individual expression of sentiment, or only as a sort of statement of his
views on national policy, it is alike true to say that he can thus argue
logically if he don't see anything wrong in it; but he cannot say so
logically if he admits that slavery is wrong. He cannot say that he would
as soon see a wrong voted up as voted down. When Judge Douglas says that
whoever or whatever community wants slaves, they have a right to have
them, he is perfectly logical, if there is nothing wrong in the
institution; but if you admit that it is wrong, he cannot logically say
that anybody has a right to do wrong. When he says that slave property
and horse and hog property are alike to be allowed to go into the
Territories, upon the principles of equality, he is reasoning truly, if
there is no difference between them as property; but if the one is
property held rightfully, and the other is wrong, then there is no
equality between the right and wrong; so that, turn it in anyway you can,
in all the arguments sustaining the Democratic policy, and in that policy
itself, there is a careful, studied exclusion of the idea that there is
anything wrong in slavery. Let us understand this. I am not, just here,
trying to prove that we are right, and they are wrong. I have been
stating where we and they stand, and trying to show what is the real
difference between us; and I now say that whenever we can get the
question distinctly stated, can get all these men who believe that
slavery is in some of these respects wrong to stand and act with us in
treating it as a wrong,--then, and not till then, I think we will in some
way come to an end of this slavery agitation.




Mr. LINCOLN'S REJOINDER.