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institutions　of　our　sister　States；　be　they　free　or　slave　States。　　I

declared　then；　and　I　now　re…declare；　that　I　have　as　little

inclination　to　interfere　with　the　institution　of　slavery　where　it　now

exists；　through　the　instrumentality　of　the　General　Government；　or　any

other　instrumentality；　as　I　believe　we　have　no　power　to　do　so。　　I

accidentally　used　this　expression：　　I　had　no　purpose　of　entering　into

the　slave　States　to　disturb　the　institution　of　slavery。　　So；　upon　the

first　occasion　that　Judge　Douglas　got　an　opportunity　to　reply　to　me；

he　passed　by　the　whole　body　of　what　I　had　said　upon　that　subject；　and

seized　upon　the　particular　expression　of　mine　that　I　had　no　purpose

of　entering　into　the　slave　States　to　disturb　the　institution　of

slavery。　　〃Oh；　no；〃　said　he；　〃he　＇Lincoln＇　won't　enter　into　the　slave

States　to　disturb　the　institution　of　slavery；　he　is　too　prudent　a　man

to　do　such　a　thing　as　that；　he　only　means　that　he　will　go　on　to　the

line　between　the　free　and　slave　States；　and　shoot　over　at　them。　　This

is　all　he　means　to　do。　　He　means　to　do　them　all　the　harm　he　can；　to

disturb　them　all　he　can；　in　such　a　way　as　to　keep　his　own　hide　in

perfect　safety。〃



Well；　now；　I　did　not　think；　at　that　time；　that　that　was　either　a　very

dignified　or　very　logical　argument　but　so　it　was；　I　had　to　get　along

with　it　as　well　as　I　could。



It　has　occurred　to…me　here　to…night　that　if　I　ever　do　shoot　over　the

line　at　the　people　on　the　other　side　of　the　line　into　a　slave　State；

and　purpose　to　do　so；　keeping　my　skin　safe；　that　I　have　now　about　the

best　chance　I　shall　ever　have。　I　should　not　wonder　if　there　are　some

Kentuckians　about　this　audiencewe　are　close　to　Kentucky；　and

whether　that　be　so　or　not；　we　are　on　elevated　ground；　and；　by

speaking　distinctly；　I　should　not　wonder　if　some　of　the　Kentuckians

would　hear　me　on　the　other　side　of　the　river。　For　that　reason　I

propose　to　address　a　portion　of　what　I　have　to　say　to　the

Kentuckians。



I　say；　then；　in　the　first　place；　to　the　Kentuckians；　that　I　am　what

they　call；　as　I　understand　it；　a　〃Black　Republican。〃　I　think　slavery

is　wrong；　morally　and　politically。　　I　desire　that　it　should　be　no

further　spread　inthese　United　States；　and　I　should　not　object　if　it

should　gradually　terminate　in　the　whole　Union。　　While　I　say　this　for

myself；　I　say　to　you　Kentuckians　that　I　understand　you　differ

radically　with　me　upon　this　proposition；　that　you　believe　slavery　is

a　good　thing；　that　slavery　is　right；　that　it　ought　to　be　extended　and

perpetuated　in　this　Union。　　Now；　there　being　this　broad　difference

between　us；　I　do　not　pretend；　in　addressing　myself　to　you

Kentuckians；　to　attempt　proselyting　you；　that　would　be　a　vain　effort。

I　do　not　enter　upon　it。　　I　only　propose　to　try　to　show　you　that　you

ought　to　nominate　for　the　next　Presidency；　at　Charleston；　my

distinguished　friend　Judge　Douglas。　　In　all　that　there　is　a

difference　between　you　and　him；　I　understand　he　is　sincerely　for　you；

and　more　wisely　for　you　than　you　are　for　yourselves。　　I　will　try　to

demonstrate　that　proposition。　　Understand；　now；　I　say　that　I　believe

he　is　as　sincerely　for　you；　and　more　wisely　for　you；　than　you　are　for

yourselves。



What　do　you　want　more　than　anything　else　to　make　successful　your

views　of　slavery；to　advance　the　outspread　of　it；　and　to　secure　and

perpetuate　the　nationality　of　it？　　What　do　you　want　more　than

anything　else？　　Whatis　needed　absolutely？　　What　is　indispensable　to

you？　　Why；　if　I　may；　be　allowed　to　answer　the　question；　it　is　to

retain　a　hold　upon　the　North；　it　is　to　retain　support　and　strength

from　the　free　States。　　If　you　can　get　this　support　and　strength　from

the　free　States；　you　can　succeed。　　If　you　do　not　get　this　support　and

this　strength　from　the　free　States；　you　are　in　the　minority；　and　you

are　beaten　at　once。



If　that　proposition　be　admitted；and　it　is　undeniable；then　the

next　thing　I　say　to　you　is；　that　Douglas；　of　all　the　men　in　this

nation；　is　the　only　man　that　affords　you　any　hold　upon　the　free

States；　that　no　other　man　can　give　you　any　strength　in　the　free

States。　　This　being　so；　if　you　doubt　the　other　branch　of　the

proposition；　whether　he　is　for　youwhether　he　is　really　for　you；　as

I　have　expressed　it；I　propose　asking　your　attention　for　a　while　to

a　few　facts。



The　issue　between　you　and　me；　understand；　is；　that　I　think　slavery　is

wrong；　and　ought　not　to　be　outspread；　and　you　think　it　is　right；　and

ought　to　be　extended　and　perpetuated。　＇A　voice；　〃Oh；　Lord！〃＇　　That　is

my　Kentuckian　I　am　talking　to　now。



I　now　proceed　to　try　to　show　you　that　Douglas　is　as　sincerely　for　you

and　more　wisely　for　you　than　you　are　for　yourselves。



In　the　first　place；　we　know　that　in　a　government　like　this；　in　a

government　of　the　people；　where　the　voice　of　all　the　men　of　the

country；　substantially；　enters　into　the　executionor　administration；

ratherof　the　government；　in　such　a　government；　what　lies　at　the

bottom　of　all　of　it　is　public　opinion。　　I　lay　down　the　proposition；

that　Judge　Douglas　is　not　only　the　man　that　promises　you　in　advance　a

hold　upon　the　North；　and　support　in　the　North；　but　he　constantly

moulds　public　opinion　to　your　ends；　that　in　every　possible　way　he　can

he　constantly　moulds　the　public　opinion　of　the　North　to　your　ends；

and　if　there　are　a　few　things　in　which　he　seems　to　be　against　you；…

…a；　few　things　which　he　says　that　appear　to　be　against　you；　and　a　few

that　he　forbears　to　say　which　you　would　like　to　have　him　say　you

ought　to　remember　that　the　saying　of　the　one；　or　the　forbearing　to

say　the　other；　would　lose　his　hold　upon　the　North；　and；　by

consequence；　would　lose　his　capacity　to　serve　you。



Upon　this　subject　of　moulding　public　opinion　I　call　your　attention　to

the　factfor　a　well　established　fact　it　isthat　the　Judge　never

says　your　institution　of　slavery　is　wrong。　　There　is　not　a　public　man

in　the　United　States；　I　believe；　with　the　exception　of　Senator

Douglas；　who　has　not；　at　some　time　in　his　life；　declared　his　opinion

whether　the　thing　is　right　or　wrong；　but　Senator　Douglas　never

declares　it　is　wrong。　　He　leaves　himself　at　perfect　liberty　to　do　all

in　your　favor　which　he　would　be　hindered　from　doing　if　he　were　to

declare　the　thing　to　be　wrong。　　On　the　contrary；　he　takes　all　the

chances　that　he　has　for　inveigling　the　sentiment　of　the　North；

opposed　to　slavery；　into　your　support；　by　never　saying　it　is　right。

This　you　ought　to　set　down　to　his　credit：　You　ought　to　give　him　full

credit　for　this　much；　little　though　it　be；　in　comparison　to　the　whole

which　he　does　for　you。



Some　other；　things　I　will　ask　your　attention　to。　He　said　upon　the

floor　of　the　United　States　Senate；　and　he　has　repeated　it；　as　I

understand；　a　great　many　times；　that　he　does　not　care　whether　slavery

is　〃voted　up　or　voted　down。〃　　This　again　shows　you；　or　ought　to　show

you；　if　you　would　reason　upon　it；　that　he　does　not　believe　it　to　be

wrong；　for　a　man　may　say　when　he　sees　nothing　wrong　in　a　thing；　that

he；　dues　not　care　whether　it　be　voted　up　or　voted　down　but　no　man　can

logically　say　that　he　cares　not　whether　a　thing　goes　up　or　goes　down

which　to　him　appears　to　be　wrong。　You　therefore　have　a　demonstration

in　this　that　to　Judge　Douglas's　mind　your　favorite　institution；　which

you　would　have　spread　out　and　made　perpetual；　is　no　wrong。



Another　thing　he　tells　you；　in　a　speech　made　at　Memphis　in　Tennessee；

shortly　after　the　canvass　in　Illinois；　last　year。　　He　there

distinctly　told　the　people　that　there　was　a　〃line　drawn　by　the

Almighty　across　this　continent；　on　the　one　side　of　which　the　soil

must　always　be　cultivated　by　slaves〃；　that　he　did　not　pretend　to　know

exactly　where　that　line　was；　but　that　there　was　such　a　line。　　I　want

to　ask　your　attention　to　that　proposition　again；　that　there　is　one

portion　of　this　continent　where　the　Almighty　has　signed　the　soil

shall　always　be　cultivated　by　slaves；　that　its　being　cultivated　by

slaves　at　that　place　is　right；　that　it　has　the　direct　sympathy　and

authority　of　the　Almighty。　　Whenever　you　can　get　these　Northern

audiences　to　adopt　the　opinion　that　slavery　is　right　on　the　other

side　of　the　Ohio；　whenever　you　can　get　them；　in　pursuance　of

Douglas's　views；　to　adopt　that　sentiment；　they　will　very　readily　make

the　other　argument；　which　is　perfectly　logical；　that　that　which　is

right　on　that　side　of　the　Ohio　cannot　be　wrong　on　this；　and　that　if

you　have　that　property　on　that　side　of　the　Ohio；　under　the　seal　and

stamp　of　the　Almighty；　when　by　any　means　it　escapes　over　here　it　is

wrong　to　have　constitutions　and　laws　〃to　devil〃　you　about　it。　So

Douglas　is　moulding　the　public　opinion　of　the　North；　first　to　say

that　the　thing　is　right　in　your　State　over　the　Ohio　River；　and　hence

to　say　that　that　which　is　right　there　is　not　wrong　here；　and　that　all

laws　and　constitutions　here　recognizing　it　as　being　wrong　are

themselves　wrong；　and　ought　to　be　repealed　and　abrogated。　　He　will

tell　you；　men　of　Ohio；　that　if　you　cho