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being　registered；　and　that　the　time　for　registering　had　gone　by。

I　commented　on　it　as　wonderful　that　Judge　Douglas　could　be

ignorant　of　these　facts　which　every　one　else　in　the　nation　so

well　knew。



I　now　pass　from　popular　sovereignty　and　Lecompton。　　I　may　have

occasion　to　refer　to　one　or　both。



When　he　was　preparing　his　plan　of　campaign；　Napoleon…like；　in　New

York；　as　appears　by　two　speeches　I　have　heard　him　deliver　since

his　arrival　in　Illinois；　he　gave　special　attention　to　a　speech　of

mine；　delivered　here　on　the　16th　of　June　last。　　He　says　that　he

carefully　read　that　speech。　　He　told　us　that　at　Chicago　a　week

ago　last　night　and　he　repeated　it　at　Bloomington　last　night。

Doubtless；　he　repeated　it　again　to…day；　though　I　did　not　hear

him。　　In　the　first　two　placesChicago　and　Bloomington　I　heard

him；　to…day　I　did　not。　　He　said　he　had　carefully　examined　that

speech；when；　he　did　not　say；　but　there　is　no　reasonable　doubt

it　was　when　he　was　in　New　York　preparing　his　plan　of　campaign。　　I

am　glad　he　did　read　it　carefully。　　He　says　it　was　evidently

prepared　with　great　care。　　I　freely　admit　it　was　prepared　with

care。　　I　claim　not　to　be　more　free　from　errors　than　others；

perhaps　scarcely　so　much；　but　I　was　very　careful　not　to　put

anything　in　that　speech　as　a　matter　of　fact；　or　make　any

inferences；　which　did　not　appear　to　me　to　be　true　and　fully

warrantable。　　If　I　had　made　any　mistake；　I　was　willing　to　be

corrected；　if　I　had　drawn　any　inference　in　regard　to　Judge

Douglas　or　any　one　else　which　was　not　warranted；　I　was　fully

prepared　to　modify　it　as　soon　as　discovered。　　I　planted　myself

upon　the　truth　and　the　truth　only；　so　far　as　I　knew　it；　or　could

be　brought　to　know　it。



Having　made　that　speech　with　the　most　kindly　feelings　toward

Judge　Douglas；　as　manifested　therein；　I　was　gratified　when　I

found　that　he　had　carefully　examined　it；　and　had　detected　no

error　of　fact；　nor　any　inference　against　him；　nor　any

misrepresentations　of　which　he　thought　fit　to　complain。　　In

neither　of　the　two　speeches　I　have　mentioned　did　he　make　any　such

complaint。　　I　will　thank　any　one　who　will　inform　me　that　he；　in

his　speech　to…day；　pointed　out　anything　I　had　stated　respecting

him　as　being　erroneous。　　I　presume　there　is　no　such　thing。　　I

have　reason　to　be　gratified　that　the　care　and　caution　used　in

that　speech　left　it　so　that　he；　most　of　all　others　interested　in

discovering　error；　has　not　been　able　to　point　out　one　thing

against　him　which　he　could　say　was　wrong。　　He　seizes　upon　the

doctrines　he　supposes　to　be　included　in　that　speech；　and　declares

that　upon　them　will　turn　the　issues　of　this　campaign。　　He　then

quotes；　or　attempts　to　quote；　from　my　speech。　　I　will　not　say

that　he　wilfully　misquotes；　but　he　does　fail　to　quote　accurately。

His　attempt　at　quoting　is　from　a　passage　which　I　believe　I　can

quote　accurately　from　memory。　　I　shall　make　the　quotation　now；

with　some　comments　upon　it；　as　I　have　already　said；　in　order　that

the　Judge　shall　be　left　entirely　without　excuse　for

misrepresenting　me。　　I　do　so　now；　as　I　hope；　for　the　last　time。

I　do　this　in　great　caution；　in　order　that　if　he　repeats　his

misrepresentation　it　shall　be　plain　to　all　that　he　does　so

wilfully。　　If；　after　all；　he　still　persists；　I　shall　be　compelled

to　reconstruct　the　course　I　have　marked　out　for　myself；　and　draw

upon　such　humble　resources；　as　I　have；　for　a　new　course；　better

suited　to　the　real　exigencies　of　the　case。　　I　set　out　in　this

campaign　with　the　intention　of　conducting　it　strictly　as　a

gentleman；　in　substance　at　least；　if　not　in　the　outside　polish。

The　latter　I　shall　never　be；　but　that　which　constitutes　the

inside　of　a　gentleman　I　hope　I　understand；　and　am　not　less

inclined　to　practice　than　others。　　It　was　my　purpose　and

expectation　that　this　canvass　would　be　conducted　upon　principle；

and　with　fairness　on　both　sides；　and　it　shall　not　be　my　fault　if

this　purpose　and　expectation　shall　be　given　up。



He　charges；　in　substance；　that　I　invite　a　war　of　sections；　that　I

propose　all　the　local　institutions　of　the　different　States　shall

become　consolidated　and　uniform。　　What　is　there　in　the　language

of　that　speech　which　expresses　such　purpose　or　bears　such

construction？　　I　have　again　and　again　said　that　I　would　not　enter

into　any　of　the　States　to　disturb　the　institution　of　slavery。

Judge　Douglas　said；　at　Bloomington；　that　I　used　language　most

able　and　ingenious　for　concealing　what　I　really　meant；　and　that

while　I　had　protested　against　entering　into　the　slave　States；　I

nevertheless　did　mean　to　go　on　the　banks　of　the　Ohio　and　throw

missiles　into　Kentucky；　to　disturb　them　in　their　domestic

institutions。



I　said　in　that　speech；　and　I　meant　no　more；　that　the　institution

of　slavery　ought　to　be　placed　in　the　very　attitude　where　the

framers　of　this　government　placed　it　and　left　it。　　I　do　not

understand　that　the　framers　of　our　Constitution　left　the　people

of　the　free　States　in　the　attitude　of　firing　bombs　or　shells　into

the　slave　States。　　I　was　not　using　that　passage　for　the　purpose

for　which　he　infers　I　did　use　it。　　I　said：



〃We　are　now　far　advanced　into　the　fifth　year　since　a　policy　was

created　for　the　avowed　object　and　with　the　confident　promise　of

putting　an　end　to　slavery　agitation。　　Under　the　operation　of　that

policy　that　agitation　has　not　only　not　ceased；　but　has　constantly

augmented。　　In　my　opinion　it　will　not　cease　till　a　crisis　shall

have　been　reached　and　passed。　　'A　house　divided　against　itself

cannot　stand。'　I　believe　that　this　government　cannot　endure

permanently　half　slave　and　half　free；　it　will　become　all　one

thing　or　all　the　other。　　Either　the　opponents　of　slavery　will

arrest　the　further　spread　of　it；　and　place　it　where　the　public

mind　shall　rest　in　the　belief　that　it　is　in　the　course　of

ultimate　extinction；　or　its　advocates　will　push　it　forward　till

it　shall　become　alike　lawful　in　all　the　States；　old　as　well　as

new；　North　as　well　as　South。〃



Now；　you　all　see；　from　that　quotation；　I　did　not　express　my　wish

on　anything。　　In　that　passage　I　indicated　no　wish　or　purpose　of

my　own；　I　simply　expressed　my　expectation。　　Cannot　the　Judge

perceive　a　distinction　between　a　purpose　and　an　expectation？　　I

have　often　expressed　an　expectation　to　die；　but　I　have　never

expressed　a　wish　to　die。　　I　said　at　Chicago；　and　now　repeat；　that

I　am　quite　aware　this　government　has　endured；　half　slave　and　half

free；　for　eighty…two　years。　　I　understand　that　little　bit　of

history。　　I　expressed　the　opinion　I　did　because　I　perceivedor

thought　I　perceiveda　new　set　of　causes　introduced。　　I　did　say

at　Chicago；　in　my　speech　there；　that　I　do　wish　to　see　the　spread

of　slavery　arrested；　and　to　see　it　placed　where　the　public　mind

shall　rest　in　the　belief　that　it　is　in　the　course　of　ultimate

extinction。　　I　said　that　because　I　supposed；　when　the　public　mind

shall　rest　in　that　belief；　we　shall　have　peace　on　the　slavery

question。　　I　have　believedand　now　believethe　public　mind　did

res