perfect；　be　ye　also　perfect。〃　　The　Savior；　I　suppose；　did　not
  expect　that　any　human　creature　could　be　perfect　as　the　Father　in
  heaven；　but　he　said；　〃As　your　Father　in　heaven　is　perfect；　be　ye
  also　perfect。〃　　He　set　that　up　as　a　standard；　and　he　who　did　most
  towards　reaching　that　standard　attained　the　highest　degree　of
  moral　perfection。　　So　I　say　in　relation　to　the　principle　that　all
  men　are　created　equal；　let　it　be　as　nearly　reached　as　we　can。　　If
  we　cannot　give　freedom　to　every　creature；　let　us　do　nothing　that
  will　impose　slavery　upon　any　other　creature。　　Let　us　then　turn
  this　government　back　into　the　channel　in　which　the　framers　of　the
  Constitution　originally　placed　it。　　Let　us　stand　firmly　by　each
  other。　　If　we　do　not　do　so；　we　are　turning　in　the　contrary
  direction；　that　our　friend　Judge　Douglas　proposesnot
  intentionallyas　working　in　the　traces　tends　to　make　this　one
  universal　slave　nation。　　He　is　one　that　runs　in　that　direction；
  and　as　such　I　resist　him。
  My　friends；　I　have　detained　you　about　as　long　as　I　desired　to　do；
  and　I　have　only　to　say：　Let　us　discard　all　this　quibbling　about
  this　man　and　the　other　man；　this　race　and　that　race　and　the　other
  race　being　inferior；　and　therefore　they　must　be　placed　in　an
  inferior　position；　discarding　our　standard　that　we　have　left　us。
  Let　us　discard　all　these　things；　and　unite　as　one　people
  throughout　this　land；　until　we　shall　once　more　stand　up　declaring
  that　all　men　are　created　equal。
  My　friends；　I　could　not；　without　launching　off　upon　some　new
  topic；　which　would　detain　you　too　long；　continue　to…night。　　I
  thank　you　for　this　most　extensive　audience　that　you　have
  furnished　me　to…night。　　I　leave　you；　hoping　that　the　lamp　of
  liberty　will　burn　in　your　bosoms　until　there　shall　no　longer　be　a
  doubt　that　all　men　are　created　free　and　equal。
  SPEECH　AT　SPRINGFIELD；　JULY　17；　1858。
  DELIVERED　SATURDAY　EVENING
  （Mr。　Douglas　was　not　present。）
  FELLOW…CITIZENS：Another　election；　which　is　deemed　an　important
  one；　is　approaching；　and；　as　I　suppose；　the　Republican　party
  will；　without　much　difficulty；　elect　their　State　ticket。　　But　in
  regard　to　the　Legislature；　we；　the　Republicans；　labor　under　some
  disadvantages。　　In　the　first　place；　we　have　a　Legislature　to
  elect　upon　an　apportionment　of　the　representation　made　several
  years　ago；　when　the　proportion　of　the　population　was　far　greater
  in　the　South　（as　compared　with　the　North）　than　it　now　is；　and
  inasmuch　as　our　opponents　hold　almost　entire　sway　in　the　South；
  and　we　a　correspondingly　large　majority　in　the　North；　the　fact
  that　we　are　now　to　be　represented　as　we　were　years　ago；　when　the
  population　was　different；　is　to　us　a　very　great　disadvantage。　　We
  had　in　the　year　1855；　according　to　law；　a　census；　or　enumeration
  of　the　inhabitants；　taken　for　the　purpose　of　a　new　apportionment
  of　representation。　　We　know　what　a　fair　apportionment　of
  representation　upon　that　census　would　give　us。　　We　know　that　it
  could　not；　if　fairly　made；　fail　to　give　the　Republican　party　from
  six　to　ten　more　members　of　the　Legislature　than　they　can　probably
  get　as　the　law　now　stands。　　It　so　happened　at　the　last　session　of
  the　Legislature　that　our　opponents；　holding　the　control　of　both
  branches　of　the　Legislature；　steadily　refused　to　give　us　such　an
  apportionment　as　we　were　rightly　entitled　to　have　upon　the　census
  already　taken。　　The　Legislature　steadily　refused　to　give　us　such
  an　apportionment　as　we　were　rightfully　entitled　to　have　upon　the
  census　taken　of　the　population　of　the　State。　　The　Legislature
  would　pass　no　bill　upon　that　subject；　except　such　as　was　at　least
  as　unfair　to　us　as　the　old　one；　and　in　which；　in　some　instances；
  two　men　in　the　Democratic　regions　were　allowed　to　go　as　far
  toward　sending　a　member　to　the　Legislature　as　three　were　in　the
  Republican　regions。　　Comparison　was　made　at　the　time　as　to
  representative　and　senatorial　districts；　which　completely
  demonstrated　that　such　was　the　fact。　　Such　a　bill　was　passed　and
  tendered　to　the　Republican　Governor　for　his　signature；　but；
  principally　for　the　reasons　I　have　stated；　he　withheld　his
  approval；　and　the　bill　fell　without　becoming　a　law。
  Another　disadvantage　under　which　we　labor　is　that　there　are　one
  or　two　Democratic　Senators　who　will　be　members　of　the　next
  Legislature；　and　will　vote　for　the　election　of　Senator；　who　are
  holding　over　in　districts　in　which　we　could；　on　all　reasonable
  calculation；　elect　men　of　our　own；　if　we　only　had　the　chance　of
  an　election。　　When　we　consider　that　there　are　but　twenty…five
  Senators　in　the　Senate；　taking　two　from　the　side　where　they
  rightfully　belong；　and　adding　them　to　the　other；　is　to　us　a
  disadvantage　not　to　be　lightly　regarded。　　Still；　so　it　is；　we
  have　this　to　contend　with。　　Perhaps　there　is　no　ground　of
  complaint　on　our　part。　　In　attending　to　the　many　things　involved
  in　the　last　general　election　for　President；　Governor；　Auditor；
  Treasurer；　Superintendent　of　Public　Instruction；　Members　of
  Congress；　of　the　Legislature；　County　Officers；　and　so　on；　we
  allowed　these　things　to　happen　by　want　of　sufficient　attention；
  and　we　have　no　cause　to　complain　of　our　adversaries；　so　far　as
  this　matter　is　concerned。　　But　we　have　some　cause　to　complain　of
  the　refusal　to　give　us　a　fair　apportionment。
  There　is　still　another　disadvantage　under　which　we　labor；　and　to
  which　I　will　ask　your　attention。　　It　arises　out　of　the　relative
  positions　of　the　two　persons　who　stand　before　the　State　as
  candidates　for　the　Senate。　　Senator　Douglas　is　of　world…wide
  renown。　　All　the　anxious　politicians　of　his　party；　or　who　have
  been　of　his　party　for　years　past；　have　been　looking　upon　him　as
  certainly；　at　no　distant　day；　to　be　the　President　of　the　United
  States。　　They　have　seen　in　his　round；　jolly；　fruitful　face
  post…offices；　land…offices；　marshalships；　and　cabinet
  appointments；　charge…ships　and　foreign　missions　bursting　and
  sprouting　out　in　wonderful　exuberance；　ready　to　be　laid　hold　of
  by　their　greedy　hands。　　And　as　they　have　been　gazing　upon　this
  attractive　picture　so　long；　they　cannot；　in　the　little
  distraction　that　has　taken　place　in　the　party；　bring　themselves
  to　give　up　the　charming　hope；　but　with　greedier　anxiety　they　rush
  about　him；　sustain　him；　and　give　him　marches；　triumphal　entries；
  and　receptions　beyond　what　even　in　the　days　of　his　highest
  prosperity　they　could　have　brought　about　in　his　favor。　　On　the
  contrary；　nobody　has　ever　expected　me　to　be　President。　　In　my
  poor；　lean；　lank　face；　nobody　has　ever　seen　that　any　cabbages
  were　sprouting　out。　　These　are　disadvantages　all；　taken　together；
  that　the　Republicans　labor　under。　　We　have　to　fight　this　battle
  upon　principle；　and　upon　principle　alone。　　I　am；　in　a　certain
  sense；　made　the　standard…bearer　in　behalf　of　the　Republicans。　　I
  was　made　so　merely　because　there　had　to　be　some　one　so　placed；I
  being　in　nowise　preferable　to　any　other　one　of　twenty…five；
  perhaps　a　hundred；　we　have　in　the　Republican　ranks。　　Then　I　say　I
  wish　it　to　be　distinctly　understood　and　borne　in　mind　that　we
  have　to　fight　this　battle　without　manyperhaps　without　any　of
  the　external　aids　which　are　brought　to　bear　against　us。　　So　I
  hope　those　with　whom　I　am　surrounded　have　principle　enough　to
  nerve　themselves　for　the　task；　and　leave　nothing　undone　that　can
  be　fairly　done　to　bring　about　the　right　result。
  After　Senator　Douglas　left　Washington；　as　his　movements　were　made
  known　by　the　public　prints；　he　tarried　a　considerable　time　in　the
  city　of　New　York；　and　it　was　heralded　that；　like　another
  Napoleon；　he　was　lying　by　and　framing　the　plan　of　his　campaign。
  It　was　telegraphed　to　Washington　City；　and　published　in　the
  Union；　that　he　was　framing　his　plan　for　the　purpose　of　going　to
  Illinois　to　pounce　upon　and　annihilate　the　treasonable　and
  disunion　speech　which　Lincoln　had　made　here　on　the　16th　of　June。
  Now；　I　do　suppose　that　the　Judge　really　spent　some　time　in　New
  York　maturing　the　plan　of　the　campaign；　as　his　friends　heralded
  for　him。　　I　have　been　able；　by　noting　his　movements　since　his
  arrival　in　Illinois；　to　discover　evidences　confirmatory　of　that
  allegation。　　I　think　I　have　been　able　to　see　what　are　the
  material　points　of　that　plan。　　I　will；　for　a　little　while；　ask
  your　attention　to　some　of　them。　　What　I　shall　point　out；　though
  not　showing　the　whole　plan；　are；　nevertheless；　the　main　points；
  as　I　suppose。
  They　are　not　very　numerous。　　The　first　is　popular　sovereignty。
  The　second　and　third　are　attacks　upon　my　speech　made　on　the　16th
  of　June。　　Out　of　these　three　pointsdrawing　within　the　range　of
  popular　sovereignty　the　question　of　the　Lecompton　Constitution
  he　makes　his　principal　assault。　　Upon　these　his　successive
  speeches　are　substantially　one　and　the　same。　　On　this　matter　of
  popular　sovereignty　I　wish　to　be　a　little　careful。　　Auxiliary　to
  these　main　points；　to　be　sure；　are　their　thunderings　of　cannon；
  their　marching　and　music；　their　fizzlegigs　and　firewor