sand. * * After saying this much, let me say a little on the other side. There are plenty of men in the slave States that are altogether good enough for me to be either President or Vice-President, provided they will profess their sympathy with our purpose, and will place themselves on the ground that our men, upon principle, can vote for them. There are scores of them-good men in their character for intelligence, and talent, and integrity. If such a one will place himself upon the right ground, I am for his occupying one place upon the next Republican or Opposition ticket. I will heartily go for him. But unless he does so place himself, I think it a matter of perfect nonsense to attempt to bring about a union upon any other basis; that if a union be made, the elements will scatter so that there can be no success for such a ticket, nor anything like success. The good old maxims of the Bible are applicable, and truly applicable to human affairs, and in this, as in other things, we may say here that "he who is not for us is against us; he who gathereth not with us scattereth."

220

(June 17, 1858, Speech at Springfield, Ill., State Convention-Debates, p. 5.)

Our cause, then, must be entrusted to, and conducted by, its own undoubted friends-those whose hands are free, whose hearts are in the work, who

do care for results. Two years ago the Republicans of the nation mustered over thirteen hundred thousand strong. We did this under the single impulse of resistance to a common danger, with every external circumstance against us. Of strange, discordant and even hostile elements we gathered from the four winds, and formed and fought the battle through, under the constant, hot fire of a disciplined, proud and pampered enemy. Did we brave all then to falter now?-now, when that same enemy is wavering, dissevered and belligerent? The result is not doubtful. We shall not fail-if we stand firm, we shall not fail. Wise counsels may accelerate or mistakes delay it, but sooner or later the victory is sure too come.

221

(March 1, 1859, Speech at Chicago, Ill.-Complete Works, Vol. I, p. 531.)

If we do not allow ourselves to be allured from the strict path of our duty by such a device as shifting our ground and throwing us into the rear of a leader who denies our first principles, denies that there is an absolute wrong in the institution of slavery, then the future of the Republican cause is safe and victory is assured. You Republicans of Illinois have deliberately taken your ground; you have heard the whole subject discussed again and again; you have stated your faith in platforms laid

down in a State convention and in a national convention; you have heard and talked over and considered it until you are now all of opinion that you are on a ground of unquestionable right. All you have to do is to keep the faith, to remain steadfast to the right, to stand by your banner. Nothing should lead you to leave your guns. Stand together, ready, with match in hand. Allow nothing to turn you to the right or the left. Remember how long you have been in setting out on the true course; how long you have been in getting your neighbors to understand and believe as you now do. Stand by your principles; stand by your guns, and victory, complete and permanent, is sure at the last.

222

(March 1, 1859, Speech at Chicago, Ill.-Complete Works, Vol. I, p. 529.)

I have believed that in the Republican situation in Illinois, if we, the Republicans of this State, had made Judge Douglas our candidate for the Senate of the United States last year, and had elected him, there would to-day be no Republican party in this Union. I believe that the principles around which we rallied and organized that party would live; they will live under all circumstances, while we die. They would produce another party in the future. But in the mean time all the labor that has been done to

build up the present Republican party would be entirely lost, and perhaps twenty years of time, before we would again have formed around that principle as solid, extensive and formidable an organization as we have, standing shoulder to shoulder, to-night, in harmony and strength around the Republican banner.

223

(December 1-5, 1859, Speeches in Kansas-Complete Works, Vol. I, p. 592.)

The St. Louis "Intelligencer" is out in favor of a good man for President, to be run without a platform. Well, I am not wedded to the formal written platform system, but a thousand to one the editor is not himself in favor of his plan, except, with the qualification that he and his sort are to select and name the "good man." To bring him to the test, is he willing to take Seward without a platform? Oh, no; Seward's antecedents exclude him, say you. Well, is your good man without antecedents? If he is, how shall the nation know that he is a good man? The sum of the matter is that, in the absence of formal written platforms, the antecedents of candidates become their platform. On just such platforms all our earlier and better Presidents were elected, but this by no means facilitates a union of men who differ in principles.

224

(October 16, 1854, Speech at Peoria, Ill.-Howells, p. 302.)

Our senator also objects that those who oppose him in this matter do not entirely agree with one another. He reminds me that in my firm adherence to the Constitutional rights of the slave States, I differ widely from others who are co-operating with me in opposing the Nebraska bill, and he says it is not quite fair to oppose him in this variety of ways. He should remember that he took us by surprise-astounded us by this measure. We were thunderstruck and stunned, and we reeled and fell in utter confusion. But we arose, each fighting, grasping whatever he could first reach-a scythe, a pitchfork, a chopping ax, or a butcher's cleaver. We struck in the direction of the sound, and we were rapidly closing in upon him. He must not think to divert us from our purpose by showing us that our drill, our dress and our weapons are not entirely perfect and uniform. When the storm shall be past he shall find us still Americans no less devoted to the continued union and prosperity of the country than heretofore.

225

(May 29, 1856, Speech at Bloomington, Ill., at the formation of party in the State-Arnold, p. 93.)

Let us, in building out new party, plant ourselves