Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1858-10-20
An Ola wing aa.xsrs II. lincoln.


Ff1m TIE Chlcsgo TINES
EDrroR TIMEs; 10 the papers Of bis morn
ing [ notice the following passage Ia Mr.. Lin
coiu's late speech at Galesburg
sHe (Douglas) has alluded 10 The DeciaTa-
ton OF Independence, and has insisted that ne
groes are not meant By the term smen' IN that
Declaration Of Independence, and that 10 a
Islander upon The trainers OF that instrument to
suppose that they so meant He asks you II
it is possible TO believe that Mr. Jefferson, who
penHed the Declaration Of independence would
have supposed himself as applying the las
gusge of that instrument to the negro race,
and yet have held a portion Of that negro race
in slavery, and not e. onee have freed them!
| have only to remark upob this point, briefly,
for | shall not dstain you or myself upon i,
that / believe the entire records Of the world,
from the date of the Declaration OF indepen-
dence up to within three years ago, may be
searched In vain for one single iron
one single man, that The negro was not included
il the Declaration Of Independence. | think
! may defy Douglas 10 show that he ever SAID
60, therefore, l think l may defy Douglas to
show that sSy President ever said s0-that any
member Of Congress ever said so-that any
man ever said 80 until the necessities OF the
Democratic party had to haven't that d~eclara-
ton"
IE.rsPly to this, | append the following ex-
tract from the speech Of Henry Clay, delivered
at Richmond, Indiana, October !, 1912, 10 re-
ply to q petition presented 20 him BY one Dir.
Mendenhall and others; the poiat 10 the argu-
ment was the same precisely as now made BY
Mr.. Lincoln. The reply was overwhelming
and conclusive. Ieommend the extract, aud
indeed the whole speech, to the attentive peru
sal, especially, Of the old conservative Wing
portion Of the citizens of our STATE, who were
the devoted sdhersnts ard supporters Of this
wise and patriotic statesman.
Mr.. Clay, in the course Of his remarks on
that occasion, said:
What is the foundation Of this appeal to me
in Indiana, to liberate the slaves under my
care in Kentucky. Il is a general declaration
IN the act announcing 20 the world The indie
pendence Of the thirteen American colonies,
that " all men are created fquaI." Now, az an
abstract principle, there Is no doubt Of he
truth Of that declaration, and it Is desirable
in the original construction Of society, and in
organized societies., to keep it in TieT as a
great fundamental principle. But then 1 APP
prehend that IN no society that ever did exist
or ever shall be formed, was or centhe equality
asserted among the members Of the human
race be practically enforced aud carried out.
There are portions Of Il, large portions, women,
minors, insane, ~culpTits, transient sojourners,
that will always probably rsmain subject to
the goveTumeut Of another portion Of The CON-
munIty.
That declaration, whatever may be The eX-
tent Of it's import, was made by the delegations
Of the Thirteen states. 10 most Of then
slavery existed and had long existed, and was
established by law. It was introduced and
forced upon the colonies By the paramount law
Of England. Do you believe that In making
thst declaration the States that coBcuTred in it
intended that il should be tortured iH;o a viz
tual emancipation Of all he slaves within their
respective limits? Would Virg mia and the
other Southern States have ever united in
a declaration which was to be Interpreted
into an abolition Of slavery among them ?
Did any one Of the Thirteen States en-
terrain such a design or expectation !?
To impute such a secret and unaVoWed pur-
pose, would be to charge a political fraud upon
the n0blest band Of patriots that ever assembled
in council; a fraud upon the confedoracy Of the
Revolution; a fraud upon the union Of these
states, whose constitution not O1iy recognized
the lawtulHess Of slavery, but permitted the
importation Of slaves from Africa until the
year 1905 And | am bold to say that il the
doctrines CT ultra political AbolitioHjsts (meau-
ing, % course, such doctrines as be was then
discussing) had been seriously PROMULGATED at
the epoch Of our Revolution, our glorious Ia
dependence would never have been achieved
HeUsT, EEvEEl'
Il seems to ne that Mr.. Lincoln IL answered.
A. L n WIG.
Sui not en- A5Oi.ioHisf.