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giving　his　exposition　of　what　the　Declaration　of　Independence

means；　and　we　have　him　saying　that　the　people　of　America　are

equal　to　the　people　of　England。　　According　to　his　construction；

you　Germans　are　not　connected　with　it。　　Now；　I　ask　you　in　all

soberness　if　all　these　things；　if　indulged　in；　if　ratified；　if

confirmed　and　indorsed；　if　taught　to　our　children；　and　repeated

to　them；　do　not　tend　to　rub　out　the　sentiment　of　liberty　in　the

country；　and　to　transform　this　government　into　a　government　of

some　other　form。　　Those　arguments　that　are　made；　that　the

inferior　race　are　to　be　treated　with　as　much　allowance　as　they

are　capable　of　enjoying；　that　as　much　is　to　be　done　for　them　as

their　condition　will　allow；what　are　these　arguments？　　They　are

the　arguments　that　kings　have　made　for　enslaving　the　people　in

all　ages　of　the　world。　　You　will　find　that　all　the　arguments　in

favor　of　kingcraft　were　of　this　class；　they　always　bestrode　the

necks　of　the　people　not　that　they　wanted　to　do　it；　but　because

the　people　were　better　off　for　being　ridden。　　That　is　their

argument；　and　this　argument　of　the　Judge　is　the　same　old　serpent

that　says；　You　work；　and　I　eat；　you　toil；　and　I　will　enjoy　the

fruits　of　it。　　Turn　in　whatever　way　you　will；　whether　it　come

from　the　mouth　of　a　king；　an　excuse　for　enslaving　the　people　of

his　country；　or　from　the　mouth　of　men　of　one　race　as　a　reason　for

enslaving　the　men　of　another　race；　it　is　all　the　same　old

serpent；　and　I　hold；　if　that　course　of　argumentation　that　is　made

for　the　purpose　of　convincing　the　public　mind　that　we　should　not

care　about　this　should　be　granted；　it　does　not　stop　with　the

negro。　　I　should　like　to　know；　if　taking　this　old　Declaration　of

Independence；　which　declares　that　all　men　are　equal　upon

principle；　and　making　exceptions　to　it；　where　will　it　stop？　　If

one　man　says　it　does　not　mean　a　negro；　why　not　another　say　it

does　not　mean　some　other　man？　　If　that　Declaration　is　not　the

truth；　let　us　get　the　statute　book；　in　which　we　find　it；　and　tear

it　out！　　Who　is　so　bold　as　to　do　it？　　If　it　is　not　true；　let　us

tear　it　out！　　＇Cries　of　〃No；　no。〃＇　Let　us　stick　to　it；　then；　let

us　stand　firmly　by　it；　then。



It　may　be　argued　that　there　are　certain　conditions　that　make

necessities　and　impose　them　upon　us；　and　to　the　extent　that　a

necessity　is　imposed　upon　a　man；　he　must　submit　to　it。　　I　think

that　was　the　condition　in　which　we　found　ourselves　when　we

established　this　government。　　We　had　slavery　among　us；　we　could

not　get　our　Constitution　unless　we　permitted　them　to　remain　in

slavery；　we　could　not　secure　the　good　we　did　secure　if　we　grasped

for　more；　and　having　by　necessity　submitted　to　that　much；　it　does

not　destroy　the　principle　that　is　the　charter　of　our　liberties。

Let　that　charter　stand　as　our　standard。



My　friend　has　said　to　me　that　I　am　a　poor　hand　to　quote

Scripture。　　I　will　try　it　again；　however。　　It　is　said　in　one　of

the　admonitions　of　our　Lord；　〃As　your　Father　in　heaven　is

perfect；　be　ye　also　perfect。〃　　The　Savior；　I　suppose；　did　not

expect　that　any　human　creature　could　be　perfect　as　the　Father　in

heaven；　but　he　said；　〃As　your　Father　in　heaven　is　perfect；　be　ye

also　perfect。〃　　He　set　that　up　as　a　standard；　and　he　who　did　most

towards　reaching　that　standard　attained　the　highest　degree　of

moral　perfection。　　So　I　say　in　relation　to　the　principle　that　all

men　are　created　equal；　let　it　be　as　nearly　reached　as　we　can。　　If

we　cannot　give　freedom　to　every　creature；　let　us　do　nothing　that

will　impose　slavery　upon　any　other　creature。　　Let　us　then　turn

this　government　back　into　the　channel　in　which　the　framers　of　the

Constitution　originally　placed　it。　　Let　us　stand　firmly　by　each

other。　　If　we　do　not　do　so；　we　are　turning　in　the　contrary

direction；　that　our　friend　Judge　Douglas　proposesnot

intentionallyas　working　in　the　traces　tends　to　make　this　one

universal　slave　nation。　　He　is　one　that　runs　in　that　direction；

and　as　such　I　resist　him。



My　friends；　I　have　detained　you　about　as　long　as　I　desired　to　do；

and　I　have　only　to　say：　Let　us　discard　all　this　quibbling　about

this　man　and　the　other　man；　this　race　and　that　race　and　the　other

race　being　inferior；　and　therefore　they　must　be　placed　in　an

inferior　position；　discarding　our　standard　that　we　have　left　us。

Let　us　discard　all　these　things；　and　unite　as　one　people

throughout　this　land；　until　we　shall　once　more　stand　up　declaring

that　all　men　are　created　equal。



My　friends；　I　could　not；　without　launching　off　upon　some　new

topic；　which　would　detain　you　too　long；　continue　to…night。　　I

thank　you　for　this　most　extensive　audience　that　you　have

furnished　me　to…night。　　I　leave　you；　hoping　that　the　lamp　of

liberty　will　burn　in　your　bosoms　until　there　shall　no　longer　be　a

doubt　that　all　men　are　created　free　and　equal。









SPEECH　AT　SPRINGFIELD；　JULY　17；　1858。



DELIVERED　SATURDAY　EVENING



（Mr。　Douglas　was　not　present。）



FELLOW…CITIZENS：Another　election；　which　is　deemed　an　important

one；　is　approaching；　and；　as　I　suppose；　the　Republican　party

will；　without　much　difficulty；　elect　their　State　ticket。　　But　in

regard　to　the　Legislature；　we；　the　Republicans；　labor　under　some

disadvantages。　　In　the　first　place；　we　have　a　Legislature　to

elect　upon　an　apportionment　of　the　representation　made　several

years　ago；　when　the　proportion　of　the　population　was　far　greater

in　the　South　（as　compared　with　the　North）　than　it　now　is；　and

inasmuch　as　our　opponents　hold　almost　entire　sway　in　the　South；

and　we　a　correspondingly　large　majority　in　the　North；　the　fact

that　we　are　now　to　be　represented　as　we　were　years　ago；　when　the

population　was　different；　is　to　us　a　very　great　disadvantage。　　We

had　in　the　year　1855；　according　to　law；　a　census；　or　enumeration

of　the　inhabitants；　taken　for　the　purpose　of　a　new　apportionment

of　representation。　　We　know　what　a　fair　apportionment　of

representation　upon　that　census　would　give　us。　　We　know　that　it

could　not；　if　fairly　made；　fail　to　give　the　Republican　party　from

six　to　ten　more　members　of　the　Legislature　than　they　can　probably

get　as　the　law　now　stands。　　It　so　happened　at　the　last　session　of

the　Legislature　that　our　opponents；　holding　the　control　of　both

branches　of　the　Legislature；　steadily　refused　to　give　us　such　an

apportionment　as　we　were　rightly　entitled　to　have　upon　the　census

already　taken。　　The　Legislature　steadily　refused　to　give　us　such

an　apportionment　as　we　were　rightfully　entitled　to　have　upon　the

census　taken　of　the　population　of　the　State。　　The　Legislature

would　pass　no　bill　upon　that　subject；　except　such　as　was　at　least

as　unfair　to　us　as　the　old　one；　and　in　which；　in　some　instances；

two　men　in　the　Democratic　regions　were　allowed　to　go　as　far

toward　sending　a　member　to　the　Legislature　as　three　were　in　the

Republican　regions。　　Comparison　was　made　at　the　time　as　to

representative　and　senatorial　districts；　which　completely

demonstrated　that　such　was　the　fact。　　Such　a　bill　was　passed　and

tendered　to　the　Republican　Governor　for　his　signature；　but；

principally　for　the　reasons　I　have　stated；　he　withheld　his

approval；　and　the　bill　fell　without　becoming　a　law。



Another　disadvantage　under　which　we　labor　is　that　there　are　one

or　two　Democratic　Senators　who　will　be　members　of　the　next

Legislature；　and　will　vote　for　the　election　of　Senator；　who　are

holding　over　in　districts　in　which　we　could；　on　all　reasonable

calculation；　elect　men　of　our　own；　if　we　only　had　the　chance　of

an　election。　　When　we　consider　that　there　are　but　twenty…five

Senators　in　the　Senate；　taking　two　from　the　side　where　they

rightfully　belong；　and　adding　them　to　the　other；　is　to　us　a

disadvantage　not　to　be　lightly　regarded。　　Still；　so　it　is；　we

have　this　to　contend　with。　　Perhaps　there　is　no　ground　of

complaint　on　our　part。　　In　attending　to　the　many　things　involved

in　the　last　general　election　for　President；　Governor；　Auditor；

Treasurer；　Superintendent　of　Public　Instruction；　Members　of

Congress；　of　the　Legislature；　County　Officers；　and　so　on；　we

allowed　these　things　to　happen　by　want　of　sufficient　attention；

and　we　have　no　cause　to　complain　of　our　adversaries；　so　far　as

this　matter　is　concerned。　　But　we　have　some　cause　to　complain　of

the　refusal　to　give　us　a　fair　apportionment。



There　is　still　another　disadvantage　under　which　we　labor；　and　to

which　I　will　ask　your　attention。　　It　arises　out　of　the　relative

positions　of　the　two　persons　who　stand　before　the　State　as

candidates　for　the　Senate。　　Senator　Douglas　is　of　world…wide

renown。　　All　the　anxious　politicians　of　his　party；　or　who　have

been　of　his　party　for　years　past；　have　been　looking　upon　him　as

certainly；　at　no　distant　day；　to　be　the　President　of　the　United

States。　　They　have　seen　in　his　round；　jolly；　fruitful　face

post…offices；　land…offices；　marshalships；　and　cabinet

appointments；　charge…ships　and　foreign　missions　bursting　and

sprouting　out　in　wonderful　exuberance；　ready　to　be　laid　hold　of

by　their　greedy　hands。　　And　as　they　have　been　gazing　upon　this

attractive　picture　so　long；　they　cannot；　in　the　little

distraction　that　has　taken　place　in　the　party；　bring　themselves

to　give　up　the　charming　hope；　but　with　greedier　anxiety　they　rush

about　him；　sustain　him；　and　give　him　marches；　triumphal　entries；

and　receptions　beyond　what　even　in　the　days　of　his　highest

prosperity　they　could　have　brought　about　in　his　favor。　　On　the

contrary；　nobody　has　ever　expected　me　to　be　President。　　In　my

poor；　lean；　lank　face；　nobody　has　ever　seen　that　any　cabbages

were　sprouting　out。　　These　are　disadvantages　all；　taken　together；

that　the　Republicans　labor　under。　　We　have　to　fight　this　battle

upon　principle；　and　upon　principle　alone。　　I　am；　in　a　certain

sense；　made　the　standard…bearer　in　behalf　of　the　Republicans。　　I

was　made　so　merely　because　there　had　to　be　some　one　so　placed；I

being　in　nowise　preferable　to　any　other　one　of　twenty…five；

perhaps　a　hundred；　we　h