Lincoln on Democracy

"THIS GREAT PRINCIPLE OF EQUALITY"

84 LINCOLN ON DEMOCRACY "THIS GREAT PRINCIPLE OF EQUALITY" From a Speech at Kalamazoo, Michigan [AUGUST 27, 1856] An audience of some ten thousand listened to this speech at a huge Republican rally that boasted eight bands and a parade, but an opposition newspaper reported that Lincoln proved ''far too conservative and Union loving," and at several points was greeted with "emphatic" protests "against his views. " The speech nonethelessfeatured one ofLincoln's most clearly stated expressions on the doctrine of opportunity. This excerpt comesfrom the text reprinted by the Detroit Daily Advertiser, with crowd reaction recorded. Fellow countrymen:-Under the Constitution of the U.S. another Presidential contest approaches us. All over this land-that portion at least, ofwhich I know much-the people are assembling to consider the proper course to be adopted by them. One of the first considerations is to learn what the people differ about. If we ascertain what we differ about, we shall be better able to decide. The question of slavery, at the present day, should be not only the greatest question, but very nearly the sole question. Our opponents, however, prefer that this should not be the case. To get at this question, I will occupy your attention but a single moment. The question is simply this:-Shall slavery be spread into the new Territories, or not? This is the naked question. Ifwe should support [John C.] Fremont [Republican candidate for president-eds.] successfully in this, it may be charged that we will not be content with restricting slavery in the new territories. Ifwe should charge that James Buchanan, by his platform, is bound to extend slavery into the territories , and that he is in favor of its being thus spread, we should be puzzled to prove it. We believe it, nevertheless. By taking the issue as I present it, whether it shall be permitted as an issue, is made up between the parties. Each takes his own stand. This is the question: Shall the Government of the United States prohibit slavery in the United States. Lincoln and Slavery, 1854-1857 85 Have we no interest in the free Territories of the United States-that they should be kept open for the homes of free white people? As our Northern States are growing more and more in wealth and population, we are continually in want of an outlet, through which it may pass out to enrich our country. In this we have an interest-a deep and abiding interest. There is another thing, and that is the mature knowledge we have-the greatest interest of all. It is the doctrine, that the people are to be driven from the maxims ofour free Government, that despises the spirit which for eighty years has celebrated the anniversary of our national independence. We are a great empire. We are eighty years old. We stand at once the wonder and admiration of the whole world, and we must enquire what it is that has given us so much prosperity, and we shall understand that to give up that one thing, would be to give up all future prosperity. This cause is that every man can make himself. It has been said that such a race of prosperity has been run nowhere else. We find a people on the North-east, who have a different government from ours, being ruled by a Queen. Turning to the South, we see a people who, while they boast of being free, keep their fellow beings in bondage. Compare our Free States with either, shall we say here that we have no interest in keeping that principle alive? Shall we say-"Let it be." No-we have an interest in the maintenance ofthe principles ofthe Government, and without this interest, it is worth nothing. I have noticed in Southern newspapers, particularly the Richmond Enquirer, the Southern view of the Free States. They insist that slavery has a right to spread. They defend it upon principle. They insist that their slaves are far better off than Northern freemen. What a mistaken view do these men have of Northern laborers! They think that men are always to remain laborers here-but there is no such class. The man who labored for another last year, this year labors for himself, and next year he will hire others to labor for him. These men don't understand when they think in this manner of Northern free labor. When these reasons can be introduced, tell me not...