CHAPTER III - HEADING SOUTH TO JONESBORO - SEPTEMBER 15, 1858. ABRAHAM
I’M TOTALLY EXHAUSTED.
MARY
WE DID IT. YOUR MESSAGE WAS CLEAR. THE APPLAUSE WAS VERY HIGH FOR YOU AND NOT NEARLY SO LOUD FOR DOUGLAS.
ABRAHAM
WELL I’M QUITE SATISFIED. I MAY HAVE MISSED A COUPLE THINGS BUT I FELT MY REPLY TO DOUGLAS’S OTTAWA REJOINDER WAS SATISFACTORY. WE’LL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEWSPAPERS TO DECIDE THE WINNER.
MARY
WELL THE WINNER WILL BE AT THE POLLING BOOTH - NOT AT THE FAIRGROUNDS STUMPING SITE.
ABRAHAM
WE NEED TO REVIEW WHAT WAS SAID AT FREEPORT HERNDON OBTAINED SOME STENOGRAPHERS NOTES AND IS WRITING THEM OUT LONG HAND FOR US TO REVIEW. I’M GLAD HE’S ALONG AND THE FACT THAT LYMAN TRUMBALL CAME BACK FROM D.C. TO ASSIST IN OUR CAUSE. HE SAYS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS WATCHING THE “ PRAIRIE FIRE “. WE NEED TO CONTINUE - TO STRESS THE POSITIVES. I BELIEVE I ANSWERED THE JUDGE’S OTTAWA QUESTIONS.
MARY
I ESPECIALLY LIKED YOUR DISCUSSION OF REPEALING THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW - WHICH CAME FROM THE COMPROMISE OF 1850. THE FACT THAT YOU ARE OPPOSED TO ITS REPEAL PUTS YOU MORE IN THE MIDDLE GROUND AND NOT THAT OF A RADICAL.
ABRAHAM
AND THE BOLD STATEMENT OF EMANCIPATING D.C. SLAVES. I HOPE I GARNERED SOME VOTERS WITH THESE IDEAS. I’M NOT PLEDGED TO DISSOLVE THE INSTITUTION IN D.C. BUT WOULD BE VERY GLAD TO SEE IT ACCOMPLISHED.
MARY
YOU VERY WELL DID. WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE. DOUGLAS IS HIGHLY FAVORED AND YOU ARE APPEALING TO THE MORAL CONSCIENCE OF THE PEOPLE OF ILLINOIS AND NATIONALLY. YOU ARE SAYING THINGS THAT NO ONE 2
WANTS TO DISCUSS. I’M CERTAIN THE CONCERNS YOU EXPRESSED ABOUT WHY AS A HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES LEGISLATOR VIEWING THOSE SLAVES HELD TOGETHER BY CHAINS APPEALED DEEPLY TO YOUR CONSCIENCE.
ABRAHAM
EXACTLY - BUT EVEN MORE SO WAS THE LARGEST SLAVE TRADING AUCTIONS IN OUR COUNTRY STAGED A FEW BLOCKS FROM THE UNITED STATES CAPITAL. AND WE AS A NATION ALLOW THIS.
MARY
MAYBE YOU NEED TO SAY SOME OF THESE THINGS IN JONESBORO - EGYPT COUNTRY.
ABRAHAM
I JUST DON’T KNOW. I’LL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT. IT IS AS IF THIS ENTIRE SENATORIAL ELECTION IS ABOUT SLAVERY. THERE ARE RUMBLINGS OF STATES SECEDING IF I’M ELECTED U.S. SENATOR AS MANY FEEL I WILL PREY ON SOUTHERN LEGISLATORS; AND THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WILL NO LONGER BE A HOUSE DIVIDED. DOUGLAS ACCUSES ME OF BEING A COVERED ABOLITIONIST UNDER THE GUISE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. I JUST DON’T KNOW HOW FAR I CAN GO WITHOUT SENDING A RADICAL MESSAGE AND CLEARLY LOSING THE ELECTION ON ONE STATEMENT EVEN POSSIBLY GET MISINTERPRETED BY SOME.
MARY
ANTICIPATING JONESBORO IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE. IF THE JUDGE ASKS YOU WHAT ARE WE TO DO WITH FREED NEGROES ? WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE ?
ABRAHAM
THIS IS A REAL QUANDARY. I AM IN FAVOR OF FREEDOM AND HAD NOT GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT OF FREED SLAVES SINCE PER JUSTICE TANEY A YEAR AGO CLAIMING THAT NEGROES CANNOT BE CITIZENS. THAT IS WHY HIS DECISION WAS SO OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE CHANGING TIMES.
MARY
WELL THE LITTLE MIDGET HAS ACCUSED YOU OF CLAIMING THAT DOUGLAS, PIERCE, AND TANEY ARE PART OF A SOUTHERN CONSPIRACY. WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE ?
ABRAHAM
WELL IT CERTAINLY APPEARS AS A DE FACTO CONSPIRACY - MAYBE THERE WAS NO OVERT ATTEMPT TO BE A CONSPIRACY - BUT AGAIN IT REVEALS STRONG SOUTHERN SENTIMENT TOWARDS SLAVERY. THESE NEGRO FOLKS 3
HAVE AS MUCH RIGHT TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND AVOIDING SATAN AS YOU AND I - EVEN THOUGH WE ARE NOT ADMITTEDLY THE MOST RELIGIOUS OF ALL FAMILIES.
MARY
AS TO WHIGS - THE JUDGE HAS NOT BROUGHT THAT UP MUCH - I GUESS SINCE THE LAST WHIG CONVENTION WAS IN 1852, THE WHIGS ARE DEAD POLITICALLY.
ABRAHAM
YES, THE PARTY WAS GOING NOWHERE. REPUBLICANS OFFER HOPE FOR OUR COUNTRY IN MANY WAYS. THERE ARE MANY OBSTACLES HOWEVER, AND THE SLAVERY ISSUE IS BY FAR THE BIGGEST.
MARY
WELL THE LITTLE MIDGET’S CLAIMS THAT NEGROES ARE OF AN INFERIOR RACE, AND THE FACT THAT SLAVES OR NEGROES ARE NOT MENTIONED IN THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION OR DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE GIVES THEM NO VOTING OR CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS. FREDERICK DOUGLAS HAS STRONGLY OPPOSED THIS AND HAS MANY IN THE NORTH OF ALL RACES SUPPORTING HIS CAUSE.
ABRAHAM
IT GOES BACK TO THE HOUSE DIVIDED SPEECH THAT THE JUDGE HAS TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT. WHY IN MAINE CAN NEGROES HOLD OFFICE, HAVE THEIR OWN BUSINESS, VOTE IF THEY HAVE $250 NET WORTH, AND ESSENTIALLY HAVE FULL CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS - AND THEN IN GEORGIA THERE IS NO HOPE OF EVER BEING FREED UNLESS YOUR MASTER HAS A VIVID APPEARANCE FROM GOD HIMSELF.
MARY
YOU NEED TO EMPHASIZE MORE THAT NEGRO RIGHTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE PUBLIC GOOD IN MANY WAYS.
ABRAHAM
YES - I INTERPRET THE CONSTITUTION AS IMPLYING THAT SLAVERY WAS MEANT FOR EXTINCTION BECAUSE IT WAS NOT MENTIONED. THOUGH I CAN NEVER SAY THIS IN THE DEBATES; THE JUDGE, WEBSTER AND CLAY’S COLONIZATON SOCIETY TO EMANCIPATE THE BLACK POPULATION BY SENDING THEM TO LIBERIA DOES INDEED MAKE SENSE. I WOULD SUPPORT THIS AS I SEE NOTHING BUT LONG TERM PROBLEMS EVEN IF ALL NEGROES ARE EMANCIPATED.
MARY
I DISAGREE. THIS WOULD ONLY INFLAME PASSIONS. WHO WOULD PAY FOR THIS ? AND WHAT OF LIBERIA ? HAVE 4
THEY SAID THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO RECEIVE 5 MILLION NEGROES AT ONCE ? AND WHAT OF THE FREED BLACKS WHO ARE IN A QUASI CITIZENSHIP CLASS ? THEY WOULD NOT WANT TO GO TO LIBERIA EITHER. THEY HAVE CHILDREN WHO HAVE FRIENDS AND RELATIONSHIPS. IT WOULD NEVER WORK. AS A MOTHER I THINK RECOLONIZING THESE FOLKS WOULD CREATE CHAOS AND TYRANNY – EVEN THOUGH POSSIBLY AN INSPIRING IDEAL. CAN YOU IMAGINE PULLING BLACK FAMILIES ONTO BOATS AGAINST THEIR WILL ? THIS MAY EVEN BE WORSE THAN SLAVERY ITSELF. DO NOT BRING THIS UP AT JONESBORO OR ANY FUTURE DEBATE SITES.
ABRAHAM
OK- AS BEFORE - NEGROES ARE BY THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION ALLOWED LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY POLITICALLY AND SOCIALLY EQUAL - BUT THEY DO HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO EARN A LIVING, BE HAPPY, AND BE FREE TO CHOOSE A LIFE OF THEIR OWN.
MARY
THE JUDGE HAS SPOKEN AGAINST PIERCE AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NATIONALLY IN DECLARING THAT A TERRITORY CAN EXCLUDE SLAVERY PRIOR TO THE FORMATION OF A STATE CONSTITUTION.
ABRAHAM
MAYBE FOLKS WILL SEE THAT THE JUDGE IS THE ONE WHO SPEAKS OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF HIS MOUTH.
MARY
WELL BOTH OF US NEED TO GET OVER THE FACT THAT DOUGLAS FEELS LIKE HE IS NAPOLEON. THAT CANNON SALUTE IN FREEPORT WAS TOO MUCH FOR ME. HIS CARRIAGE IS SO BIG FOR SUCH A LITTLE PERSON. FOLKS SAID THAT THE PECATONICA RIVER VALLEY HAD NEVER SEEN SUCH A SPECTACLE. PEOPLE FROM MILES AROUND CAME ON THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD JUST TO GET A GLIMPSE OF YOU TWO DEBATING.
ABRAHAM
WELL WE NEVER WERE INVITED TO STAY IN THE BREWSTER HOUSE. OUR CONESTOGA WAGON COMING INTO FREEPORT WAS JUST OUR RAIL SPLITTER IMAGE. WONDER WHAT MY FATHER WOULD THINK NOW IF HE WAS ALIVE.
MARY
WE NEED TO DISCUSS THE POUNDING AWAY OF DOUGLAS’S POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY DOCTRINE. HE IS CONTINUING TO STUMP ON THIS DOCTRINE.
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ABRAHAM
I AGREE. IT IS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED. THE JUDGE AND I HAVE MINOR DIFFERENCES REGARDING POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY. ONE IS THAT A TERRITORY MAY BECOME A SLAVE STRONGHOLD DESPITE THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE OPPOSING THE INSTITUTION. WHAT OF SLAVE OWNERS WHO ARE THERE AND SAY THEY HAVE RIGHTS ALREADY ESTABLISHED BY THE CONSTITUTION WHICH OVERRIDES THE NORTHWEST ORDINANCE OF 1787 ? AND NOW, BACKED BY THE COMPROMISE OF 1850, DRED SCOTT DECISION, THE KANSAS NEBRASKA ACT, AND EVEN THE LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION OF KANSAS - THESE PROVISIONS GIVE A SMALL PROSLAVERY MINORITY WITHIN A TERRITORY THE ABILITY TO BECOME A SLAVE STATE – UPSETTING THE BALANCE BETWEEN FREE AND SLAVE STATES. THE IDEAS FOSTERED BY THE DEMOCRAT PIERCE WOULD OVERRIDE FEDERAL LAW OF GREATER THAN 93,420 REQUIRED FOR STATEHOOD. DOUGLAS’ VIEWS WOULD ALLOW A SLAVERY STRONGHOLD.
MARY
THIS IS AN UPHILL FIGHT AND AN EASY ONE FOR DOUGLAS. HIS GREGARIOUS STYLE WITH HIS HANDS MOTIONING ARE TOO MUCH FOR VOTERS.
ABRAHAM
AND POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY SOUNDS NIFTY TO MANY LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE.
MARY
BUT IT IS NOT THAT SIMPLE AS YOU’VE EXPLAINED. ONCE SLAVERY TAKES ROOT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO REMOVE.
ABRAHAM
WELL THINGS HAVE CHANGED - IN FACT WHEN FREDERICK DOUGLAS WAS AT FREEPORT HE FREELY ADMITTED THAT FOUR YEARS AGO HE REFUSED AN EBONY IVORY DEBATE. HE WAS ESPECIALLY POPULAR WITH THE FREEPORT WHITE WOMEN. AGAIN TIMES HAVE CHANGED - ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTH.
MARY
YOUR MESSAGE WON’T BE AS STRONG IN JONESBORO AS FREEPORT. FREEPORT IS A STONES THROW AWAY FROM WISCONSIN - AND THAT IS NEAR CANADA.
ABRAHAM
LET’S GET BACK TO BASICS. I NEED TO REVIEW FREEPORT - ESPECIALLY THE JUDGE’S SEVEN QUESTIONS POSED TO ME AT OTTAWA. WE NEED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM ESTABLISHED IN 6
BLOOMINGTON IN 1856. WE HAVE THE STENOGRAPHERS NOTES NOW. ONE BY ONE:
MARY
ONE: NO TO FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW REPEAL.
ABRAHAM
TWO: YES SLAVE STATES ARE TO BE ADMITTED INTO THE UNION. NOT ADMITTING WOULD BE TO POLARIZE MORE THAN HARMONIZE THE COUNTRY. EVEN THOUGH A FREE TERRITORY, A STATE MAY BE ADMITTED IF THEY DECIDE AS A STATE TO BECOME PROSLAVERY.
MARY
THREE: LINCOLN IS FOR THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND IS NOT OPPOSING ANY OF ITS PROVISIONS.
ABRAHAM
FOUR: AS OPPOSED TO DOUGLAS, WE ARE ADVOCATING NO SLAVERY IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. CONGRESS HAS POWER OVER D.C. AND WE ARE FOR CONGRESS DISALLOWING SLAVERY IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL.
MARY
FIVE: OPPOSE DOUGLAS’S ADVERSE MOTIONS TO THE DISSOLUTION OF INTERSTATE SLAVE TRADE.
ABRAHAM
SIX: WE ARE CONSISTENT WITH DOUGLAS IN ALLOWING CONGRESS BY THE SUPREMACY CLAUSE IN THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION TO DISALLOW SLAVERY NORTH OR SOUTH OF 36 30 - THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE LINE.
MARY
SEVEN: AGAIN WE ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE JUDGE IN ALLOWING THE PEOPLE TO DECIDE SLAVERY UPON STATEHOOD. WE ARE FOR DISALLOWING AND GO AGAINST THE KANSAS NEBRASKA ACT THOUGH THIS IS FEDERAL LAW ALLOWING TERRITORIES TO EXPAND SLAVERY AS THEY SEE FIT WITH THEIR OWN SLAVE LAWS. WE WILL ATTEMPT TO REPEAL KANSAS NEBRASKA - BUT WILL ABIDE BY THE LAW AS IT IS PRESENTLY IN FORCE.
ABRAHAM
WELL I FEEL WE HAVE MADE OUR POINTS STRONGLY AND THAT THE JUDGE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DISPUTE OUR POSITION FURTHER.
MARY
BUT HE WILL BRING UP DISALLOWING TERRITORIAL 7
SLAVERY PRIOR TO STATEHOOD. WE ARE FOR TERRITORIAL RIGHTS TO EXCLUDE SLAVERY - EVEN IF ESTABLISHED BY A MINORITY OF SLAVE OWNERS ALREADY - THAT IS THE RISK THEY TAKE IN SETTING UP A SLAVE ENCAMPMENT IN A TERRITORY. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH KANSAS NEBRASKA. ADDITIONALLY, MAJORITY DECIDES TERRITORIAL AND STATE BONDAGE LAWS.
ABRAHAM
WELL IN ALL OF THIS THE JUDGE AND I MUTUALLY RESPECT ONE ANOTHER. WE HAVE BEEN GOING AT EACH OTHER FOR MANY YEARS. YET HE WILL NOT STOP AT ANYTHING FOR A SINGLE VOTE - SUCH AS THAT COMMENT HE MADE ABOUT VOTING FOR LINCOLN IF YOU FEEL NEGROES ARE EQUAL TO WHITE PEOPLE.
MARY
NOT ONLY THIS BUT DOUGLAS HAS CONTINUOUSLY CHARGED YOU WITH CONSPIRACY FOR YOUR ACCUSATIONS ABOUT HIM AND TANEY. YET HE CAME OUT AGAINST PIERCE IN LECOMPTON BECAUSE HE SAID IT WAS POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY - THE FACT THAT THE PEOPLE OF KANSAS VOTED DOWN THE PROSLAVERY CONSTITUTION. PIERCE WAS FURIOUS - AND THIS MAY END THE JUDGE’S PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRATIONS BY NOT PLAYING THE GAME.
ABRAHAM
YES THE JUDGE HAS ACCUSED ME RELENTLESSLY OF SPLITTING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
MARY
BUT YOUR REJOINDER WAS CLEAR IN THAT THE WASHINGTON UNION NEWSPAPER WAS CLEARLY PRO PIERCE ADMINISTRATION IN THAT THE CONSTITUTION IS TO PROTECT PROPERTY - IMPLYING SLAVES.
ABRAHAM
AND THEY INVOKED THE STATES’ PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES CLAUSE OF ARTICLE FOUR GLORIFYING LECOMPTON AS A PRO SLAVERY PEOPLE DECIDED CONSTITUTION THAT PROTECTED ITS CITIZENS - EVEN THOUGH IT WENT AGAINST FEDERAL LAW IN ALLOWING KANSAS STATEHOOD BEFORE THE POPULATION REQUIREMENT OF 93,420 WAS ATTAINED.
MARY
FINALLY LECOMPTON DISALLOWED STATES FROM INTERFERING WITH OTHER STATE SLAVE LAWS. I MADE MY OPPOSITION TO THIS CLEAR: TO IMPLY VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS OF FUGITIVE SLAVE LAWS IS NOT GOOD 8
FOR OUR COUNTRY AS IT PRESENTLY EXISTS.
ABRAHAM
WELL IN FUTURE DEBATES WE HAD BETTER BE CLEARLY IN OPPOSITION TO LECOMPTON FOR OUR REASONS EVEN THOUGH THE JUDGE HAS ALSO BASED HIS POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY DOCTRINE AGAINST LECOMPTON.
MARY
WELL THAT LOOKS LIKE JONESBORO AHEAD - THIS WILL BE ROUGH SINCE WE ARE HEADING INTO DOUGLAS COUNTRY EGYPT.
End - Chapter III, Prairie Fire
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