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insisting that there is a plan on foot in La Salle and Bureau to run
Douglas Republicans for Congress and for the Legislature in those
counties； if they can only get the encouragement of our folks
nominating pretty extreme abolitionists。
It is thought they will do nothing if our folks nominate men who are
not very obnoxious to the charge of abolitionism。 Please have your
eye upon this。 Signs are looking pretty fair。
Yours very truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO HON。 J。 M。 PALMER。
SPRINGFIELD； Aug。 5； 1858。
HON。 J。 M。 PALMER。
DEAR SIR：Since we parted last evening no new thought has occurred
to ＇me＇ on the subject of which we talked most yesterday。
I have concluded； however； to speak at your town on Tuesday； August
31st； and have promised to have it so appear in the papers of
to…morrow。 Judge Trumbull has not yet reached here。
Yours as ever；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO ALEXANDER SYMPSON。
SPRINGFIELD； Aug。 11； 1858。
ALEXANDER SYMPSON； Esq。
DEAR SIR：Yours of the 6th received。 If life and health continue I
shall pretty likely be at Augusta on the 25th。
Things look reasonably well。 Will tell you more fully when I see
you。
Yours truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO J。 O。 CUNNINGHAM。
OTTAWA； August 22； 1858。
J。 O。 CUNNINGHAM； Esq。
MY DEAR SIR：Yours of the 18th； signed as secretary of the
Republican club； is received。 In the matter of making speeches I am
a good deal pressed by invitations from almost all quarters； and
while I hope to be at Urbana some time during the canvass； I cannot
yet say when。 Can you not see me at Monticello on the 6th of
September？
Douglas and I； for the first time this canvass； crossed swords here
yesterday； the fire flew some； and I am glad to know I am yet alive。
There was a vast concourse of peoplemore than could get near enough
to hear。
Yours as ever；
A。 LINCOLN。
ON SLAVERY IN A DEMOCRACY。
August ？？； 1858
As I would not be a slave； so I would not be a master。 This
expresses my idea of democracy。 Whatever differs from this； to the
extent of the difference； is no democracy。
A。 LINCOLN。
TO B。 C。 COOK。
SPRINGFIELD； August 2； 1858
HON。 B。 C。 COOK。
MY DEAR SIR：I have a letter from a very true friend； and
intelligent man； writing that there is a plan on foot in La Salle and
Bureau； to run Douglas Republican for Congress and for the
Legislature in those counties； if they can only get the encouragement
of our folks nominating pretty extreme abolitionists。 It is thought
they will do nothing if our folks nominate men who are not very
＇undecipherable word looks like 〃obnoxious〃＇ to the charge of
abolitionism。 Please have your eye upon this。 Signs are looking
pretty fair。
Yours very truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO DR。 WILLIAM FITHIAN； DANVILLE； ILL。
BLOOMINGTON； Sept。 3； 1858
DEAR DOCTOR：Yours of the 1st was received this morning； as also one
from Mr。 Harmon； and one from Hiram Beckwith on the same subject。
You will see by the Journal that I have been appointed to speak at
Danville on the 22d of Sept。；the day after Douglas speaks there。
My recent experience shows that speaking at the same place the next
day after D。 is the very thing；it is； in fact； a concluding speech
on him。 Please show this to Messrs。 Harmon and Beckwith； and tell
them they must excuse me from writing separate letters to them。
Yours as ever；
A。 LINCOLN
P。 S。Give full notice to all surrounding country。
A。L。
FRAGMENT OF SPEECH AT PARIS； ILL。；
SEPT。 8； 1858。
Let us inquire what Judge Douglas really invented when he introduced
the Nebraska Bill？ He called it Popular Sovereignty。 What does that
mean？ It means the sovereignty of the people over their own affairs
in other words； the right of the people to govern themselves。 Did
Judge Douglas invent this？ Not quite。 The idea of popular
sovereignty was floating about several ages before the author of the
Nebraska Bill was bornindeed； before Columbus set foot on this
continent。 In the year 1776 it took form in the noble words which
you are all familiar with： 〃We hold these truths to be self…evident；
that all men are created equal；〃 etc。 Was not this the origin of
popular sovereignty as applied to the American people？ Here we are
told that governments are instituted among men deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed。 If that is not popular
sovereignty； then I have no conception of the meaning of words。 If
Judge Douglas did not invent this kind of popular sovereignty； let us
pursue the inquiry and find out what kind he did invent。 Was it the
right of emigrants to Kansas and Nebraska to govern themselves； and a
lot of 〃niggers；〃 too； if they wanted them？ Clearly this was no
invention of his because General Cass put forth the same doctrine in
1848 in his so called Nicholson letter； six years before Douglas
thought of such a thing。 Then what was it that the 〃Little Giant〃
invented？ It never occurred to General Cass to call his discovery by
the odd name of popular sovereignty。 He had not the face to say that
the right of the people to govern 〃niggers〃 was the right of the
people to govern themselves。 His notions of the fitness of things
were not moulded to the brazenness of calling the right to put a
hundred 〃niggers〃 through under the lash in Nebraska a 〃sacred〃 right
of self…government。 And here I submit to you was Judge Douglas's
discovery； and the whole of it： He discovered that the right to breed
and flog negroes in Nebraska was popular sovereignty。
SPEECH AT CLINTON； ILLINOIS；
SEPTEMBER 8； 1858。
The questions are sometimes asked 〃What is all this fuss that is
being made about negroes？ What does it amount to？ And where will it
end？〃 These questions imply that those who ask them consider the
slavery question a very insignificant matter they think that it
amounts to little or nothing and that those who agitate it are
extremely foolish。 Now it must be admitted that if the great
question which has caused so much trouble is insignificant； we are
very foolish to have anything to do with itif it is of no
importance we had better throw it aside and busy ourselves with
something else。 But let us inquire a little into this insignificant
matter； as it is called by some； and see if it is not important
enough to demand the close attention of every well…wisher of the
Union。 In one of Douglas's recent speeches； I find a reference to
one which was made by me in Springfield some time ago。 The judge
makes one quotation from that speech that requires some little notice
from me at this time。 I regret that I have not my Springfield speech
before me； but the judge has quoted one particular part of it so
often that I think I can recollect it。 It runs I think as follows：
〃We a