old　men　say　that　〃We　hold　these　truths　to　be　self…evident；

that　all　men　are　created　equal〃；　and　then　they　feel　that　that

moral　sentiment；　taught　in　that　day；　evidences　their　relation　to

those　men；　that　it　is　the　father　of　all　moral　principle　in　them；

and　that　they　have　a　right　to　claim　it　as　though　they　were　blood

of　the　blood；　and　flesh　of　the　flesh；　of　the　men　who　wrote　that

Declaration；　and　so　they　are。　　That　is　the　electric　cord　in　that

Declaration　that　links　the　hearts　of　patriotic　and　liberty…loving

men　together；　that　will　link　those　patriotic　hearts　as　long　as

the　love　of　freedom　exists　in　the　minds　of　men　throughout　the

world。



Now；　sirs；　for　the　purpose　of　squaring　things　with　this　idea　of

〃don't　care　if　slavery　is　voted　up　or　voted　down；〃　for　sustaining

the　Dred　Scott　decision；　for　holding　that　the　Declaration　of

Independence　did　not　mean　anything　at　all；　we　have　Judge　Douglas

giving　his　exposition　of　what　the　Declaration　of　Independence

means；　and　we　have　him　saying　that　the　people　o