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course of ultimate peaceable extinction in God's own good time。  And

to this end they will; if possible; restore the government to the

policy of the fathers; the policy of preserving the new Territories

from the baneful influence of human bondage; as the Northwestern

Territories were sought to be preserved by the Ordinance of 1787; and

the Compromise Act of 1820。  They will oppose; in all its length and

breadth; the modern Democratic idea; that slavery is as good as

freedom; and ought to have room for expansion all over the continent;

if people can be found to carry it。  All; or nearly all; of Judge

Douglas's arguments are logical; if you admit that slavery is as good

and as right as freedom; and not one of them is worth a rush if you

deny it。  This is the difference; as I understand it; between the

Republican and Democratic parties。



My friends; I have endeavored to show you the logical consequences of

the Dred Scott decision; which holds that the people of a Territory

cannot prevent the establishment of slavery in their midst。  I have

stated what cannot be gainsaid; that the grounds upon which this

decision is made are equally applicable to the free States as to the

free Territories; and that the peculiar reasons put forth by Judge

Douglas for indorsing this decision commit him; in advance; to the

next decision and to all other decisions corning from the same

source。  And when; by all these means; you have succeeded in

dehumanizing the negro; when you have put him down and made it

impossible for him to be but as the beasts of the field; when you

have extinguished his soul in this world and placed him where the ray

of hope is blown out as in the darkness of the damned; are you quite

sure that the demon you have roused will not turn and rend you? What

constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence? It is

not our frowning battlements; our bristling sea coasts; our army and

our navy。  These are not our reliance against tyranny  All of those

may be turned against us without making us weaker for the struggle。

Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in us。

Our defense is in the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of

all men; in all lands everywhere。  Destroy this spirit and you have

planted the seeds of despotism at your own doors。  Familiarize

yourselves with the chains of bondage and you prepare your own limbs

to wear them。  Accustomed to trample on the rights of others; you

have lost the genius of your own independence and become the fit

subjects of the first cunning tyrant who rises among you。  And let me

tell you; that all these things are prepared for you by the teachings

of history; if the elections shall promise that the next Dred Scott

decision and all future decisions will be quietly acquiesced in by

the people。









VERSE TO 〃LINNIE 〃



September 30?; 1858。



TO 〃LINNIE〃:



A sweet plaintive song did I hear

And I fancied that she was the singer。

May emotions as pure as that song set astir

Be the wont that the future shall bring her。









NEGROES ARE MEN



TO J。 U。 BROWN。



SPRINGFIELD; OCT 18; 1858



HON。 J。 U。 BROWN。



MY DEAR SIR:I do not perceive how I can express myself more plainly

than I have in the fore…going extracts。  In four of them I have

expressly disclaimed all intention to bring about social and

political equality between the white and black races and in all the

rest I have done the same thing by clear implication。



I have made it equally plain that I think the negro is included in

the word 〃men〃 used in the Declaration of Independence。



I believe the declaration that 〃all men are created equal 〃is the

great fundamental principle upon which our free institutions rest;

that negro slavery is violative of that principle; but that; by our

frame of government; that principle has not been made one of legal

obligation; that by our frame of government; States which have

slavery are to retain it; or surrender it at their own pleasure; and

that all othersindividuals; free States and national Government

are constitutionally bound to leave them alone about it。



I believe our Government was thus framed because of the necessity

springing from the actual presence of slavery; when it was framed。



That such necessity does not exist in the Territories when slavery is

not present。



In his Mendenhall speech Mr。 Clay says: 〃Now as an abstract principle

there is no doubt of the truth of that declaration (all men created

equal); and it is desirable; in the original construction of society;

to keep it in view as a great fundamental principle。〃



Again; in the same speech Mr。 Clay says: 〃If a state of nature

existed and we were about to lay the foundations of society; no man

would be more strongly opposed than I should to incorporate the

institution of slavery among its elements。〃



Exactly so。  In our new free Territories; a state of nature does

exist。  In them Congress lays the foundations of society; and in

laying those foundations; I say; with Mr。 Clay; it is desirable that

the declaration of the equality of all men shall be kept in view as a

great fundamental principle; and that Congress; which lays the

foundations of society; should; like Mr。 Clay; be strongly opposed to

the incorporation of slavery and its elements。



But it does not follow that social and political equality between

whites and blacks must be incorporated because slavery must not。  The

declaration does not so require。



Yours as ever;



A。 LINCOLN





'Newspaper cuttings of Lincoln's speeches at Peoria; in 1854; at

Springfield; Ottawa; Chicago; and Charleston; in 1858。  They were

pasted in a little book in which the above letter was also written。'









TO A。 SYMPSON。



BLANDINSVILLE; Oct 26; 1858



A。 SYMPSON; Esq。



DEAR SIR:Since parting with you this morning I heard some things

which make me believe that Edmunds and Morrill will spend this week

among the National Democrats; trying to induce them to content

themselves by voting for Jake Davis; and then to vote for the Douglas

candidates for senator and representative。  Have this headed off; if

you can。  Call Wagley's attention to it and have him and the National

Democrat for Rep。  to counteract it as far as they can。



Yours as ever;



A。 LINCOLN。









SENATORIAL ELECTION LOST AND OUT OF MONEY



TO N。 B。 JUDD。



SPRINGFIELD; NOVEMBER 16; 1858



HON。 N。 B。 JUDD



DEAR SIR:Yours of the 15th is just received。  I wrote you the same

day。  As to the pecuniary matter; I am willing to pay according to my

ability; but I am the poorest hand living to get others to pay。  I

have been on expenses so long without earning anything that I am

absolutely without money now for even household purposes。  Still; if

you can put in two hundred and fifty dollars for me toward

discharging the debt of the committee; I will allow it when you and I

settle the private matter between us。  This; with what I have already

paid; and with an outstanding note of mine; will exceed my

subscription of five hundred dollars。  This; too; is exclusive of my

ordinary expenses during the campaign; all of which; being added to

my loss of time and business; bears pretty heavily upon one no better

off in 'this' world's goods than I; but as I had the post of honor;

it is not for me to be over nice。  You are feeling badly;〃And this

too shall pass away;〃 never fear。



Yours as ever;



A。 LINCOLN。









THE FIGHT MUST GO ON



TO H。 ASBURY。



SPRINGFIELD; November 19; 1858。



HENRY ASBURY; Esq。



DEAR SIR:Yours of the 13th was received some days ago。  The fight

must go on。  The cause of civil liberty must not be surrendered at

the end of one or even one hundred defeats。  Douglas had the

ingenuity to be supported in the late contest both as the best means

to break down and to uphold the slave in

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