按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
some for me to not get the Illinois delegates。 What I expected when
I wrote the letter to Messrs。 Dole and others is now happening。
Your discomfited assailants are most bitter against me； and they
will； for revenge upon me； lay to the Bates egg in the South； and to
the Seward egg in the North； and go far toward squeezing me out in
the middle with nothing。 Can you help me a little in this matter in
your end of the vineyard。 I mean this to be private。
Yours as ever；
A。 LINCOLN
1860
SPEECH AT THE COOPER INSTITUTE； NEW YORK
FEBRUARY 27； 1860
MR。 PRESIDENT AND FELLOW…CITIZENS OF NEW YORK：The facts with which
I shall deal this evening are mainly old and familiar； nor is there
anything new in the general use I shall make of them。 If there shall
be any novelty； it will be in the mode of presenting the facts； and
the inferences and observations following that presentation。
In his speech last autumn at Columbus； Ohio； as reported in the New
York Times； Senator Douglas said：
〃Our fathers； when they framed the Government under which we live；
understood this question just as well； and even better than we do
now。〃
I fully indorse this； and I adopt it as a text for this discourse。
I so adopt it because it furnishes a precise and an agreed starting…
point for a discussion between Republicans and that wing of the
Democracy headed by Senator Douglas。 It simply leaves the inquiry：
What was the understanding those fathers had of the question
mentioned？
What is the frame of Government under which we live？
The answer must bethe Constitution of the United States。 That
Constitution consists of the original； framed in 1787 （and under
which the present Government first went into operation）； and twelve
subsequently framed amendments； the first ten of which were framed in
1789。
Who were our fathers that framed the Constitution？ I suppose the
〃thirty…nine〃 who signed the original instrument may be fairly called
our fathers who framed that part of the present Government。 It is
almost exactly true to say they framed it； and it is altogether true
to say they fairly represented the opinion and sentiment of the whole
nation at that time。
Their names； being familiar to nearly all； and accessible to quite
all； need not now be repeated。
I take these 〃thirty…nine；〃 for the present； as being our 〃fathers
who framed the Government under which we live。〃
What is the question which； according to the text； those fathers
understood 〃just as well； and even better than we do now〃？
It is this： Does the proper division of local from Federal authority；
or anything in the Constitution； forbid our Federal Government to
control as to slavery in our Federal Territories？
Upon this Senator Douglas holds the affirmative； and Republicans the
negative。 This affirmation and denial form an issue； and this issue…
…this question is precisely what the text declares our fathers
understood 〃better than we。〃
Let us now inquire whether the 〃thirty…nine；〃 or any of them； acted
upon this question； and if they did； how they acted upon it …how they
expressed that better understanding。
In 1784； three years before the Constitutionthe United States then
owning the Northwestern Territory； and no otherthe Congress of the
Confederation had before them the question of prohibiting slavery in
that Territory； and four of the 〃thirty nine〃 who afterward framed
the Constitution were in that Congress and voted on that question。
Of these； Roger Sherman； Thomas Mifflin； and Hugh Williamson voted
for the prohibition； thus showing that； in their understanding； no
line dividing local from Federal authority； nor anything else；
properly forbade the Federal Government to control as to slavery in
Federal territory。 The other of the fourJames McHenry voted
against the prohibition； showing that； for some cause； he thought it
improper to vote for it。
In 1787； still before the Constitution； but while the convention was
in session framing it； and while the Northwestern Territory still was
the only Territory owned by the United States； the same question of
prohibiting slavery in the Territory again came before the Congress
of the Confederation； and two more of the 〃thirty…nine〃 who afterward
signed the Constitution were in that Congress； and voted on the
question。 They were William Blount and William Few； and they both
voted for the prohibition thus showing that； in their understanding；
no line dividing local from Federal authority； nor anything else；
properly forbade the Federal Government to control as to slavery in
Federal territory。 This time the prohibition became a law； being part
of what is now well known as the Ordinance of '87。
The question of Federal control of slavery in the Territories seems
not to have been directly before the convention which framed the
original Constitution； and hence it is not recorded that the
〃thirty…nine；〃 or any of them； while engaged on that instrument；
expressed any opinion on that precise question。
In 1789； by the first Congress which sat under the Constitution； an
act was passed to enforce the Ordinance of '87； including the
prohibition of slavery in the Northwestern Territory。 The bill for
this act was reported by one of the 〃thirty…nine；〃 Thomas
Fitzsimmons； then a member of the House of Representatives from
Pennsylvania。 It went through all its stages without a word of
opposition； and finally passed both branches without yeas and nays；
which is equivalent to a unanimous passage。 In this Congress there
were sixteen of the thirty…nine fathers who framed the original
Constitution。 They were John Langdon； Nicholas Gilman； Wm。 S。
Johnnson； Roger Sherman； Robert Morris； Thos。 Fitzsimmons； William
Few； Abraham Baldwin； Rufus King； William Paterson； George Claimer；
Richard Bassett； George Read； Pierce Butler； Daniel Carroll； James
Madison。
This shows that； in their understanding； no line dividing local from
Federal authority； nor anything in the Constitution； properly forbade
Congress to prohibit slavery in the Federal territory； else both
their fidelity to correct principles and their oath to support the
Constitution would have constrained them to oppose the prohibition。
Again： George Washington； another of the 〃thirty nine；〃 was then
President of the United States； and； as such； approved and signed the
bill； thus completing its validity as a law； and thus showing that；
in his understanding； no line dividing local from Federal authority；
nor anything in the Constitution； forbade the Federal Government to
control as to slavery in Federal territory。
No great while after the adoption of the original Constitution； North
Carolina ceded to the Federal Government the country now constituting
the State of Tennessee； and； a few years later； Georgia ceded that
which now constitutes the States of Mississippi and Alabama。 In both
de