Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Abraham Lincoln: Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Commandery of the State of Pennsylvania; Memorial Meetings, 1907-1908-1909-1911
Hence the morality of slavery, its right to exist at all, became the chief, the absorbing issue. As his text lincoln chose with sagacity the passage from the Scriptures: A house divided against itself can not stand. He spoke with clearness and force: I believe this government can not endure half slave and half free; that the slavery question could never be successfully compromised. He believed the negro entitled to all the natural rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as much entitled to these as the white man. But I am not in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people. Afterwards he somewhat modified this Opinion: The privi lege to vote might be wisely conferred upon the very intelligent and especially upon those who have fought gallantly in our ranks. He regarded slavery as a moral, a social, a political evil. But at Peoria with a profound sense of the difficulty of wisely dealing with it, and the awful consequences of mistake he de clared: If all earthly power were given me, I should not know what to do with the existing institution.
Thus Douglas believed that slaves might be brought in and slavery adopted in a territory by the vote of the people of the territory, while lincoln was opposed to its extension under any circumstances, holding the Congress had the right and ought to prohibit the introduction of them.
Momentous results depended on this historic contest, more famous now than any ever waged in the country's history; even the celebrated debate between Webster and Hayne fades by comparison into obscurity. Douglas gained the seat in the Senate, but, probably, lost the presidency; lincoln lost the senator ship, but reached the presidential chair.
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