of　slavery　will　arrest　the　spread　of　it　and　place　it　where　the
  public　mind　shall　rest　in　the　belief　that　it　is　in　the　course　of
  ultimate　extinction；　or　its　advocates　will　push　it　forward　until
  it　shall　become　alike　lawful　in　all　the　States；　north　as　well　as
  south。〃
  What　is　the　paragraph？　　In　this　paragraph；　which　I　have　quoted　in
  your　hearing；　and　to　which　I　ask　the　attention　of　all；　Judge
  Douglas　thinks　he　discovers　great　political　heresy。　　I　want　your
  attention　particularly　to　what　he　has　inferred　from　it。　　He　says
  I　am　in　favor　of　making　all　the　States　of　this　Union　uniform　in
  all　their　internal　regulations；　that　in　all　their　domestic
  concerns　I　am　in　favor　of　making　them　entirely　uniform。　　He　draws
  this　inference　from　the　language　I　have　quoted　to　you。　　He　says
  that　I　am　in　favor　of　making　war　by　the　North　upon　the　South　for
  the　extinction　of　slavery；　that　I　am　also　in　favor　of　inviting
  （as　he　expresses　it）　the　South　to　a　war　upon　the　North　for　the
  purpose　of　nationalizing　slavery。　　Now；　it　is　singular　enough；　if
  you　will　carefully　read　that　passage　over；　that　I　did　not　say
  that　I　was　in　favor　of　anything　in　it。　　I　only　said　what　I
  expected　would　take　place。　　I　made　a　prediction　only；it　may
  have　been　a　foolish　one；　perhaps。　　I　did　not　even　say　that　I
  desired　that　slavery　should　be　put　in　course　of　ultimate
  extinction。　　I　do　say　so　now；　however；　so　there　need　be　no　longer
  any　difficulty　about　that。　　It　may　be　written　down　in　the　great
  speech。
  Gentlemen；　Judge　Douglas　informed　you　that　this　speech　of　mine
  was　probably　carefully　prepared。　　I　admit　that　it　was。　　I　am　not
  master　of　language；　I　have　not　a　fine　education；　I　am　not　capable
  of　entering　into　a　disquisition　upon　dialectics；　as　I　believe　you
  call　it；　but　I　do　not　believe　the　language　I　employed　bears　any
  such　construction　as　Judge　Douglas　puts　upon　it。　　But　I　don't
  care　about　a　quibble　in　regard　to　words。　　I　know　what　I　meant；
  and　I　will　not　leave　this　crowd　in　doubt；　if　I　can　explain　it　to
  them；　what　I　really　meant　in　the　use　of　that　paragraph。
  I　am　not；　in　the　first　place；　unaware　that　this　government　has
  endured　eighty…two　years　half　slave　and　half　free。　　I　know　that。
  I　am　tolerably　well　acquainted　with　the　history　of　the　country；
  and　I　know　that　it　has　endured　eighty…two　years　half　slave　and
  half　free。　　I　believeand　that　is　what　I　meant　to　allude　to
  thereI　believe　it　has　endured　because　during　all　that　time；
  until　the　introduction　of　the　Nebraska　Bill；　the　public　mind　did
  rest　all　the　time　in　the　belief　that　slavery　was　in　course　of
  ultimate　extinction。　　That　was　what　gave　us　the　rest　that　we　had
  through　that　period　of　eighty…two　years；at　least；　so　I　believe。
  I　have　always　hated　slavery；　I　think；　as　much　as　any
  Abolitionist；I　have　been　an　Old　Line　Whig；I　have　always　hated
  it；　but　I　have　always　been　quiet　about　it　until　this　new　era　of
  the　introduction　of　the　Nebraska　Bill　began。　　I　always　believed
  that　everybody　was　against　it；　and　that　it　was　in　course　of
  ultimate　extinction。　　＇Pointing　to　Mr。　Browning；　who　stood　near
  by。＇　Browning　thought　so；　the　great　mass　of　the　nation　have
  rested　in　the　belief　that　slavery　was　in　course　of　ultimate
  extinction。　　They　had　reason　so　to　believe。
  The　adoption　of　the　Constitution　and　its　attendant　history　led
  the　people　to　believe　so；　and　that　such　was　the　belief　of　the
  framers　of　the　Constitution　itself；　why　did　those　old　men；　about
  the　time　of　the　adoption　of　the　Constitution；　decree　that　slavery
  should　not　go　into　the　new　Territory；　where　it　had　not　already
  gone？　　Why　declare　that　within　twenty　years　the　African　slave
  trade；　by　which　slaves　are　supplied；　might　be　cut　off　by
  Congress？　　Why　were　all　these　acts？　　I　might　enumerate　more　of
  these　acts；　but　enough。　　What　were　they　but　a　clear　indication
  that　the　framers　of　the　Constitution　intended　and　expected　the
  ultimate　extinction　of　that　institution？　　And　now；　when　I　say；　as
  I　said　in　my　speech　that　Judge　Douglas　has　quoted　from；　when　I
  say　that　I　think　the　opponents　of　slavery　will　resist　the　farther
  spread　of　it；　and　place　it　where　the　public　mind　shall　rest　with
  the　belief　that　it　is　in　course　of　ultimate　extinction；　I　only
  mean　to　say　that　they　will　place　it　where　the　founders　of　this
  government　originally　placed　it。
  I　have　said　a　hundred　times；　and　I　have　now　no　inclination　to
  take　it　back；　that　I　believe　there　is　no　right；　and　ought　to　be
  no　inclination；　in　the　people　of　the　free　States　to　enter　into
  the　slave　States　and　interfere　with　the　question　of　slavery　at
  all。　　I　have　said　that　always；　Judge　Douglas　has　heard　me　say　it；
  if　not　quite　a　hundred　times；　at　least　as　good　as　a　hundred
  times；　and　when　it　is　said　that　I　am　in　favor　of　interfering　with
  slavery　where　it　exists；　I　know　it　is　unwarranted　by　anything　I
  have　ever　intended；　and；　as　I　believe；　by　anything　I　have　ever
  said。　　If；　by　any　means；　I　have　ever　used　language　which　could
  fairly　be　so　construed　（as；　however；　I　believe　I　never　have）；　I
  now　correct　it。
  So　much；　then；　for　the　inference　that　Judge　Douglas　draws；　that　I
  am　in　favor　of　setting　the　sections　at　war　with　one　another。　　I
  know　that　I　never　meant　any　such　thing；　and　I　believe　that　no
  fair　mind　can　infer　any　such　thing　from　anything　I　have　ever
  said。
  Now；　in　relation　to　his　inference　that　I　am　in　favor　of　a　general
  consolidation　of　all　the　local　institutions　of　the　various
  States。　　I　will　attend　to　that　for　a　little　while；　and　try　to
  inquire；　if　I　can；　how　on　earth　it　could　be　that　any　man　could
  draw　such　an　inference　from　anything　I　said。　　I　have　said；　very
  many　times；　in　Judge　Douglas's　hearing；　that　no　man　believed　more
  than　I　in　the　principle　of　self…government；　that　it　lies　at　the
  bottom　of　all　my　ideas　of　just　government；　from　beginning　to　end。
  I　have　denied　that　his　use　of　that　term　applies　properly。　　But
  for　the　thing　itself；　I　deny　that　any　man　has　ever　gone　ahead　of
  me　in　his　devotion　to　the　principle；　whatever　he　may　have　done　in
  efficiency　in　advocating　it。　　I　think　that　I　have　said　it　in　your
  hearing；　that　I　believe　each　individual　is　naturally　entitled　to
  do　as　he　pleases　with　himself　and　the　fruit　of　his　labor；　so　far
  as　it　in　no　wise　interferes　with　any　other　man's　rights；　that
  each　community　as　a　State　has　a　right　to　do　exactly　as　it　pleases
  with　all　the　concerns　within　that　State　that　interfere　with　the
  right　of　no　other　State；　and　that　the　General　Government；　upon
  principle；　has　no　right　to　interfere　with　anything　other　than
  that　general　class　of　things　that　does　concern　the　whole。　　I　have
  said　that　at　all　times。　　I　have　said；　as　illustrations；　that　I　do
  not　believe　in　the　right　of　Illinois　to　interfere　with　the
  cranberry　laws　of　Indiana；　the　oyster　laws　of　Virginia；　or　the
  liquor　laws　of　Maine。　　I　have　said　these　things　over　and　over
  again；　and　I　repeat　them　here　as　my　sentiments。
  How　is　it；　then；　that　Judge　Douglas　infers；　because　I　hope　to　see
  slavery　put　where　the　public　mind　shall　rest　in　the　belief　that
  it　is　in　the　course　of　ultimate　extinction；　that　I　am　in　favor　of
  Illinois　going　over　and　interfering　with　the　cranberry　laws　of
  Indiana？　　What　can　authorize　him　to　draw　any　such　inference？
  I　suppose　there　might　be　one　thing　that　at　least　enabled　him　to
  draw　such　an　inference　that　would　not　be　true　with　me　or　many
  others：　that　is；　because　he　looks　upon　all　this　matter　of　slavery
  as　an　exceedingly　little　thing；this　matter　of　keeping　one　sixth
  of　the　population　of　the　whole　nation　in　a　state　of　oppression
  and　tyranny　unequaled　in　the　world。　　He　looks　upon　it　as　being　an
  exceedingly　little　thing；only　equal　to　the　question　of　the
  cranberry　laws　of　Indiana；　as　something　having　no　moral　question
  in　it；　as　something　on　a　par　with　the　question　of　whether　a　man
  shall　pasture　his　land　with　cattle；　or　plant　it　with　tobacco；　so
  little　and　so　small　a　thing　that　he　concludes；　if　I　could　desire
  that　anything　should　be　done　to　bring　about　the　ultimate
  extinction　of　that　little　thing；　I　must　be　in　favor　of　bringing
  about　an　amalgamation　of　all　the　other　little　things　in　the
  Union。　　Now；　it　so　happensand　there；　I　presume；　is　the
  foundation　of　this　mistakethat　the　Judge　thinks　thus；　and　it　so
  happens　that　there　is　a　vast　portion　of　the　American　people　that
  do　not　look　upon　that　matter　as　being　this　very　little　thing。
  They　look　upon　it　as　a　vast　moral　evil；　they　can　prove　it　as　such
  by　the　writings　of　those　who　gave　us　the　blessings　of　liberty
  which　we　enjoy；　and　that　they　so　looked　upon　it；　and　not　as　an
  evil　merely　confining　itself　to　the　States　where　it　is　situated；
  and　while　we　agree　that；　by　the　Constitution　we　assented　to；　in
  the　States　where　it　exists；　we　have　no　right　to　interfere　with
  it；　because　it　is　in　the　Constitution；　and　we　are　by　both　duty
  and　inclination　to　stick　by　that　Constitution；　in　all　its　letter
  and　spirit；　from　beginning　to　end；
  So　much；　then；　as　to　my　dispositionmy　wish　to