case he who is a man may as a matter of self-government do just what he pleases with him. But if the negro is a man, is it not to that extent a total destruction of self-government to say that he too shall not govern himself? When the white man governs himself, that is self-government; but when he governs himself and also governs another man, that is despotism."

SPEECH AT SPRINGFIELD, 1858.

"I hold that notwithstanding all this there is no reason in the world why the negro is not entitled to all the natural rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I hold that he is as much entitled to these as the white man. I agree with Judge Douglas that he is not my equal, in many

respects, certainly not in color, perhaps not in moral or intellectua! endowment; but in the right to eat the bread without the leave of anybody else, which his own hand earns, he is my equal, and the equal of Judge Douglas, and the equal of every living man."

SPEECH, 1858.

"I do not mean to say that when it (slavery) takes a turn toward ultimate extinction, it will be in a day, nor in a year, nor in two years. I do not suppose that in the most peaceful way ultimate extinction would occur in less than a hundred years at least; but that it will occur in the best way for both races, in God's own good time, I have no doubt."

REPLY TO AN ADDRESS OF COLORED MEN AT THE EXECUTIVE

MANSION, AUG. 14, 1862.

"It is a cheering thought, throughout life, that something can be done to ameliorate the condition of those who have been subject to the hard usage of the world. It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels he is worthy of himself and claims kindred to the Great God who made him. In the American Revolutionary war, sacrifices were made by men engaged in it, but they were cheered by the future. General Washington himself endured greater physical hardships than if he had remained a British subject, yet he was a happy man, because he was benefiting his race ;-in doing something for the children of his neighbors, having none of his own."

LETTER TO GOVERNOR HAHN OF LOUISIANA, WITH REFERENCE

TO RECONSTRUCTION IN 1863.

"Now, you are about to have a convention, which, among other things, will probably define the elective franchise. I barely suggest, for your private consideration, whether some of the colored people may not be let in-as, for instance, the very intelligent, and especially those who fought gallantly in our ranks. They would probably help, in some trying time to come, to keep the jewel of liberty within the family of freedom."

OF THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION-REMARKS TO THE CHICAGO DEPUTATION, SEPT. 13, 1862.

"I have not decided against a proclamation of liberty to the slaves, but hold the matter under advisement. And I can assure you that

the subject is on my mind, by day and night, more than any other. Whatever shall appear to be God's will, I will do!"

CONVERSATIONALLY, SEPT., 1864.

"There's just one thing I want to say. The war is nearly over. Just when it will end, I can't say, but it won't be a great while. Then the government forces must be withdrawn from all the Southern States. Sooner or later, we must take them all away. Now, what I want you to do is this: do all you can, in any and every way you can, to get the ballot into the hands of the freedmen ! We must make voters of

them before we take away the troops. The ballot will be their only protection after the bayonet is gone, and they will be sure to need all they can get. I can see just how it will be.-Will you?"