dge Douglas has
been so much annoyed by the expression of that sentiment that he has
constantly, I believe, in almost all his speeches since it was uttered,
been referring to it. I find he alluded to it in his speech here, as well
as in the copyright essay. I do not now enter upon this for the purpose of
making an elaborate argument to show that we were right in the expression
of that sentiment. In other words, I shall not stop to say all that might
properly be said upon this point, but I only ask your attention to it for
the purpose of making one or two points upon it.

If you will read the copyright essay, you will discover that judge
Douglas himself says a controversy between the American Colonies and the
Government of Great Britain began on the slavery question in 1699, and
continued from that time until the Revolution; and, while he did not say
so, we all know that it has continued with more or less violence ever
since the Revolution.

Then we need not appeal to history, to the declarations of the framers of
the government, but we know from judge Douglas himself that slavery began
to be an element of discord among the white people of this country as far
back as 1699, or one hundred and sixty years ago, or five generations of
men,--counting thirty years to a generation. Now, it would seem to me that
it might have occurred to Judge Douglas, or anybody who had turned his
attention to these facts, that there was something in the nature of that
thing, slavery, somewhat durable for mischief and discord.

There is another point I desire to make in regard to this matter, before
I leave it. From the adoption of the Constitution down to 1820 is the
precise period of our history when we had comparative peace upon this
question,--the precise period of time when we came nearer to having peace
about it than any other time of that entire one hundred and sixty years
in which he says it began, or of the eighty years of our own Constitution.
Then it would be worth our while to stop and examine into the probable
reason of our coming nearer to having peace then than at any other time.
This was the precise period of time in which our fathers adopted, and
during which they followed, a policy restricting the spread of slavery,
and the whole Union was acquiescing in it. The whole country looked
forward to the ultimate extinction of the institution. It was when a
policy had been adopted, and was prevailing, which led all just and
right-m