elief that it was in
course of ultimate extinction; that I believed, from the organization of
our government until a very recent period of time, the institution had
been placed and continued upon such a basis; that we had had comparative
peace upon that question through a portion of that period of time, only
because the public mind rested in that belief in regard to it, and that
when we returned to that position in relation to that matter, I supposed
we should again have peace as we previously had. I assured him, as I now,
assure you, that I neither then had, nor have, or ever had, any purpose in
any way of interfering with the institution of slavery, where it exists. I
believe we have no power, under the Constitution of the United States, or
rather under the form of government under which we live, to interfere with
the institution of slavery, or any other of the institutions of our
sister States, be they free or slave States. I declared then, and I
now re-declare, that I have as little inclination to interfere with the
institution of slavery where it now exists, through the instrumentality of
the General Government, or any other instrumentality, as I believe we have
no power to do so. I accidentally used this expression: I had no purpose
of entering into the slave States to disturb the institution of slavery.
So, upon the first occasion that Judge Douglas got an opportunity to reply
to me, he passed by the whole body of what I had said upon that subject,
and seized upon the particular expression of mine that I had no purpose of
entering into the slave States to disturb the institution of slavery. "Oh,
no," said he, "he [Lincoln] won't enter into the slave States to disturb
the institution of slavery, he is too prudent a man to do such a thing as
that; he only means that he will go on to the line between the free and
slave States, and shoot over at them. This is all he means to do. He means
to do them all the harm he can, to disturb them all he can, in such a way
as to keep his own hide in perfect safety."

Well, now, I did not think, at that time, that that was either a very
dignified or very logical argument but so it was, I had to get along with
it as well as I could.

It has occurred to-me here to-night that if I ever do shoot over the
line at the people on the other side of the line into a slave State, and
purpose to do so, keeping my skin safe, that I have now about the
best chance I shall ever have. I should not