Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-10-01
LINCOLN ON NEGRO EQUALITY.

Douglass, OF Illiuoi g, finding it convenient to
visi.Obio about this time on professional business.
The Republican State Committee sent for Lincoln
OF the same State to put on his track. The mid
de Of September Mr.. Lincoln made a speech a.
Columbus, which appears to FIJI the measure Of
Republican greatness, aud from which we extrac,
she following on Negro Equality.
The Honorable gentleman said;
Appearing here for the FIRST time in my life, ]
have been somewhat embarrassed for a topic by
way Of iutroduction to my speech, but Z have been
relieved from that embarrassment by an introduce
tion which the Ohio Statesman, / believe the name
ss, gave me in his paper Of this morning. In this
paper l have read an article and among other
l find the following;
"In debating with Senator Douglas during the
memorable eontest Of last fall, Mr.. Lincoln de.
carc& IN favor Of negro suffrage, and attempted to
defend that vile conception against tho Little Gil.
ant"
4 mention this now, at the opening Of my re-
marks. for the purpose of making three, as | sup
pose. very worthy comments upon it. The first
l have already announced-it furnishes me an in
troductory topic the second is to show the gen.
teman is mistaken; thirdly, to give him an oppor-
tSnity TO correct it.
a the frst place, in regard to this matter being
= mistake. l have found that it is not entirely
safe, when one is misrepresented under his very
nose Tor him to allow the misrepresentation to 90
oncontradScted, because / have often found that
Il 10 assumed to be true on no other evidence
than the charge has been made and allowed to 90
uncontrolled l therefore propose, here at the
outset, not orly to say that this is o misrepresen-
tation, but to show conclusively that it is SO and
you will bear with me, while | read O couple
OF extracts from that very memorable" debate
with Judge Douglas last year, to which this news
paper refers. 1t was in the Grst pitched battle
which Senator Douglas and myself had, which oc-
CURED at the town of Ottawa. l spoke, and the
language was reported from ne which I will now
read. Having been previously reading an extract
I continued as follows
Now gentleman, I don't want to read at any
great length, but this is the true complexion of all
! have ever said in regard to the institution Of sla-
very and the black race. This is the whole of it,
aud anything that argues me into his idea of per-
feet social and political equality with the negro, is
but a specious and fantastic arrangement of words,
by which q man can prove a horse chestnut to be
q chestnut horse. | will say here, while upon
this subj ct, that | have no purpose directly or in
directly to interfere with the institution Of slavery
In the States where it exists. | believe l have no
lawful right to do so, and l have no inclination to
do 30. l have no purpose to introduce political
and social equality between the white and the
black races. There is a physical difference be-
tween the two, which in my judgment will prob
ably forever forbid their living together upon the
footing of perfect equality. and inasmuch as it be-
comes a necessity that there mus! be a difference.
/, as Teu as Judge Douglas, an in facor Of the
race to ,chich I belong. haring the superior position.
l have never said anything to the contrary. but /
hold that notwithstanding all this, there is no
reason in the world why the negro is not entitled
to all the natural rights enumerated in the
Declaration Of Independence, the right to life. lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness. hold that he
is as much entitled to these as the white man. l
agree with Judge Douglas, he is not my equal in
any respects-certainly not in color, perhaps not
in moral or Intellectual ~endowments. But in the
right to eat the bread, without leave Of anybody
else, which his own hand earn, he is my equal
and the equal Of Judge Douglas and the equal of
every living man."
Upon a subsequent occasion, when the same
reason for making a statement like this REQUIRED,
/ SAID
"While l was at the hotel to-day an elderly
gentleman called upon me to KIN, W whether / was
really in favor of producing a perfect equality be-
tween the negroes and white people. While
had Dot proposed to myself on this occasion to
cay much on that subject, yet as the question was
asked me | thought l would occupy perhaps five
minutes in saying something in regard to it. 1
will say then that | am not, nor ever have been
in favor of bringing about in any way the social
and political equality Of the white and black races
that l am not, nor erer hare been in .taror ofmak-
ing roters or jurors Of negroes, nor Of qualifying
them to hold office, nor intermarTy aoiM white people;
and | will say in addition to this that there is q
physical difference between the black and white
races which / believe will forever forbid the two
races living together on terms Of social and polit.
ical equality. And iuasmuch as they cannot SO
live, while they do remain together there must be
the position of superior and inferior, and / as much
as any other man am in taror Of having the super
TOR position assigned 10 tie wAHe race. l say upon
this occasion / do not perceive that because the
white man is to have the superior position, the ne
gro should be denied everything. l do no. under
stand that because do not want q negro woman
for a slave | must necessarily want her for a wife.
My understanding is that l can just let her alone.
] am now in my 6ftieth year, and l eel tainly new
or had a black woman for either a slave or a wife,
So it seems to me quite possible for us to get along
without making either slaves or wives of negroes.
! will add to this that ! have never seen to my
knowledge q man, woman, or child, who was in
favor of producing o perfect equality, social and
political, between negroes and white men,"