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mind；　is　manifestly　unjust。　　After　an　angry　and　dangerous

controversy；　the　parties　made　friends　by　dividing　the　bone　of

contention。　　The　one　party　first　appropriates　her　own　share；

beyond　all　power　to　be　disturbed　in　the　possession　of　it；　and

then　seizes　the　share　of　the　other　party。　　It　is　as　if　two

starving　men　had　divided　their　only　loaf；　the　one　had　hastily

swallowed　his　half；　and　then　grabbed　the　other's　half　just　as　he

was　putting　it　to　his　mouth。



Let　me　here　drop　the　main　argument；　to　notice　what　I　consider

rather　an　inferior　matter。　　It　is　argued　that　slavery　will　not　go

to　Kansas　and　Nebraska；　in　any　event。　　This　is　a　palliation；　a

lullaby。　　I　have　some　hope　that　it　will　not；　but　let　us　not　be

too　confident。　　As　to　climate；　a　glance　at　the　map　shows　that

there　are　five　slave　StatesDelaware；　Maryland；　Virginia；

Kentucky；　and　Missouri；　and　also　the　District　of　Columbia；　all

north　of　the　Missouri　Compromise　line。　　The　census　returns　of

1850　show　that　within　these　there　are　eight　hundred　and　sixty…

seven　thousand　two　hundred　and　seventy…six　slaves；　being　more

than　one　fourth　of　all　the　slaves　in　the　nation。



It　is　not　climate；　then；　that　will　keep　slavery　out　of　these

Territories。　　Is　there　anything　in　the　peculiar　nature　of　the

country？　　Missouri　adjoins　these　Territories　by　her　entire

western　boundary；　and　slavery　is　already　within　every　one　of　her

western　counties。　　I　have　even　heard　it　said　that　there　are　more

slaves　in　proportion　to　whites　in　the　northwestern　county　of

Missouri　than　within　any　other　county　in　the　State。　　Slavery

pressed　entirely　up　to　the　old　western　boundary　of　the　State；　and

when　rather　recently　a　part　of　that　boundary　at　the　northwest　was

moved　out　a　little　farther　west；　slavery　followed　on　quite　up　to

the　new　line。　　Now；　when　the　restriction　is　removed；　what　is　to

prevent　it　from　going　still　farther？　　Climate　will　not；　no

peculiarity　of　the　country　will；　nothing　in　nature　will。　　Will

the　disposition　of　the　people　prevent　it？　　Those　nearest　the

scene　are　all　in　favor　of　the　extension。　　The　Yankees　who　are

opposed　to　it　may　be　most　flumerous；　but；　in　military　phrase；　the

battlefield　is　too　far　from　their　base　of　operations。



But　it　is　said　there　now　is　no　law　in　Nebraska　on　the　subject　of

slavery；　and　that；　in　such　case；　taking　a　slave　there　operates

his　freedom。　　That　is　good　book…law；　but　it　is　not　the　rule　of

actual　practice。　　Wherever　slavery　is　it　has　been　first

introduced　without　law。　　The　oldest　laws　we　find　concerning　it

are　not　laws　introducing　it；　but　regulating　it　as　an　already

existing　thing。　　A　white　man　takes　his　slave　to　Nebraska　now。

Who　will　inform　the　negro　that　he　is　free？　　Who　will　take　him

before　court　to　test　the　question　of　his　freedom？　　In　ignorance

of　his　legal　emancipation　he　is　kept　chopping；　splitting；　and

plowing。　　Others　are　brought；　and　move　on　in　the　same　track。　　At

last；　if　ever　the　time　for　voting　comes　on　the　question　of

slavery　the　institution　already；　in　fact；　exists　in　the　country；

and　cannot　well　be　removed。　　The　fact　of　its　presence；　and　the

difficulty　of　its　removal；　will　carry　the　vote　in　its　favor。

Keep　it　out　until　a　vote　is　taken；　and　a　vote　in　favor　of　it

cannot　be　got　in　any　population　of　forty　thousand　on　earth；　who

have　been　drawn　together　by　the　ordinary　motives　of　emigration

and　settlement。　　To　get　slaves　into　the　Territory　simultaneously

with　the　whites　in　the　incipient　stages　of　settlement　is　the

precise　stake　played　for　and　won　in　this　Nebraska　measure。



The　question　is　asked　us：　〃If　slaves　will　go　in　notwithstanding

the　general　principle　of　law　liberates　them；　why　would　they　not

equally　go　in　against　positive　statute　lawgo　in；　even　if　the

Missouri　restriction　were　maintained！〃　I　answer；　because　it　takes

a　much　bolder　man　to　venture　in　with　his　property　in　the　latter

case　than　in　the　former；　because　the　positive　Congressional

enactment　is　known　to　and　respected　by　all；　or　nearly　all；

whereas　the　negative　principle　that　no　law　is　free　law　is　not

much　known　except　among　lawyers。　　We　have　some　experience　of　this

practical　difference。　　In　spite　of　the　Ordinance　of　　'87；　a　few

negroes　were　brought　into　Illinois；　and　held　in　a　state　of　quasi…

slavery；　not　enough；　however；　to　carry　a　vote　of　the　people　in

favor　of　the　institution　when　they　came　to　form　a　constitution。

But　into　the　adjoining　Missouri　country；　where　there　was　no

Ordinance　of　'87；was　no　restriction；they　were　carried　ten

times；　nay；　a　hundred　times；　as　fast；　and　actually　made　a　slave

State。　　This　is　fact…naked　fact。



Another　lullaby　argument　is　that　taking　slaves　to　new　countries

does　not　increase　their　number；　does　not　make　any　one　slave　who

would　otherwise　be　free。　　There　is　some　truth　in　this；　and　I　am

glad　of　it；　but　it　is　not　wholly　true。　　The　African　slave　trade

is　not　yet　effectually　suppressed；　and；　if　we　make　a　reasonable

deduction　for　the　white　people　among　us　who　are　foreigners　and

the　descendants　of　foreigners　arriving　here　since　1808；　we　shall

find　the　increase　of　the　black　population　outrunning　that　of　the

white　to　an　extent　unaccountable；　except　by　supposing　that　some

of　them；　too；　have　been　coming　from　Africa。　　If　this　be　so；　the

opening　of　new　countries　to　the　institution　increases　the　demand

for　and　augments　the　price　of　slaves；　and　so　does；　in　fact；　make

slaves　of　freemen；　by　causing　them　to　be　brought　from　Africa　and

sold　into　bondage。



But　however　this　may　be；　we　know　the　opening　of　new　countries　to

slavery　tends　to　the　perpetuation　of　the　institution；　and　so　does

keep　men　in　slavery　who　would　otherwise　be　free。　　This　result　we

do　not　feel　like　favoring；　and　we　are　under　no　legal　obligation

to　suppress　our　feelings　in　this　respect。



Equal　justice　to　the　South；　it　is　said；　requires　us　to　consent　to

the　extension　of　slavery　to　new　countries。　　That　is　to　say；

inasmuch　as　you　do　not　object　to　my　taking　my　hog　to　Nebraska；

therefore　I　must　not　object　to　your　taking　your　slave。　　Now；　I

admit　that　this　is　perfectly　logical　if　there　is　no　difference

between　hogs　and　negroes。　　But　while　you　thus　require　me　to　deny

the　humanity　of　the　negro；　I　wish　to　ask　whether　you　of　the

South；　yourselves；　have　ever　been　willing　to　do　as　much？　　　It　is

kindly　provided　that　of　all　those　who　come　into　the　world　only　a

small　percentage　are　natural　tyrants。　　That　percentage　is　no

larger　in　the　slave　States　than　in　the　free。　　The　great　majority

South；　as　well　as　North；　have　human　sympathies；　of　which　they　can

no　more　divest　themselves　than　they　can　of　their　sensibility　to

physical　pain。　　These　sympathies　in　the　bosoms　of　the　Southern

people　manifest；　in　many　ways；　their　sense　of　the　wrong　of

slavery；　and　their　consciousness　that；　after　all；　there　is

humanity　in　the　negro。　　If　they　deny　this；　let　me　address　them　a

few　plain　questions。　　In　1820　you　（the　South）　joined　the　North；

almost　unanimously；　in　declaring　the　African　slave　trade　piracy；

and　in　annexing　to　it　the　punishment　of　death。　　Why　did　you　do

this？　　If　you　did　not　feel　that　it　was　wrong；　why　did　you　join　in

providing　that　men　should　be　hung　for　it？　　The　practice　was　no

more　than　bringing　wild　negroes　from　Africa　to　such　as　would　buy

them。　　But　you　never　thought　of　hanging　men　for　catching　and

selling　wild　horses；　wild　buffaloes；　or　wild　bears。



Again；　you　have　among　you　a　sneaking　individual　of　the　class　of

native　tyrants　known　as　the　〃slavedealer。〃　He　watches　your

necessities；　and　crawls　up　to　buy　your　slave；　at　a　speculating

price。　　If　you　cannot　help　it；　you　sell　to　him；　but　if　you　can

help　it；　you　drive　him　from　your　door。　　You　despise　him　utterly。

You　do　not　recognize　him　as　a　friend；　or　even　as　an　honest　man。

Your　children　must　not　play　with　his；　they　may　rollick　freely

with　the　little　negroes；　but　not　with　the　slave…dealer's

children。　　If　you　are　obliged　to　deal　with　him；　you　try　to　get

through　the　job　without　so　much　as　touching　him。　　It　is　common

with　you　to　join　hands　with　the　men　you　meet；　but　with　the　slave…

dealer　you　avoid　the　ceremonyinstinctively　shrinking　from　the

snaky　contact。　　If　he　grows　rich　and　retires　from　business；　you

still　remember　him；　and　still　keep　up　the　ban　of　non…intercourse

upon　him　and　his　family。　　Now；　why　is　this？　　You　do　not　so　treat

the　man　who　deals　in　corn；　cotton；　or　tobacco。



And　yet　again：　There　are　in　the　United　States　and　Territories；

including　the　District　of　Columbia；　433；643　free　blacks。　　At　five

hundred　dollars　per　head　they　are　worth　over　two　hundred　millions

of　dollars。　　How　comes　this　vast　amount　of　property　to　be　running

about　without　owners？　　We　do　not　see　free　horses　or　free　cattle

running　at　large。　　How　is　this？　　All　these　free　blacks　are　the

descendants　of　slaves；　or　have　been　slaves　themselves；　and　they

would　be　slaves　now　but　for　something　which　has　operated　on　their

white　owners；　inducing　them　at　vast　pecuniary　sacrifice　to

liberate　them。　　W