From a photograph by Handy, of the original painting.

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POLITICAL DEBATES

BETWEEN

LINCOLN AND DOUGLAS

FOURTH JOINT DEBATE, AT CHARLESTON,

SEPTEMBER 18, 1858.

MR. LINCOLN'S SPEECH.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: It will be very difficult
for an audience so large as this to hear distinctly
what a speaker says, and consequently it is im-
portant that as profound silence be preserved as
possible.

While I was at the hotel to-day, an elderly gentle-
man called upon me to know whether I was really in
favor of producing a perfect equality between the
negroes and white people. While I had not pro-
posed to myself on this occasion to say much on that
subject, yet as the question was asked me I thought
I would occupy perhaps five minutes in saying some-
thing in regard to it. I will say, then, that I am not,
nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any
way the social and political equality of the white
and black races; that I am not, nor ever have been,
in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor

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of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say, in addition to this, that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there, must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything. I do not understand that because I do not want a negro woman for a slave I must necessarily want her for a wife. My understanding is that I can just let her alone. I am now in my fiftieth year, and I certainly never have had a black woman for either a slave or a wife. So it seems to me quite possible for us to get along without making either slaves or wives of negroes. I will add to this that I have never seen, to my knowledge, a man, woman, or child who was in favor of producing a perfect equality, social and political, between negroes and white men. recollect of but one distinguished instance that I ever heard of so frequently as to be entirely satisfied of its correctness, and that is the case of Judge Douglas's old friend Colonel Richard M. Johnson. I will also add to the remarks I have made (for I am not going to enter at large upon this subject), that I have never had the least apprehension that I or my friends would marry negroes if there was no law

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