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The　first　thing　I　have　to　say　to　you　is　a　word　in　regard　to　Judge

Douglas's　declaration　about　the　〃vulgarity　and　blackguardism〃　in

the　audience；　that　no　such　thing；　as　he　says；　was　shown　by　any

Democrat　while　I　was　speaking。　　Now；　I　only　wish；　by　way　of　reply

on　this　subject；　to　say　that　while　I　was　speaking；　I　used　no

〃vulgarity　or　blackguardism〃　toward　any　Democrat。



Now；　my　friends；　I　come　to　all　this　long　portion　of　the　Judge's

speech；perhaps　half　of　it；which　he　has　devoted　to　the　various

resolutions　and　platforms　that　have　been　adopted　in　the　different

counties　in　the　different　Congressional　districts；　and　in　the

Illinois　legislature；　which　he　supposes　are　at　variance　with　the

positions　I　have　assumed　before　you　to…day。　　It　is　true　that　many

of　these　resolutions　are　at　variance　with　the　positions　I　have

here　assumed。　　All　I　have　to　ask　is　that　we　talk　reasonably　and

rationally　about　it。　　I　happen　to　know；　the　Judge's　opinion　to

the　contrary　notwithstanding；　that　I　have　never　tried　to　conceal

my　opinions；　nor　tried　to　deceive　any　one　in　reference　to　them。

He　may　go　and　examine　all　the　members　who　voted　for　me　for　United

States　Senator　in　1855；　after　the　election　of　1854。　　They　were

pledged　to　certain　things　here　at　home；　and　were　determined　to

have　pledges　from　me；　and　if　he　will　find　any　of　these　persons

who　will　tell　him　anything　inconsistent　with　what　I　say　now；　I

will　resign；　or　rather　retire　from　the　race；　and　give　him　no　more

trouble。　　The　plain　truth　is　this：　At　the　introduction　of　the

Nebraska　policy；　we　believed　there　was　a　new　era　being　introduced

in　the　history　of　the　Republic；　which　tended　to　the　spread　and

perpetuation　of　slavery。　　But　in　our　opposition　to　that　measure

we　did　not　agree　with　one　another　in　everything。　　The　people　in

the　north　end　of　the　State　were　for　stronger　measures　of

opposition　than　we　of　the　central　and　southern　portions　of　the

State；　but　we　were　all　opposed　to　the　Nebraska　doctrine。　　We　had

that　one　feeling　and　that　one　sentiment　in　common。　　You　at　the

north　end　met　in　your　conventions　and　passed　your　resolutions。

We　in　the　middle　of　the　State　and　farther　south　did　not　hold　such

conventions　and　pass　the　same　resolutions；　although　we　had　in

general　a　common　view　and　a　common　sentiment。　　So　that　these

meetings　which　the　Judge　has　alluded　to；　and　the　resolutions　he

has　read　from；　were　local；　and　did　not　spread　over　the　whole

State。　　We　at　last　met　together　in　1886；　from　all　parts　of　the

State；　and　we　agreed　upon　a　common　platform。　　You；　who　held　more

extreme　notions；　either　yielded　those　notions；　or；　if　not　wholly

yielding　them；　agreed　to　yield　them　practically；　for　the　sake　of

embodying　the　opposition　to　the　measures　which　the　opposite　party

were　pushing　forward　at　that　time。　　We　met　you　then；　and　if　there

was　anything　yielded；　it　was　for　practical　purposes。　　We　agreed

then　upon　a　platform　for　the　party　throughout　the　entire　State　of

Illinois；　and　now　we　are　all　bound；　as　a　party；　to　that　platform。



And　I　say　here　to　you；　if　any　one　expects　of　mein　case　of　my

electionthat　I　will　do　anything　not　signified　by　our　Republican

platform　and　my　answers　here　to…day；　I　tell　you　very　frankly　that

person　will　be　deceived。　　I　do　not　ask　for　the　vote　of　any　one

who　supposes　that　I　have　secret　purposes　or　pledges　that　I　dare

not　speak　out。　　Cannot　the　Judge　be　satisfied？　　If　he　fears；　in

the　unfortunate　case　of　my　election；　that　my　going　to　Washington

will　enable　me　to　advocate　sentiments　contrary　to　those　which　I

expressed　when　you　voted　for　and　elected　me；　I　assure　him　that

his　fears　are　wholly　needless　and　groundless。　　Is　the　Judge

really　afraid　of　any　such　thing？　　I'll　tell　you　what　he　is　afraid

of。　　He　is　afraid　we'll　all　pull　together。　　This　is　what　alarms

him　more　than　anything　else。　　For　my　part；　I　do　hope　that　all　of

us；　entertaining　a　common　sentiment　in　opposition　to　what　appears

to　us　a　design　to　nationalize　and　perpetuate　slavery；　will　waive

minor　differences　on　questions　which　either　belong　to　the　dead

past　or　the　distant　future；　and　all　pull　together　in　this

struggle。　　What　are　your　sentiments？　　If　it　be　true　that　on　the

ground　which　I　occupyground　which　I　occupy　as　frankly　and

boldly　as　Judge　Douglas　does　his；my　views；　though　partly

coinciding　with　yours；　are　not　as　perfectly　in　accordance　with

your　feelings　as　his　are；　I　do　say　to　you　in　all　candor；　go　for

him；　and　not　for　me。　　I　hope　to　deal　in　all　things　fairly　with

Judge　Douglas；　and　with　the　people　of　the　State；　in　this　contest。

And　if　I　should　never　be　elected　to　any　office；　I　trust　I　may　go

down　with　no　stain　of　falsehood　upon　my　reputation；

notwithstanding　the　hard　opinions　Judge　Douglas　chooses　to

entertain　of　me。



The　Judge　has　again　addressed　himself　to　the　Abolition　tendencies

of　a　speech　of　mine　made　at　Springfield　in　June　last。　　I　have　so

often　tried　to　answer　what　he　is　always　saying　on　that　melancholy

theme　that　I　almost　turn　with　disgust　from　the　discussion；from

the　repetition　of　an　answer　to　it。　　I　trust　that　nearly　all　of

this　intelligent　audience　have　read　that　speech。　　If　you　have；　I

may　venture　to　leave　it　to　you　to　inspect　it　closely；　and　see

whether　it　contains　any　of　those　　〃bugaboos〃　which　frighten　Judge

Douglas。



The　Judge　complains　that　I　did　not　fully　answer　his　questions。

If　I　have　the　sense　to　comprehend　and　answer　those　questions；　I

have　done　so　fairly。　　If　it　can　be　pointed　out　to　me　how　I　can

more　fully　and　fairly　answer　him；　I　aver　I　have　not　the　sense　to

see　how　it　is　to　be　done。　　He　says　I　do　not　declare　I　would　in

any　event　vote　for　the　admission　of　a　slave　State　into　the　Union。

If　I　have　been　fairly　reported；　he　will　see　that　I　did　give　an

explicit　answer　to　his　interrogatories；　I　did　not　merely　say　that

I　would　dislike　to　be　put　to　the　test；　but　I　said　clearly；　if　I

were　put　to　the　test；　and　a　Territory　from　which　slavery　had　been

excluded　should　present　herself　with　a　State　constitution

sanctioning　slavery；a　most　extraordinary　thing；　and　wholly

unlikely　to　happen；I　did　not　see　how　I　could　avoid　voting　for

her　admission。　　But　he　refuses　to　understand　that　I　said　so；　and

he　wants　this　audience　to　understand　that　I　did　not　say　so。　　Yet

it　will　be　so　reported　in　the　printed　speech　that　he　cannot　help

seeing　it。



He　says　if　I　should　vote　for　the　admission　of　a　slave　State　I

would　be　voting　for　a　dissolution　of　the　Union；　because　I　hold

that　the　Union　cannot　permanently　exist　half　slave　and　half　free。

I　repeat　that　I　do　not　believe　this　government　can　endure

permanently　half　slave　and　half　free；　yet　I　do　not　admit；　nor

does　it　at　all　follow；　that　the　admission　of　a　single　slave　State

will　permanently　fix　the　character　and　establish　this　as　a

universal　slave　nation。　　The　Judge　is　very　happy　indeed　at

working　up　these　quibbles。　　Before　leaving　the　subject　of

answering　questions；　I　aver　as　my　confident　belief；　when　you　come

to　see　our　speeches　in　print；　that　you　will　f