Year: 1861




think there is) there may be in this, in the long
run, its sudden execution is impossible. If
they were all landed there in day, they would
perish in the next ten days; and there are not
surplus shipping and surplus money enough in
the world to carry them there in many times
ten days. What then2 Free them all, and
keep them among us as underlingsf Is itquite |
certain that this betters their condition?
think I would not hold one in slavery at any
rate yet the point is not clear enough to de.
nounce people upon. What next? Free them,
and make them politically and socially our
equals? My own feelings will not admit Of
this and il mine would, we well know that
those of the great mass OF white people will not.
Whether this feeling accords with justice aid
sound Judgment, is not the sole question, it,
indeed, it is any part of it. A universal feel
ing, whether well or ill founded, cannot be
safely disregarded. We cannot, then, make
them equals. II does seem to me that sys.
tens of gradual emancipation might be adopt
ed but for that tardiness in this respect, l
will not undertake to judge our brethren of the
South.


"N hen they remind us Of their constitutional
rights, | acknowledge them, not grudgingly,
but fully and fairly; and l would give them
any legislation for the reclaiming Of their fugi.
tives, which should not, in its strngency, be
more likely to carry free man into slavery
that our ordinary criminal laws are to hang an
innocent one."-Speech at Otopa, Ill.,, Aug.
2l, 1858.
of this Union, save and except this very institu.
ton Of slavery2 What is it that we hold most
dear amongst us2 Our own liberty and pros
perity. What has ever threatened our liberty
and prosperity, save and except this institution
of slavery Ii this is true, how do you propose
to improve the condition Of things by enlargng
slavery-by spreading it out and making it
bigger? ,... =. o,no,. =, ror,
person, and not be able to cut it out, lest you
bleed to death but surely it is no way to cure
it to engraft it, and spread it over your whole
body. That is no proper way Of treating what
you regard as a wrong."-Speech at Alton, Oct.
Is, 1858. 80


IL suppose most of us II know it of myself
believe that the people Of the Southern States
law. As the right is CONSTITUTIONAL / agree
that the legislation shall be granted to it, and
that not that we like the institution Of slavery.
We profess TO have no taste for running and
catching negroes at least, profess no taste
for that job at all. Why, then, do yield sup.
port to o fugitive slave law? Because do not
understand that the Constitution, which guar,
antics that right, can be supported without
it."-Speech al Alton, Oct. 10, s5S.


"The real issue in this controversy-the one
pressing upon every minds the sentiment on
the part Of one class that looks upon the insti.
tuition of slavery as wrong, and of another
class that does NOT look upon it as wrong.
The sentiment that tcontemplates the institution
of slavery in this country as a wrong, is the
sentiment of the Republican party. They look
upon it as being moral, social, and political
wrong; and while they contemplate it as such,
they nevertheless have due regard for its actual
existence among US, and the difficulties of get
ting rid of it in any satisfactory way, and to all
| the constitutional obligations thrown about it.
Yet having due regard for these, they desire


policy in regard to it that looks to its not ere.
ating any more danger. They insist that it
should, as far as may be, be treated as q wrong
and one of the methods of treating it as q
wrong is to make provision that it shall grow
no larger. If there be a man among us who
does not think that the institution of slavery il
wrong in any of the aspects Of which have
spoken, he is misplaced, and ought not to bt
with US. And if there be man amongst III
who is so impatient Of it as a wrong as to dis
regard its actual presence among ms, and thu
difficulty of getting rid of it suddenly in a sat
isfactory way, and to disregard the constitu





misplaced If he is on our platform. ."-Speech a
Alton, Oct 10, 1858.


FEW WORDS TO THE SOUTH.


"We the Republicans, and others, formin,
the opposition Of the country, intend to stant
by our guns, TO be patient and firm, and in th'
long run to beat you. When we do beat you
you perhaps want to know what we will d,
with you. l will tell you, so far as am au
thorized to speak for the opposition, what W,
mean to do with you. We mean to treat you
as nearly as we possibly can, as Washington
Jefferson, and Madison, treated you. We meal
to leave you alone, and in no way interfer
with your institution to abide by every com
promise of the Constitution and, in a word
coming back to the original proposition, T.
treat you as far as degenerated men five hav
degenerated) may, according to the example
of those noble fathers-Wa Washington, Jefferson
and Madison. We mean to remember that yo,
are as good as we are that there is no dill
ference between US, other than the diferenc,
of circumstances. We mean to recognise ant
bear in mind, always that yoa have as goot
hearts in your bosoms as other people, or a
we claim to have, and to treat you accord
ingly.-Speech at Cincinnati, Sept. II, 1859.
DOUGLAS AND JOHNSON PLATFORM


Resolved, That we, the Democracy of tn
Union, in Convention assembled, hereby d.
clare our affirmance of the resolutions unan
mously adopted and declared as platform {
principles by the Democratic Convention a