the writings-2- 第49部分

Great　Britain；　that　they　were　entitled　to　the　same　inalienable

rights；　and　among　them　were　enumerated　life；　liberty；　and　the

pursuit　of　happiness。　　The　Declaration　was　adopted　for　the

purpose　of　justifying　the　colonists　in　the　eyes　of　the　civilized

world　in　withdrawing　their　allegiance　from　the　British　crown；　and

dissolving　their　connection　with　the　mother　country。〃



My　good　friends；　read　that　carefully　over　some　leisure　hour；　and

ponder　well　upon　it；　see　what　a　mere　wreckmangled　ruinit

makes　of　our　once　glorious　Declaration。



〃They　were　speaking　of　British　subjects　on　this　continent　being

equal　to　British　subjects　born　and　residing　in　Great　Britain〃！

Why；　according　to　this；　not　only　negroes　but　white　people　outside

of　Great　Britain　and　America　were　not　spoken　of　in　that

instrument。　　The　English；　Irish；　and　Scotch；　along　with　white

Americans；　were　included；　to　be　sure；　but　the　French；　Germans；

and　other　white　people　of　the　world　are　all　gone　to　pot　along

with　the　Judge's　inferior　races！



I　had　thought　the　Declaration　promised　something　better　than　the

condition　of　British　subjects；　but　no；　it　only　meant　that　we

should　be　equal　to　them　in　their　own　oppressed　and　unequal

condition。　　According　to　that；　it　gave　no　promise　that；　having

kicked　off　the　king　and　lords　of　Great　Britain；　we　should　not　at

once　be　saddled　with　a　king　and　lords　of　our　own。



I　had　thought　the　Declaration　contemplated　the　progressive

improvement　in　the　condition　of　all　men　everywhere；　but　no；　it

merely　〃was　adopted　for　the　purpose　of　justifying　the　colonists

in　the　eyes　of　the　civilized　world　in　withdrawing　their

allegiance　from　the　British　crown；　and　dissolving　their

connection　with　the　mother　country。〃　Why；　that　object　having　been

effected　some　eighty　years　ago；　the　Declaration　is　of　no

practical　use　nowmere　rubbishold　wadding　left　to　rot　on　the

battlefield　after　the　victory　is　won。



I　understand　you　are　preparing　to　celebrate　the　〃Fourth；〃　to…

morrow　week。　　What　for？　　The　doings　of　that　day　had　no　reference

to　the　present；　and　quite　half　of　you　are　not　even　descendants　of

those　who　were　referred　to　at　that　day。　　But　I　suppose　you　will

celebrate；　and　will　even　go　so　far　as　to　read　the　Declaration。

Suppose；　after　you　read　it　once　in　the　old…fashioned　way；　you

read　it　once　more　with　Judge　Douglas's　version。　　It　will　then　run

thus：



〃We　hold　these　truths　to　be　self…evident；　that　all　British

subjects　who　were　on　this　continent　eighty…one　years　ago　were

created　equal　to　all　British　subjects　born　and　then　residing　in

Great　Britain。〃



And　now　I　appeal　to　allto　Democrats　as　well　as　othersare　you

really　willing　that　the　Declaration　shall　thus　be　frittered　away

？thus　left　no　more；　at　most；　than　an　interesting　memorial　of

the　dead　past？thus　shorn　of　its　vitality　and　practical　value；

and　left　without　the　germ　or　even　the　suggestion　of　the

individual　rights　of　man　in　it？



But　Judge　Douglas　is　especially　horrified　at　the　thought　of　the

mixing　of　blood　by　the　white　and　black　races。　　Agreed　for　oncea

thousand　times　agreed。　　There　are　white　men　enough　to　marry　all

the　white　women　and　black　men　enough　to　many　all　the　black　women；

and　so　let　them　be　married。　　On　this　point　we　fully　agree　with

the　Judge；　and　when　he　shall　show　that　his　policy　is　better

adapted　to　prevent　amalgamation　than　ours；　we　shall　drop　ours　and

adopt　his。　　Let　us　see。　　In　1850　there　were　in　the　United　States

405；751　mulattoes。　　Very　few　of　these　are　the　offspring　of　whites

and　free　blacks；　nearly　all　have　sprung　from　black　slaves　and

white　masters。　　A　separation　of　the　races　is　the　only　perfect

preventive　of　amalgamation；　but　as　an　immediate　separation　is

impossible；　the　next　best　thing　is　to　keep　them　apart　where　they

are　not　already　together。　　If　white　and　black　people　never　get

together　in　Kansas；　they　will　never　mix　blood　in　Kansas。　　That　is

at　least　one　self…evident　truth。　　A　few　free　colored　persons　may

get　into　the　free　States；　in　any　event；　but　their　number　is　too

insignificant　to　amount　to　much　in　the　way　of　mixing　blood。　　In

1850　there　were　in　the　free　States　56；649　mulattoes；　but　for　the

most　part　they　were　not　born　therethey　came　from　the　slave

States；　ready　made　up。　　In　the　same　year　the　slave　States　had

348；874　mulattoes；　all　of　home　production。　　The　proportion　of

free　mulattoes　to　free　blacksthe　only　colored　classes　in　the

free　States　is　much　greater　in　the　slave　than　in　the　free　States。

It　is　worthy　of　note；　too；　that　among　the　free　States　those　which

make　the　colored　man　the　nearest　equal　to　the　white　have

proportionably　the　fewest　mulattoes；　the　least　of　amalgamation。

In　New　Hampshire；　the　State　which　goes　farthest　toward　equality

between　the　races；　there　are　just　184　mulattoes；　while　there　are

in　Virginiahow　many　do　you　think？79；775；　being　23；126　more

than　in　all　the　free　States　together。



These　statistics　show　that　slavery　is　the　greatest　source　of

amalgamation；　and　next　to　it；　not　the　elevation；　but　the

degradation　of　the　free　blacks。　　Yet　Judge　Douglas　dreads　the

slightest　restraints　on　the　spread　of　slavery；　and　the　slightest

human　recognition　of　the　negro；　as　tending　horribly　to

amalgamation！



The　very　Dred　Scott　case　affords　a　strong　test　as　to　which　party

most　favors　amalgamation；　the　Republicans　or　the　dear　Union…

saving　Democracy。　　Dred　Scott；　his　wife；　and　two　daughters　were

all　involved　in　the　suit。　　We　desired　the　court　to　have　held　that

they　were　citizens　so　far　at　least　as　to　entitle　them　to　a

hearing　as　to　whether　they　were　free　or　not；　and　then；　also；　that

they　were　in　fact　and　in　law　really　free。　　Could　we　have　had　our

way；　the　chances　of　these　black　girls　ever　mixing　their　blood

with　that　of　white　people　would　have　been　diminished　at　least　to

the　extent　that　it　could　not　have　been　without　their　consent。

But　Judge　Douglas　is　delighted　to　have　them　decided　to　be　slaves；

and　not　human　enough　to　have　a　hearing；　even　if　they　were　free；

and　thus　left　subject　to　the　forced　concubinage　of　their　masters；

and　liable　to　become　the　mothers　of　mulattoes　in　spite　of

themselves：　the　very　state　of　case　that　produces　nine　tenths　of

all　the　mulattoes　all　the　mixing　of　blood　in　the　nation。



Of　course；　I　state　this　case　as　an　illustration　only；　not　meaning

to　say　or　intimate　that　the　master　of　Dred　Scott　and　his　family；

or　any　more　than　a　percentage　of　masters　generally；　are　inclined

to　exercise　this　particular　power　which　they　hold　over　their

female　slaves。



I　have　said　that　the　separation　of　the　races　is　the　only　perfect

preventive　of　amalgamation。　　I　have　no　right　to　say　all　the

members　of　the　Republican　party　are　in　favor　of　this；　nor　to　say

that　as　a　party　they　are　in　favor　of　it。　　There　is　nothing　in

their　platform　directly　on　the　subject。　　But　I　can　say　a　very

large　proportion　of　its　members　are　for　it；　and　that　the　chief

plank　in　their　platformopposition　to　the　spread　of　slaveryis

most　favorable　to　that　separation。



Such　separation；　if　ever　effected　at　all；　must　be　effected　by

colonization；　and　no　political　party；　as　such；　is　now　doing

anything　directly　for　colonization。　　Party　operations　at　present

only　favor　or　retard　colonization　incidentally。　　The　enterprise

is　a　difficult　one；　but　〃where　there　is　a　will　there　is　a　way；〃

and　what　colonization　needs　most　is　a　hearty　will。　　Will　springs

from　the　two　elements　of　moral　sense　and　self…interest。　　Let　us

be　brought　to　believe　it　is　morally　right；　and　at　the　same　time

favorable　to；　or　at　least　not　against；　our　interest　to　transfer

the　African　to　his　native　clime；　and　we　shall　find　a　way　to　do

it；　however　great　the　task　may　be。　　The　children　of　Israel；　to

such　numbers　as　to　include　four　hundred　thousand　fighting　men；

went　out　of　Egyptian　bondage　in　a　body。



How　differently　the　respective　courses　of　the　Democratic　and

Republican　parties　incidentally；　bear　on　the　question　of　forming

a　willa　public　sentimentfor　colonization；　is　easy　to　see。

The　Republicans　inculcate；　with　whatever　of　ability　they　can；

that　the　negro　is　a　man；　that　his　bondage　is　cruelly　wrong；　and

that　the　field　of　his　oppression　ought　not　to　be　enlarged。　　The

Democrats　deny　his　manhood；　deny；　or　dwarf　to　insignificance；　the

wrong　of　his　bondage；　so　far　as　possible　crush　all　sympathy　for

him；　and　cultivate　and　excite　hatred　and　disgust　against　him；

compliment　themselves　as　Union…savers　for　doing　so；　and　call　the

indefinite　outspreading　of　his　bondage　〃a　sacred　right　of　self…

government。〃



The　plainest　print　cannot　be　read　through　a　gold　eagle；　and　it

will　be　ever　hard　to　find　many　men　who　will　send　a　slave　to

Liberia；　and　pay　his　passage；　while　they　can　send　him　to　a　new

countryKansas；　for　instanceand　sell　him　for　fifteen　hundred

dollars；　and　the　rise。









TO　WILLIAM　GRIMES。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　August；　1857



DEAR　SIR：Yours　of　the　14th　is　received；　and　I　am　much　obliged

for　the　legal　information　you　give。



You　can　scarcely　be　more　anxious　than　I　that　the　next　election　in

Iowa　should　result　in　favor　of　the　Republicans。　　I　lost　nearly

all　the　working　part　of　last　year；　giving　my　time　to　the　canvass；

and　I　am　altogether　too　poor　to　lose　two　years　together。　　I　am

engaged　in　a　suit　in　the　United　States　Court　at　Chicago；　in　which

the　Rock　Island　Bridge　Company　is　a　party。　　The　trial　is　to

commence　on　the　8th　of　September；　and　probably　will　last　two　or

three　weeks。　　During　the　trial　it　is　not　improbable　that　all

hands　may　come　over　and　take　a　look　at　the　bridge；　and；　if　it

were　possible　to　make　it　hit　right；　I　could　then　speak　at

Davenport。　　My　courts　go　right　on　without　cessation　till　late　in

November。　　Write　me　again；　pointing　out　the　more　striking　points

of　difference　between　your　old　and　new　constitutions；　and　also

whether　Democratic　and　Republican　party　lines　were　drawn　in　the

adoption　of　it；　and　which　were　for　and　which　were　against　i