Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-11-25
Some Opinions of sars 1ineoins
[Selected verbatim from his Speeches

and the general welfare docs not require us
do so. We must not withhold all efficient F
gitive Slave Law, because the Constitution
quires us, as l understand il, not to withho
such law But we must prevent the ou
/ spreading of the institution, because neith
. the Constitution nor the general welfare /
quires us to extend it. We must pte4ent Il
revival of the African Slave Trade, and Il
enacting by Congress of Territorial Slt.,
Code. We must prevent each of these thin.
being done by either Congress or Courts
The People of these United States are ii
rightful masters of 10th Congress and Cour
f-noI to overthrow the Constitution, bu
! to overthrow the men who pervert the Coz
stitution. y [Speeeh at Cincinnati, Sept. l.
1859.
Il hold myself under constitutional oblig,
tio to allow the people iri all the States, will
out interference, direct or indirect, to do eA
actly as they please; and [ deny that l hav
any inclination to Interfere with them, ctcn
there were no such constitutional obligation
| can only say again that am placed improu
erly-altogcther improperly, in spite of all
can say-when it is insisted that / enteftai
any other views or purposes in regard to tha
t1nIttcr,' slavery. III Speech at Jonesborough
! ILL.,, Sept. l6, 1858.
While it slavery drives OH in State o
progress as it is now driving, and as it ha.
driven for the lust five years. have venturec
the opinion, and | say to-day, that we viii
| have no end to the slavery agitation until il
takes one turn or the other. | do not meal
that when it takes turn toward ultimate ex
tincton it will be in Il day. nor in Il year, nor
i'll two years. l do not suppose that in the
NEST peaceful way ultimate extinction would
occur in less than a hundred years at least;
but that it will occur in the best way for
both races, i'll Gods own good time, have no
Doubt Speech at Charleston, ILL.,, Sept. g.
1858.
''Mr. Dor glass Popular Sovereignty, as d
principle, is simply this: If Que man chooses
to make a slave of another man, neither that
man nor anybody else has right TO object y
-[Speech at Cincinnati, Sept II, 1859
Il have intimated that thought the agita-
tion {of slavery would not cease until a crisis
should be reached and passed. l have stated
in what way thought it would be reached
and passed. We might by arresting the fur
ther spread of it, and placing it where the
fathers originally placed it, put it where the
public mind should rest in the belief that ii
was in the course of ultimate extinction
Thus the agitation may cease. 1t may be
pushed forward until it shall become alike
lawful in ali the States, old as well as new;
\ North US well as South. | entertain the opn-
ion, upon evidence sufficient to my mind, that
the fathers of this Government placed that
the belief that it was in the cource of ultimate
and when l say that desire 10 see
the further spread of it arrested, only say
That desire to see that done which the faith
nrs have first done. Ii is not true that our
athcrs, as Judge Douglas assumes, made this
government part slave and part free. Under
stand the sense in which be puts it--he as
'umes that slavery is a rightful thing within
tself-was introduced 10y the trainers of the
Constitution. The exact truth is, that they |
ound the institution existing amoug US and |
hey left it as they found it. But in making
he Government they left the institution with
many clear marks of disapprobation upon it,
they found slavery among them, and they left /
t among them because of the difficulty-the
bsolute ilnpossibiity Of it immediate renov- /
r. -ESpeeeh at Alton, Oct; Is, 1858.
"Let me say l have no prejudice against
he Southern people. They are just what we
you'd be in their situation If slavery did
ot exist among them they would not intro
uce it. IF it did now exist among us. we
hould not instantly give it mp, This be-
cye of the masses north and south. UoGbt-
ass there are individuals on both sides who
1ould not hold slaves under any circumstan-
es; and others who would gladly introduce
lavery anew if it were not out of existence
We know that some southern men do free
heir slaves, go north, and become tip-top alb
while some northern ones go south
nd become most cruel slave masters.
"When Southern people tell us they are no
fore responsible for the origin of slavery than
'e are, acknowledge the fact. When it is
lid that the institution exists, aDd that it is
cry difficult to get rid of it i'll any satisfacto- /;
Y way can understand and appreciate the
lying. | surely will not blame them for not K
Ding what | should not know how TO do my +
If If all earthly power were given me,
lould not know what to do, as to the existing
My first impulse would be to free
Il the slaves and send them to Liberia-to {
leir own native land. But moments re-
action would convince me that whatever of
igh hope (as | think there isl there may be {
this, in the long run, its sudden execution is
hpossible. Ii they were all landed there in a
ly they would perish in the next ten days;
nd there are not surplus shipping and surplus t
oney enough in the world to carry them {
lere in many times ten days: What fhen? {
rec them all and keep them among us as un- |
erlings? Is it quite certain that this betters
eir condition? | think | would not hold one I
slavery at any rate; yet the point is not c
ear enough to denounce people upon. What t
ext? Free them and make them politically u
I'd socially our equals? My own feelings wilfi e
1T admit of this; and if mine would, we well II
low that those of the great mass of white l.
sople will not. Whether this feeling accorls G
ith justice and sound judgement. is not the i,
lie question, if. indeed it is any part of it s
universal feeling, whether well or i'll found Fl
. cannot be safely disregarded. We cannot, / g
en-, make them equals. 1t does seem to me eG
at systems of gradual emancipation might I
, aAopted;' Bat for their tariliHcss in this re b
ect, will not undertake to judge our breth-
II of the South.
" nth us Ol tHeIT
rights, l acknowledge them, not grudgingly, IL
1t fully and fairly; and l would give them G
= Legislation for the reclaiming of their lu- b
tives which should not, its striugency, be \
ore likely to carry a free man into slavery o.
an our ordinary criminal laws are to haug e
innocent ne,"-[SpeecIr at Ottawa, ILL.,, c.
ug. II, 1858. ci
"Has anything ever threatened the existence b
this Union, save and except this very insti u
tom Of slavery? What is it that we hold Il
ost dear amongst us? Our own liberty and r.
osperity. What has ever threatened our fl
'erty and prosperity save and except this in d
tuition of slavery? If this is true, how do Q,
III propose to improve the condition of d
l.Aa