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ear away an arm； still he will not relax his hold。 He hangs to the last to the Dred Scott decision。 These things show there is a purpose strong as death and eternity for which he adheres to this decision and for which he will adhere to all other decisions of the same Court。 * * * When he invites any people willing to have slavery to establish it； he is blowing out the moral lights around us。 When he says he cares not whether slavery is voted down or voted upthat is the sacred right of self…governmenthe is； in my judgement； penetrating the human soul and eradicating the light of reason and the love of liberty。 * * *
〃And now I will only say that when； by all these means and appliances； he shall succeed in bringing public sentiment to an exact accordance with his own； when these vast assemblages shall echo back all these sentiments； when they shall come to repeat his views and to avow his principles and to say all that he says on these mighty questions； then it needs only the formality of a second Dred Scott decision； which he endorses in advance； to make slavery alike lawful in all the States； old as well as new； North as well as South。〃
Douglas； in his brief reply； reminded the audience that Lincoln had not frankly answered the question put in his opening speech； whether he approved of each article of the Republican resolutions adopted in Springfield in October； 1854。 Lincoln's only answer had been that he was not present and had nothing to do with drafting the resolutions。 〃But this denial is a miserable quibble to avoid the main issue； which is that this Republican platform declares in favor of the unconditional repeal of the Fugitive Slave Law。 His reply to all these questions is 'I was not on the Committee at the time； I was up in Tazewell County trying a case。' I put to him the question whether； if the people of the Territory； when they had sufficient population to make a State； should form their Constitution recognizing slavery； he would vote for or against its admission？ He is a candidate for the United States Senate and it is possible that； if he should be elected； he would have to vote directly on that question。 He dodges it also under the cover that he was not on the Committee。 * * * He knows I will trot him down to Egypt。 I intend to make him answer there。 * * * The Convention to which I have been alluding pledges itself to exclude slavery from all the Territories。 * * * I want to know whether he approves that provision。 * * * I want to know whether he will resist the acquirement of any more territory； unless slavery therein shall be prohibited。 These are practical questions； based upon the fundamental principles of the black Republican party； and I want to know whether he is the first； last and only choice of a party with whom he does not agree in principle。
〃He does not deny but that that principle was unanimously adopted by the Republican party； and now I want to know whether that party is unanimously in favor of a man who does not adopt that creed and agree with them in their principles； I want to know whether the man who does not agree with them and who is afraid to avow his differences is the first； last and only choice of the party。 * * * The party stands pledged that they will never support Lincoln until he has pledged himself to that platform； but he cannot devise his answer。 He has not made up his mind whether he will or not。 * * * I have not brought a charge of moral turpitude against him。 When he brings one against me； instead of disproving it I will say that it is a lie and let him prove it if he can。 * * *
〃Mr。 Lincoln has not character enough for integrity and truth merely on his own ipse dixit to arraign President Buchanan； President Pierce and nine Judges of the Supreme Court； not one of whom would be complimented by being put on an equality with him。 There is an unpardonable presumption in any man putting himself up before thousands of people and pretending that his ipse dixit； without proof； without fact and without truth； is enough to bring down and destroy the purest and best of living men。 * * * The word 'State' as well as 'Territory' was put into the Nebraska bill to knock in the head this Abolition doctrine that there will be no more slave States even if the people want them。 * * * The people of Missouri formed a Constitution as a slave State and asked admission into the Union； but the Free Soil party of the North； being in a majority； refused to admit her because she had slavery as one of her institutions。 Hence； the first slavery agitation arouse upon a State and not upon a Territory。 * * * The whole Abolition agitation arose on that doctrine of prohibiting a State from coming in with slavery or not as it pleased； and that same doctrine is here in this Republican platform of 1854。〃
The peculiar difficult of meeting Douglas in argument before a popular audience is here exhibited in its most perfect form。 The persuasive force of his last proposition lay in a most ingenious play on the words 〃State〃 and 〃Territory。〃 Although the people of Missouri had formed a State Constitution； they did not become a State until Congress approved it and formally admitted them。 During the entire period of dispute they continued a Territory。 Douglas' argument assumes that they became a State on forming a Constitution。
Chapter XV。 The Debates with Lincoln Continued。
The second debate was held at Freeport on August 27th。 Lincoln opened his speech with a series of answers to the questions asked at Ottawa。
〃I do not；〃 he said； * * * 〃stand in favor of the unconditional repeal of the Fugitive Slave law。 * * *
〃I do not * * * stand pledged against the admission of any more slave States into the Union。 * * * *
〃I do not stand pledged against the admission of a new State。 * * * with such a Constitutions as the people * * * may see fit to make。 * * *
〃I do not stand pledged to the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia。 * * *
〃I'm impliedly； if not expressly； pledged to a belief in the right and duty of Congress to prohibit slavery in all the United States Territories。 * * *
〃I am not opposed to the honest acquisition of territory。 * * * I would or would not oppose such acquisition accordingly as I might think such acquisition would or would not aggravate the slavery question among ourselves。〃
The questions asked and answered were； whether he was PLEDGED to any of these things。 He was willing； however； to state what he really thought of them。
〃I do not hesitate to say that * * * under the Constitution of the United States the people of the Southern States are entitled to a Congressional Fugitive Slave Law。 * * * The existing Fugitive Slave Law should have been so framed as to be free from some of the objections that pertain to it without lessening its efficiency。 * * * * In regard to the admission of any more slave States into the Union； I state to you frankly that I would be exceedingly sorry ever to be put in a position of having to pass upon that question。 I should be exceedingly glad to know that there would never be another slave State admitted into the Union； but I must add that； if slavery be kept out of the Territ