every　other　part　of　the　wide　world　where　men　can　be　found
  inclined　to　take　it。
  〃This　declared　indifference；　but；　as　I　must　think；　covert　real
  zeal　for　the　spread　of　slavery；　I　cannot　but　hate。　　I　hate　it
  because　of　the　monstrous　injustice　of　slavery　itself。　　I　hate　it
  because　it　deprives　our　republican　example　of　its　just　influence
  in　the　world；enables　the　enemies　of　free　institutions；　with
  plausibility；　to　taunt　us　as　hypocrites；　causes　the　real　friends
  of　freedom　to　doubt　our　sincerity；　and　especially　because　it
  forces　so　many　really　good　men　amongst　ourselves　into　an　open　war
  with　the　very　fundamental　principles　of　civil　liberty；
  criticizing　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　and　insisting　that
  there　is　no　right　principle　of　action　but　self…interest。
  〃Before　proceeding；　let　me　say　I　think　I　have　no　prejudice
  against　the　Southern　people。　　They　are　just　what　we　would　be　in
  their　situation。　　If　slavery　did　not　now　exist　among　them；　they
  would　not　introduce　it。　　If　it　did　now　exist　among　us；　we　should
  not　instantly　give　it　up。　　This　I　believe　of　the　masses　north　and
  south。　　Doubtless　there　are　individuals　on　both　sides　who　would
  not　hold　slaves　under　any　circumstances；　and　others　who　would
  gladly　introduce　slavery　anew；　if　it　were　out　of　existence。　　We
  know　that　some　Southern　men　do　free　their　slaves；　go　north；　and
  become　tip…top　Abolitionists；　while　some　Northern　ones　go　south
  and　become　most　cruel　slave…masters。
  〃When　Southern　people　tell　us　they　are　no　more　responsible　for
  the　origin　of　slavery　than　we；　I　acknowledge　the　fact。　　When　it
  is　said　that　the　institution　exists；　and　that　it　is　very
  difficult　to　get　rid　of　it；　in　any　satisfactory　way；　I　can
  understand　and　appreciate　the　saying。　　I　will　not　blame　them　for
  not　doing　what　I　should　not　know　how　to　do　myself。　　If　all
  earthly　power　were　given　me；　I　should　not　know　what　to　do；　as　to
  the　existing　institution。　　My　first　impulse　would　be　to　free　all
  the　slaves　and　send　them　to　Liberia；to　their　own　native　land。
  But　a　moment's　reflection　would　convince　me　that　whatever　of　high
  hope　（as　I　think　there　is）　there　may　be　in　this　in　the　long　term；
  its　sudden　execution　is　impossible。　　If　they　were　all　landed
  there　in　a　day；　they　would　all　perish　in　the　next　ten　days；　and
  there　are　not　surp1us　shipping　and　surplus　money　enough　in　the
  world　to　carry　them　there　in　many　times　ten　days。　　What　then？
  Free　them　all　and　keep　them　among　us　as　underlings？　　Is　it　quite
  certain　that　this　betters　their　condition？　　I　think　I　would　not
  hold　one　in　slavery；　at　any　rate；　yet　the　point　is　not　clear
  enough　to　me　to　denounce　people　upon。　　What　next？　　Free　them；　and
  make　them　politically　and　socially　our　equals？　　My　own　feelings
  will　not　admit　of　this；　and　if　mine　would；　we　well　know　that
  those　of　the　great　mass　of　white　people　will　not。　　Whether　this
  feeling　accords　with　justice　and　sound　judgment；　is　not　the　sole
  question；　if；　indeed；　it　is　any　part　of　it。　　A　universal　feeling；
  whether　well　or　ill　founded；　cannot　be　safely　disregarded。　　We
  cannot；　then；　make　them　equals。　　It　does　seem　to　me　that　systems
  of　gradual　emancipation　might　be　adopted；　but　for　their　tardiness
  in　this　I　will　not　undertake　to　judge　our　brethren　of　the　South。
  〃When　they　remind　us　of　their　constitutional　rights；　I
  acknowledge　them；　not　grudgingly；　but　fully　and　fairly；　and　I
  would　give　them　any　legislation　for　the　reclaiming　of　their
  fugitives；　which　should　not；　in　its　stringency；　be　more　likely　to
  carry　a　free　man　into　slavery　than　Our　ordinary　criminal　laws　are
  to　hang　an　innocent　one。
  〃But　all　this；　to　my　judgment；　furnishes　no　more　excuse　for
  permitting　slavery　to　go　into　our　own　free　territory　than　it
  would　for　reviving　the　African　slave…trade　by　law。　　The　law　which
  forbids　the　bringing　of　slaves　from　Africa；　and　that　which　has　so
  long　forbid　the　taking　of　them　to　Nebraska；　can　hardly　be
  distinguished　on　any　moral　principle；　and　the　repeal　of　the
  former　could　find　quite　as　plausible　excuses　as　that　of　the
  latter。〃
  I　have　reason　to　know　that　Judge　Douglas　knows　that　I　said　this。
  I　think　he　has　the　answer　here　to　one　of　the　questions　he　put　to
  me。　　I　do　not　mean　to　allow　him　to　catechize　me　unless　he　pays
  back　for　it　in　kind。　　I　will　not　answer　questions　one　after
  another；　unless　he　reciprocates；　but　as　he　has　made　this　inquiry；
  and　I　have　answered　it　before；　he　has　got　it　without　my　getting
  anything　in　return。　　He　has　got　my　answer　on　the　Fugitive　Slave
  law。
  Now；　gentlemen；　I　don't　want　to　read　at　any　greater　length；　but
  this　is　the　true　complexion　of　all　I　have　ever　said　in　regard　to
  the　institution　of　slavery　and　the　black　race。　　This　is　the　whole
  of　it；　and　anything　that　argues　me　into　his　idea　of　perfect
  social　and　political　equality　with　the　negro　is　but　a　specious
  and　fantastic　arrangement　of　words；　by　which　a　man　can　prove　a
  horse…chestnut　to　be　a　chestnut　horse。　　I　will　say　here；　while
  upon　this　subject；　that　I　have　no　purpose；　directly　or
  indirectly；　to　interfere　with　the　institution　of　slavery　in　the
  States　where　it　exists。　　I　believe　I　have　no　lawful　right　to　do
  so；　and　I　have　no　inclination　to　do　so。　　I　have　no　purpose　to
  introduce　political　and　social　equality　between　the　white　and　the
  black　races。　　There　is　a　physical　difference　between　the　two
  which；　in　my　judgment；　will　probably　forever　forbid　their　living
  together　upon　the　footing　of　perfect　equality；　and　inasmuch　as　it
  becomes　a　necessity　that　there　must　be　a　difference；　I；　as　well
  as　Judge　Douglas；　am　in　favor　of　the　race　to　which　I　belong
  having　the　superior　position。　　I　have　never　said　anything　to　the
  contrary；　but　I　hold　that；　notwithstanding　all　this；　there　is　no
  reason　in　the　world　why　the　negro　is　not　entitled　to　all　the
  natural　rights　enumerated　in　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　the
  right　to　life；　liberty；　and　the　pursuit　of　happiness。　　I　hold
  that　he　is　as　much　entitled　to　these　as　the　white　man。　　I　agree
  with　Judge　Douglas　he　is　not　my　equal　in　many　respects；　certainly
  not　in　color；　perhaps　not　in　moral　or　intellectual　endowment。
  But　in　the　right　to　eat　the　bread；　without　the　leave　of　anybody
  else；　which　his　own　hand　earns；　he　is　my　equal；　and　the　equal　of
  Judge　Douglas；　and　the　equal　of　every　living　man。
  Now　I　pass　on　to　consider　one　or　two　more　of　these　little
  follies。　　The　Judge　is　woefully　at　fault　about　his　early　friend
  Lincoln　being　a　〃grocery…keeper。〃　　I　don't　know　as　it　would　be　a
  great　sin；　if　I　had　been；　but　he　is　mistaken。　　Lincoln　never　kept
  a　grocery　anywhere　in　the　world。　　It　is　true　that　Lincoln　did
  work　the　latter　part　of　one　winter　in　a　little　stillhouse；　up　at
  the　head　of　a　hollow。　　And　so　I　think　my　friend　the　Judge　is
  equally　at　fault　when　he　charges　me　at　the　time　when　I　was　in
  Congress　of　having　opposed　our　soldiers　who　were　fighting　in　the
  Mexican　war。　　The　Judge　did　not　make　his　charge　very　distinctly；
  but　I　can　tell　you　what　he　can　prove；　by　referring　to　the　record。
  You　remember　I　was　an　old　Whig；　and　whenever　the　Democratic　party
  tried　to　get　me　to　vote　that　the　war　had　been　righteously　begun
  by　the　President；　I　would　not　do　it。　　But　whenever　they　asked　for
  any　money；　or　landwarrants；　or　anything　to　pay　the　soldiers
  there；　during　all　that　time；　I　gave　the　same　vote　that　Judge
  Douglas　did。　　You　can　think　as　you　please　as　to　whether　that　was
  consistent。　　Such　is　the　truth；　and　the　Judge　has　the　right　to
  make　all　he　can　out　of　it。　　But　when　he；　by　a　general　charge；
  conveys　the　idea　that　I　withheld　supplies　from　the　soldiers　who
  were　fighting　in　the　Mexican　war；　or　did　anything　else　to　hinder
  the　soldiers；　he　is；　to　say　the　least；　grossly　and　altogether
  mistaken；　as　a　consultation　of　the　records　will　prove　to　him。
  As　I　have　not　used　up　so　much　of　my　time　as　I　had　supposed；　I
  will　dwell　a　little　longer　upon　one　or　two　of　these　minor　topics
  upon　which　the　Judge　has　spoken。　　He　has　read　from　my　speech　in
  Springfield；　in　which　I　say　that　〃a　house　divided　against　itself
  cannot　stand〃　Does　the　Judge　say　it　can　stand？　　I　don't　know
  whether　he　does　or　not。　　The　Judge　does　not　seem　to　be　attending
  to　me　just　now；　but　I　would　like　to　know　if　it　is　his　opinion
  that　a　house　divided　against　itself　can　stand。　　If　he　does；　then
  there　is　a　question　of　veracity；　not　between　him　and　me；　but
  between　the　Judge　and　an　Authority　of　a　somewhat　higher
  character。
  Now；　my　friends；　I　ask　your　attention　to　this　matter　for　the
  purpose　of　saying　something　seriously。　　I　know　that　the　Judge　may
  readily　enough　agree　with　me　that　the　maxim　which　was　put　forth
  by　the　Savior　is　true；　but　he　may　allege　that　I　misapply　it；　and
  the　Judge　has　a　right　to　urge　that；　in　my　application；　I　do
  misapply　it；　and　then　I　have　a　right　to　show　that　I　do　not
  misapply　it；　When　he　undertakes　to　say　that　because　I　think　this
  nation；　so　far　as　the　question　of　slavery　is　concerned；　will　all
  become　one　thing　or　all　the　other；　I　am　in