day　before；　and　makes　constantly　all　over　the　country；　I　ask　your
  attention　to　them。　　In　the　first　place；　what　is　necessary　to　make
  the　institution　national？　　Not　war。　　There　is　no　danger　that　the
  people　of　Kentucky　will　shoulder　their　muskets；　and；　with　a　young
  nigger　stuck　on　every　bayonet；　march　into　Illinois　and　force　them
  upon　us。　　There　is　no　danger　of　our　going　over　there　and　making
  war　upon　them。　　Then　what　is　necessary　for　the　nationalization　of
  slavery？　　It　is　simply　the　next　Dred　Scott　decision。　　It　is
  merely　for　the　Supreme　Court　to　decide　that　no　State　under　the
  Constitution　can　exclude　it；　just　as　they　have　already　decided
  that　under　the　Constitution　neither　Congress　nor　the　Territorial
  Legislature　can　do　it。　　When　that　is　decided　and　acquiesced　in；
  the　whole　thing　is　done。　　This　being　true；　and　this　being　the
  way；　as　I　think；　that　slavery　is　to　be　made　national；　let　us
  consider　what　Judge　Douglas　is　doing　every　day　to　that　end。　　In
  the　first　place；　let　us　see　what　influence　he　is　exerting　on
  public　sentiment。　　In　this　and　like　communities；　public　sentiment
  is　everything。　　With　public　sentiment；　nothing　can　fail；　without
  it；　nothing　can　succeed。　　Consequently；　he　who　moulds　public
  sentiment　goes　deeper　than　he　who　enacts　statutes　or　pronounces
  decisions。　　He　makes　statutes　and　decisions　possible　or
  impossible　to　be　executed。　　This　must　be　borne　in　mind；　as　also
  the　additional　fact　that　Judge　Douglas　is　a　man　of　vast
  influence；　so　great　that　it　is　enough　for　many　men　to　profess　to
  believe　anything　when　they　once　find　out　Judge　Douglas　professes
  to　believe　it。　　Consider　also　the　attitude　he　occupies　at　the
  head　of　a　large　party；a　party　which　he　claims　has　a　majority　of
  all　the　voters　in　the　country。　　This　man　sticks　to　a　decision
  which　forbids　the　people　of　a　Territory　from　excluding　slavery；
  and　he　does　so；　not　because　he　says　it　is　right　in　itself；he
  does　not　give　any　opinion　on　that；but　because　it　has　been
  decided　by　the　court；　and　being　decided　by　the　court；　he　is；　and
  you　are；　bound　to　take　it　in　your　political　action　as　law；　not
  that　he　judges　at　all　of　its　merits；　but　because　a　decision　of
  the　court　is　to　him　a　〃Thus　saith　the　Lord。〃　　He　places　it　on
  that　ground　alone；　and　you　will　bear　in　mind　that　thus　committing
  himself　unreservedly　to　this　decision　commits　him　to　the　next　one
  just　as　firmly　as　to　this。　　He　did　not　commit　himself　on　account
  of　the　merit　or　demerit　of　the　decision；　but　it　is　a　〃Thus　saith
  the　Lord。〃　　The　next　decision；　as　much　as　this；　will　be　a　〃Thus
  saith　the　Lord。〃　　There　is　nothing　that　can　divert　or　turn　him
  away　from　this　decision。　　It　is　nothing　that　I　point　out　to　him
  that　his　great　prototype；　General　Jackson；　did　not　believe　in　the
  binding　force　of　decisions。　　It　is　nothing　to　him　that　Jefferson
  did　not　so　believe。　　I　have　said　that　I　have　often　heard　him
  approve　of　Jackson's　course　in　disregarding　the　decision　of　the
  Supreme　Court　pronouncing　a　National　Bank　constitutional。　　He
  says　I　did　not　hear　him　say　so。　　He　denies　the　accuracy　of　my
  recollection。　　I　say　he　ought　to　know　better　than　I；　but　I　will
  make　no　question　about　this　thing；　though　it　still　seems　to　me
  that　I　heard　him　say　it　twenty　times。　　I　will　tell　him；　though；
  that　he　now　claims　to　stand　on　the　Cincinnati　platform；　which
  affirms　that　Congress　cannot　charter　a　National　Bank；　in　the
  teeth　of　that　old　standing　decision　that　Congress　can　charter　a
  bank。　　And　I　remind　him　of　another　piece　of　history　on　the
  question　of　respect　for　judicial　decisions；　and　it　is　a　piece　of
  Illinois　history　belonging　to　a　time　when　the　large　party　to
  which　Judge　Douglas　belonged　were　displeased　with　a　decision　of
  the　Supreme　Court　of　Illinois；　because　they　had　decided　that　a
  Governor　could　not　remove　a　Secretary　of　State。　　You　will　find
  the　whole　story　in　Ford's　History　of　Illinois；　and　I　know　that
  Judge　Douglas　will　not　deny　that　he　was　then　in　favor　of　over…
  slaughing　that　decision　by　the　mode　of　adding　five　new　judges；　so
  as　to　vote　down　the　four　old　ones。　　Not　only　so；　but　it　ended　in
  the　Judge's　sitting　down　on　that　very　bench　as　one　of　the　five
  new　judges　to　break　down　the　four　old　ones　　It　was　in　this　way
  precisely　that　he　got　his　title　of　judge。　　Now；　when　the　Judge
  tells　me　that　men　appointed　conditionally　to　sit　as　members　of　a
  court　will　have　to　be　catechized　beforehand　upon　some　subject；　I
  say；　〃You　know；　Judge；　you　have　tried　it。〃　　When　he　says　a　court
  of　this　kind　will　lose　the　confidence　of　all　men；　will　be
  prostituted　and　disgraced　by　such　a　proceeding；　I　say；　〃You　know
  best；　Judge；　you　have　been　through　the　mill。〃　　But　I　cannot　shake
  Judge　Douglas's　teeth　loose　from　the　Dred　Scott　decision。　　Like
  some　obstinate　animal　（I　mean　no　disrespect）　that　will　hang　on
  when　he　has　once　got　his　teeth　fixed；　you　may　cut　off　a　leg；　or
  you　may　tear　away　an　arm；　still　he　will　not　relax　his　hold。　　And
  so　I　may　point　out　to　the　Judge；　and　say　that　he　is　bespattered
  all　over；　from　the　beginning　of　his　political　life　to　the　present
  time；　with　attacks　upon　judicial　decisions；　I　may　cut　off　limb
  after　limb　of　his　public　record；　and　strive　to　wrench　him　from　a
  single　dictum　of　the　court；yet　I　cannot　divert　him　from　it。　　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。
  ＇A　HIBERNIAN：　〃Give　us　something　besides　Dred　Scott。〃＇
  Yes；　no　doubt　you　want　to　hear　something　that　don't　hurt。　　Now；
  having　spoken　of　the　Dred　Scott　decision；　one　more　word；　and　I　am
  done。　　Henry　Clay；　my　beau…ideal　of　a　statesman；　the　man　for　whom
  I　fought　all　my　humble　life；　Henry　Clay　once　said　of　a　class　of
  men　who　would　repress　all　tendencies　to　liberty　and　ultimate
  emancipation　that　they　must；　if　they　would　do　this；　go　back　to
  the　era　of　our　Independence；　and　muzzle　the　cannon　which　thunders
  its　annual　joyous　return；　they　must　blow　out　the　moral　lights
  around　us；　they　must　penetrate　the　human　soul；　and　eradicate
  there　the　love　of　liberty；　and　then；　and　not　till　then；　could
  they　perpetuate　slavery　in　this　country！　　To　my　thinking；　Judge
  Douglas　is；　by　his　example　and　vast　influence；　doing　that　very
  thing　in　this　community；　when　he　says　that　the　negro　has　nothing
  in　the　Declaration　of　Independence。　　Henry　Clay　plainly
  understood　the　contrary。　　Judge　Douglas　is　going　back　to　the　era
  of　our　Revolution；　and；　to　the　extent　of　his　ability；　muzzling
  the　cannon　which　thunders　its　annual　joyous　return。　　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　up；〃that　it　is　a
  sacred　right　of　self…government；he　is；　in　my　judgment；
  penetrating　the　human　soul　and　eradicating　the　light　of　reason
  and　the　love　of　liberty　in　this　American　people。　　And　now　I　will
  only　say　that　when；　by　all　these　means　and　appliances；　Judge
  Douglas　shall　succeed　in　bringing　public　sentiment　to　an　exact
  accordance　with　his　own　views；　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
  the　second　Dred　Scott　decision；　which　he　indorses　in　advance；　to
  make　slavery　alike　lawful　in　all　the　States；　old　as　well　as　new；
  North　as　well　as　South。
  My　friends；　that　ends　the　chapter。　　The　Judge　can　take　his
  half…hour。
  SECOND　JOINT　DEBATE；　AT　FREEPORT；
  AUGUST　27；　1858
  LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN：On　Saturday　last；　Judge　Douglas　and　myself
  first　met　in　public　discussion。　　He　spoke　one　hour；　I　an　hour　and
  a　half；　and　he　replied　for　half　an　hour。　　The　order　is　now
  reversed。　　I　am　to　speak　an　hour；　he　an　hour　and　a　half；　and　then
  I　am　to　reply　for　half　an　hour。　　I　propose　to　devote　myself
  during　the　first　hour　to　the　scope　of　what　was　brought　within　the
  range　of　his　half…hour　speech　at　Ottawa。　　Of　course　there　was
  brought　within　the　scope　in　that　half…hour's　speech　something　of
  his　own　opening　speech。　　In　the　course　of　that　opening　argument
  Judge　Douglas　proposed　to　me　seven　distinct　interrogatories。　　In
  my　speech　of　an　hour　and　a　half；　I　attended　to　some　other　parts
  of　his　speech；　and　incidentally；　as　I　thought；　intimated　to　him
  that　I　would　answer　the　rest　of　his　interrogatories　on　condition
  only　that　he　should　agree　to　answer　as　many　for　me。　　He　made　no
  intimation　at　the　time　of　the　proposition；　nor　did　he　in　his
  reply　allude　at　all　to　that　suggestion　of　mine。　　I　do　him　no
  injustice　in　saying　that　he　occupied　at　least　half　of　his　reply
  in　dealing　with　me　as　though　I　had　refused　to　answer　his
  interrogatories。　　I　now　propose　that　I　will　answer　any　of　the
  interrogatories；　upon　condition　that　he　will　answer　questions
  from　me　not