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！
cease to be under obligations to do anything for you； how much better
off do you think you will be？ Will you make war upon us and kill us
all？ Why； gentlemen； I think you are as gallant and as brave men as
live； that you can fight as bravely in a good cause； man for man； as
any other people living； that you have shown yourselves capable of
this upon various occasions： but； man for man； you are not better
than we are； and there are not so many of you as there are of us。 You
will never make much of a hand at whipping us。 If we were fewer in
numbers than you； I think that you could whip us； if we were equal；
it would likely be a drawn battle； but being inferior in numbers； you
will make nothing by attempting to master us。
But perhaps I have addressed myself as long； or longer； to the
Kentuckians than I ought to have done； inasmuch as I have said that
whatever course you take we intend in the end to beat you。 I propose
to address a few remarks to our friends； by way of discussing with
them the best means of keeping that promise that I have in good faith
made。
It may appear a little episodical for me to mention the topic of
which I will speak now。 It is a favorite position of Douglas's that
the interference of the General Government； through the Ordinance of
'87； or through any other act of the General Government never has
made or ever can make a free State； the Ordinance of '87 did not make
free States of Ohio； Indiana； or Illinois； that these States are free
upon his 〃great principle〃 of popular sovereignty； because the people
of those several States have chosen to make them so。 At Columbus；
and probably here； he undertook to compliment the people that they
themselves have made the State of Ohio free； and that the Ordinance
of '87 was not entitled in any degree to divide the honor with them。
I have no doubt that the people of the State of Ohio did make her
free according to their own will and judgment； but let the facts be
remembered。
In 1802； I believe； it was you who made your first constitution； with
the clause prohibiting slavery； and you did it； I suppose； very
nearly unanimously； but you should bear in mind that youspeaking of
you as one peoplethat you did so unembarrassed by the actual
presence of the； institution amongst you； that you made it a free
State not with the embarrassment upon you of already having among you
many slaves； which if they had been here； and you had sought to make
a free State； you would not know what to do with。 If they had been
among you； embarrassing difficulties； most probably； would have
induced you to tolerate a slave constitution instead of a free one；
as indeed these very difficulties have constrained every people on
this continent who have adopted slavery。
Pray what was it that made you free？ What kept you free？ Did you
not find your country free when you came to decide that Ohio should
be a free State？ It is important to inquire by what reason you found
it so。 Let us take an illustration between the States of Ohio and
Kentucky。 Kentucky is separated by this River Ohio； not a mile wide。
A portion of Kentucky； by reason of the course of the Ohio； is
farther north than this portion of Ohio； in which we now stand。
Kentucky is entirely covered with slavery； Ohio is entirely free from
it： What made that difference？ Was it climate？ No。 A portion of
Kentucky was farther north than this portion of Ohio。 Was it soil？
No。 There is nothing in the soil of the one more favorable to slave
than the other。 It was not climate or soil that mused one side of the
line to be entirely covered with slavery； and the other side free of
it。 What was it？ Study over it。 Tell us； if you can； in all the
range of conjecture； if there be anything you can conceive of that
made that difference； other than that there was no law of any sort
keeping it out of Kentucky； while the Ordinance of '87 kept it out of
Ohio。 If there is any other reason than this； I confess that it is
wholly beyond my power to conceive of it。 This； then； I offer to
combat the idea that that Ordinance has never made any State free。
I don't stop at this illustration。 I come to the State of Indiana；
and what I have said as between Kentucky and Ohio； I repeat as
between Indiana and Kentucky： it is equally applicable。 One
additional argument is applicable also to Indiana。 In her
Territorial condition she more than once petitioned Congress to
abrogate the Ordinance entirely； or at least so far as to suspend its
operation for a； time； in order that they should exercise the
〃popular sovereignty〃 of having slaves if they wanted them。 The men
then controlling the General Government； imitating the men of the
Revolution； refused Indiana that privilege。 And so we have the
evidence that Indiana supposed she could have slaves； if it were not
for that Ordinance； that she besought Congress to put that barrier
out of the way； that Congress refused to do so； and it all ended at
last in Indiana being a free State。 Tell me not then that the
Ordinance of '87 had nothing to do with making Indiana a free State；
when we find some men chafing against； and only restrained by； that
barrier。
Come down again to our State of Illinois。 The great Northwest
Territory； including Ohio； Indiana； Illinois； Michigan； and
Wisconsin； was acquired first； I believe； by the British Government；
in part at least； from the French。 Before the establishment of our
independence it became a part of Virginia； enabling Virginia
afterward to transfer it to the General Government。 There were
French settlements in what is now Illinois； and at the same time
there were French settlements in what is now Missouri； in the tract
of country that was not purchased till about 1803。 In these French
settlements negro slavery had existed for many years； perhaps more
than a hundred； if not as much as two hundred years；at Kaskaskia；
in Illinois； and at St。 Genevieve； or Cape Girardeau； perhaps； in
Missouri。 The number of slaves was not very great； but there was
about the same number in each place。 They were there when we
acquired the Territory。 There was no effort made to break up the
relation of master and slave； and even the Ordinance of 1787 was not
so enforced as to destroy that slavery in Illinois； nor did the
Ordinance apply to Missouri at all。
What I want to ask your attention to； at this point； is that Illinois
and Missouri came into the Union about the same time； Illinois in the
latter part of 1818； and Missouri； after a struggle； I believe
sometime in 1820。 They had been filling up with American people
about the same period of time； their progress enabling them to come
into the Union about the same time。 At the end of that ten years； in
which they had been so preparing （for it was about that period of
time）； the number of slaves in Illinois had actually decreased； while
in Missouri； beginning with very few； at the end of that ten years
there were about ten thousand。 This being so； and it being
remembered that Missouri and Illinois are； to a certain extent； in
the same parallel of latitude； that the northern half of Missouri and
the southern half of Illinois are in the same parallel of latitude；
so that climate would have the same effect upon one as upon the
other； and that in the soil there is no material difference so far as
bears upon the question of slavery being settled upon one or the
other；there being none of those natural causes to produce a
difference in filling them； and yet there being a broad difference to
their filling up； we are led again to inquire what was the cause of
that difference。
It is most natural to say that in Missouri there was no law to keep
that country from filling up with slaves； while in Illinois there was
the Ordinance of The Ordinance being there； slavery decreased during
that ten years； the Ordinance not being in the other； it increased
from a few to ten thousand。 Can anybody doubt the reason of the
difference？
I think all these facts most abundantly prove that my friend Judge
Douglas's proposition； that the Ordinance of '87； or the national
restriction of slavery； never had a tendency to make a free State； is
a fallacy；a proposition without the shadow or substance of truth
about it。
Douglas sometimes says that all the States （and it is part of this
same proposition I have been discussing） that have become free have
become so upon his 〃great principle〃； that the State of Illinois
itself came into the Union as a slave State； and that the people；
upon the 〃great principle〃 of popular sovereignty； have since made it
a free State。 Allow me but a little while to state to you what facts
there are to justify him in saying that Illinois came into the Union
as a slave State。
I have mentioned to you that there were a few old French slaves
there。 They numbered； I think； one or two hundred。 Besides that；
there ha