f the Republican party is eminently
conservative. It proposes nothing save and except to restore this
government to its original tone in regard to this element of slavery, and
there to maintain it, looking for no further change in reference to it
than that which the original framers of the Government themselves expected
and looked forward to.

The chief danger to this purpose of the Republican party is not just now
the revival of the African slave trade, or the passage of a Congressional
slave code, or the declaring of a second Dred Scott decision, making
slavery lawful in all the States. These are not pressing us just now. They
are not quite ready yet. The authors of these measures know that we are
too strong for them; but they will be upon us in due time, and we will be
grappling with them hand to hand, if they are not now headed off. They are
not now the chief danger to the purpose of the Republican organization;
but the most imminent danger that now threatens that purpose is that
insidious Douglas popular sovereignty. This is the miner and sapper. While
it does not propose to revive the African slave trade, nor to pass a slave
code, nor to make a second Dred Scott decision, it is preparing us for the
onslaught and charge of these ultimate enemies when they shall be ready to
come on, and the word of command for them to advance shall be given. I say
this "Douglas popular sovereignty"; for there is a broad distinction, as I
now understand it, between that article and a genuine popular sovereignty.

I believe there is a genuine popular sovereignty. I think a definition of
"genuine popular sovereignty," in the abstract, would be about this: That
each man shall do precisely as he pleases with himself, and with all
those things which exclusively concern him. Applied to government, this
principle would be, that a general government shall do all those things
which pertain to it, and all the local governments shall do precisely as
they please in respect to those matters which exclusively concern them. I
understand that this government of the United States, under which we live,
is based upon this principle; and I am misunderstood if it is supposed
that I have any war to make upon that principle.

Now, what is judge Douglas's popular sovereignty? It is, as a principle,
no other than that if one man chooses to make a slave of another man
neither that other man nor anybody else has a right to object. Applied in
government, as he