Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, Debates of Lincoln and Douglas: Carefully Prepared by the Reporters of Each Party at the times of their Delivery.

[17] which hold in my hand now, that no fair chance was to be given to the people. [ “Read it ,” “read it.” ] I shall, not waste your time by trying to read it. [ “Read it” “read it.” ] Gentlemen, reading from speeches is a very tedious business, particularly for an old man that has to put on spectacles, and more so if the man be so tall that he has to bend over to the light.

A little more, now, as to this matter of Popular Sovereignty and the Lecompton Constitution. The Lecompton Constitution; as the Judge-tells us, was defeated. The defeat of it was a good thing or it was not. He thinks the defeat of it, was a good thing, and so do I, and we agree in that. Who defeated it?

A voice--“Judge Douglas.”

Mr. Lincoln--Yes, he furnished, himself, and if you suppose he controlled the other, Democrats that went with him, he furnished three votes, while the Republicans furnished twenty.

That is what he did to defeat it. In the House of Representatives he and his friends furnished some twenty votes, and the Republicans furnished ninety odd Now who was it that did the work?

A voice--“Douglas.”

Mr. Lincoln--“Why, yes, Douglas did it!” To be sure he did; Let us, however, put that proposition another way. The Republicans not not have done it without Judge Douglas. Could he have done it without them? Which could have come the nearest to doing it without the other?

A voice--“Who killed the bill?”

Another voice--“Douglas.”

Mr. Lincoln--Ground was taken against it. by the Republicans long before Douglas did it. The proportion of opposition to that measure is about five to one.

A voice--“Why don't they come out on it?”

Mr. Lincoln--You don't know what you are talking about, my friend. I am quite willing to answer any gentleman in the crowd who asks an intelligent question.

Now who, in all this country, has ever found any of our friends of Judge, Douglas's way of thinking, and who have acted upon this main question, that he ever thought of uttering a word in behalf of Judge Trumbull?

A voice--“We have.”

Mr. Lincoln--I defy you to show a printed resolution passed in a Democratic meeting — I take it upon myself to defy any man to show a printed resolution of a Democratic meeting, large or small, in favor of Judge Trumbull, or any of the five to one Republicans who beat that bill. Every thing must be for the Democrats! They did every thing, and the five to the one that really did the thing, they snub over, and they do not seem to remember that they have an existence upon the face of the earth.

Gentlemen, I fear that I shall become tedious. I leave this branch of the subject to take hold of another. I take up that, part of Judge Douglas's speech in which he respectfully attended to me.

Judge Douglas made two points upon my recent speech at Springfield. He says they are to be the issues of this campaign. The first one of these points he bases upon the language in a speech which I delivered at Springfield, which I believe I can quote correctly from memory. I said there that “we are now far into the fifth year since a policy was instituted for the avowed object, and with the confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation ; under the operation of that policy, that agitation had only not ceased, but had constantly augmented.” “I believe it will not cease until a crisis shall have been reached and passed. ‘ A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this Government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.’ ” “I do not expect the Union to be dissolved” --I am quoting from my speech--“I do not expect the house to fall, but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the spread of it and place it where the public mind shall rest, in ”