t I will answer his question. In reference to Kansas it is my
opinion that as she has population enough to constitute a slave State,
she has people enough for a free State. I will not make Kansas an
exceptional case to the other States of the Union. I made that
proposition in the Senate in 1856, and I renewed it during the last
session in a bill providing that no territory of the United States
should form a constitution and apply for admission until it had the
requisite population. On another occasion I proposed that neither Kansas
nor any other territory should be admitted until it had the requisite
population. Congress did not adopt any of my propositions containing
this general rule, but did make an exception of Kansas. I will stand by
that exception. Either Kansas must come in as a free State, with
whatever population she may have, or the rule must be applied to all the
other territories alike."

Mr. Douglas next proceeded to answer another question proposed by Mr.
Lincoln, namely: Whether the people of a territory can, in any lawful
way, against the wishes of any citizen of the United States, exclude
slavery from their limits prior to the formation of a State
constitution. Said Judge Douglas: "I answer emphatically, as Mr. Lincoln
has heard me answer a hundred times from every stump in Illinois, that
in my opinion the people of a territory can, by lawful means, exclude
slavery from their limits prior to the formation of a State
constitution. Mr. Lincoln knew that I had answered that question over
and over again. He heard me argue the Nebraska Bill on that principle
all over the State in 1854, in 1855 and in 1856, and he has no excuse
for pretending to be in doubt as to my position. It matters not what way
the Supreme Court may hereafter decide as to the abstract question,
whether slavery may or may not go into a territory under the
constitution, the people have the lawful means to introduce it or
exclude it as they please, for the reason that slavery cannot exist a
day or an hour unless it is supported by local police regulations. Those
police regulations can only be established by the local legislature, and
if the people are opposed to slavery they will elect representatives to
that body who will, by unfriendly legislation, effectually prevent the
introduction of it into their midst. If, on the contrary, they are for
it their legislation will favor its extension. Hence, no matter what the
decision of the Supreme C