The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-04-15
Lincoln on Negro Equality
His speech at Columbus, Ohio,
OcfObeF. 1859.

speech, bnt / have been relieved fror
that embarrassment by an introduction
which The Ohio Statesman neEspape
gave me this morning. In this paper
have read an article ia which. amonI
other statements, I find the following
''In debsting with Senator Dougla
! during the memorable contest CT las
fall, Mr. Lincoln declared in favor o
negro suffrage, and attempted to de
fend that vile conception against TIT
Little Giant"
e mention this now, at the openiDi
ofmy remarks, for the purpose of ma
king three comments upon it. The
first ! have already announced it fur
nished me an Introductory topic. The
second is 10 show that the !gentlemar
is mistaken. Thirdly, TO give him an
opportunity TO correct it.
an the 6rst place, in regard to this
matter being mistake, have found
that it is rot entirely safe, when oneis
misrepresented under his very nose, to
allow the Misrepresentation to 60 IN
cOntradieted. /, therefore, propose
here, at the outset, not only to say that
this is a misrepresentation, but to show
tonelusiyely that it is 80 and you will
bear with me while I read q couple OF
extracts from that very memorable de-
bate with Judge Douglas last year, to
which this paper refers. In the first
pitched battle which Senator Douglas
and myself had, at the town of Ottawa,
l used the language which | will now
read. Having been previously reading
an extract, | continued as follows
" Now, gentlemen, | don't want to
read at any greater length, but this is
the true complexion of all that l have
ever said in regard to the institution
of slavery and the black race. This is
the whole of it, and anything that ar
CUES me into the idea of perfect social
and political equality with the negro,
is but speciOus and fantastic arrange
ment of words, by which q man can
prove horse chestnut TO be chestnut
horse. l will say here, while upon this
subject that | have no purpose, direct
ly or indirectly, to interfere with the
institution of slavery in the States
where 1t exists. ] believe | have no
lawful right 10 DO so, and l have no in.
clihation to do So / have no purpose
to introduce political and social eduali.
ty between the white and the black
races There is physical difference
between the two, which, in my iudg-
ment, will probably forbid their ever
living together, upon the footing of
perfect equality and, inesmuch as it
becomes a necessity that there must be
a difference, | as well as Judge Doug
las, am in favor of the race TO which
l belong having the superior position.
have never said anything to the con-
traTy, but hold that, notwithstanding
all this, there is no reason in the world
why the negro is not entitled to alI the
natural rights enumerated in the De-
claratiOn of Independence-the right
of life, liberty, and the pursuit of hap
piness hold that he Is as much en-
titled to these as the white man.
agree with Judge Douglas, he is not
my equal in many respects-oertainly
not in color, perhaps not in moral and
intellectual endoWments But in the
right TO eat bread, without leave of any
body else, which his own hands earn,
he is my equal and the equal of Judge
Douglas, and the equal of every living
man.
Upon subsequent occasion, when
the reason for making statement like
this required, l said:
awhile | was at the hotel, to day, an
elderly gentleman called Oh me to know
whether ] was really in favor of produ-
cling perfect equality between the ne
groes and white people While l had
not;proposed to myself, on this occa-
sion, to say much on that subject, vet,
as the question was asked me, l
thought ! would occupy perhaps five
minutes in saying something in regard
to it | will say, then, that / am not
nor never have been, in favor of bring
ing about, in any way, the social and
political equality of the white and
black races; that l am not, nor ever
have been, in favor Of making voters
or Jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying
them TO hold office, or intermarry with
the white people; and J will say, in ad-
dition to this, that there is q physical
difference between the white and black
races which, believe, will forever for
bid the two races living together on
terms Of social and political equality.
And, inasmuch 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 favor of having the supe-
rior position assigned TO the white race.
/ say, upon this occasion, L do not per-
ceive that, because the white man IS to
have the superior position, the negro
should be denied every thing. l do
not understand that because | do not
want negro woman for slave / must
necessarily want her for a wife My
understanding is that ! can Just let her
alone. | am now in my fiftieth year,
and ! certainly never have had black
woman for either a slave or 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, o man, woman or
child, who was in favor Of pro
ducing perfect equality, social and po-
litical, between negroes and white men.
recollect of but one distinguished in-
stance that ever heard of 80 frequent
~ as to be satisfied of It's correctness,
and that is the case of Judge Douglas 5
old friend, Col. Richard NJ johnson. /
will also add to the remarks have
made, flor | am not going TO enter at
large upon this subject that have
never had the least apprehension that
l or my friends would marry negroes,
if there was no law 10 keep them from
it but, az Judge Douglas and his
friends seem to be in great apprchen-
sion that they might if there were nc
law TO keep them from it, | give him
the most solemn pledge that ! viii dc
the very best to stand by the law Of the
States which forbids the marrying Of
white people with negroes.
There, my friends, you have briefly
what l have on former occasions said
upon the subject, to which this newsps-
per, 10 the extent Of its ability, has
drawn the public attention In it you
not only perceive, as q probability, thai
in that contest / did not, at any time
say / was in favor Of negro suffrage
but the absolute proof THAI twice-onct
substantially and once erpres5ly-l de
clared AGAINST IT. Having shown you
this, there remains but a word of com
ment upon that newspaper article. i
is this; that l presume the editor o
that paper is an honest and truth
loving man, and that he will be greatly
obliged 10 me for furnishing him thus
an opportunity TO correct the uisrepre
sentation ne has made, before it has Tu1
so long that malicious people can cal
him a liar. "-FoHa, Foster d Co.'S In
eohl and Douglas De5ates, Pr 240-4l.
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