Abraham Lincoln
Mr president and genltemen of the convention, If we could first know where we are,and whither we are tending,we could beter judge what to do,and how to do it.we are now far into the fifith year since a policy was initated with the avowed object,and confident promise,of putting an end to slavery agitation.under the operation of that policy,that agitation not only has not ceased,but also has constantly augmented.in my opinion,it will not cease until a crsis shall have been reached and passed, “a house divided against itself cannot stand”i believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.i do not expect the union to de dissolved;i do not expect the house to fall.but i do expcet that it will cease to be divided.it will become all one thing ,or all the other.either opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it,and place it where the public mind shall rest in belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction;or its advocates will push it forward till it shall become alike lawful in all states,old as well as new,north as well as south.have we no tendency to the latter condition?let anyone who doubts carefullly contemplate that now almost complete legal conbination-piece ofmachinery,so to speak-compounded of the nebraska doctrine and the Dred scott decision.let him consider notonly what work the machinery is adapted to do,and how well adapted,but also let him study the history of its constrution,and trace,if he can,or rather fail,if he can to trace evidences of design and concert of action among its chief architects from the beginning.
家不和,則不立
主席先生和全體與會的先生們: 假如我們想更準(zhǔn)確的判斷該做什么,該怎樣做,我們就應(yīng)首先弄清楚自己身處何處,又將去往何處。5年前,我們就公開提出關(guān)于禁止煽動奴隸制的目標(biāo),并作出了明確承諾。 這項方針實施后,這種煽動不但毫無收斂之勢,反而愈演愈烈起來。我認為,除非我們遇到并度過某種危機,否則這種趨勢不會消失。“家不和,則不立”我相信這個政府不會長久地容忍這種半奴隸半自由的狀態(tài)。我不愿聯(lián)邦解體,更不愿這個家沒落;但我衷心盼望他結(jié)束這種分裂狀態(tài)。美國要么統(tǒng)一成這個樣子,要么統(tǒng)一成另一個樣子。以奴隸制而言,要么是反對它的人們阻止它繼續(xù)發(fā)展,直至最終依據(jù)民心把它納入最終消滅的軌道;要么是擁護它的人們推動它繼續(xù)發(fā)展,直至它在所有無論新老,無論南北的各州都取得同樣合法的地位。我們難道沒有淪入后一中處境的勢頭嗎?如果有人懷疑這一點,那就請他再仔細的思索一下:現(xiàn)在幾乎所有司法機構(gòu),都可算是體現(xiàn)著內(nèi)布拉斯加原則和德雷德·斯科特決議的精神。讓他不僅考慮這套機構(gòu)適合于何種工作以及適合的程度,而且研究它形成的過程,并且追尋(如果他做得到的話only what work the machinery is adapted to do,and how well adapted,but also let him study the history of its constrution,and trace,if he can,or rather fail,if he can to trace evidences of design and concert of action among its chief architects from the beginning. 家不和,則不立 主席先生和全體與會的先生們: 假如我們想更準(zhǔn)確的判斷該做什么,該怎樣做,我們就應(yīng)首先弄清楚自己身處何處,又將去往何處。5年前,我們就公開提出關(guān)于禁止煽動奴隸制的目標(biāo),并作出了明確承諾。 這項方針實施后,這種煽動不但毫無收斂之勢,反而愈演愈烈起來。我認為,除非我們遇到并度過某種危機,否則這種趨勢不會消失。“家不和,則不立”我相信這個政府不會長久地容忍這種半奴隸半自由的狀態(tài)。我不愿聯(lián)邦解體,更不愿這個家沒落;但我衷心盼望他結(jié)束這種分裂狀態(tài)。美國要么統(tǒng)一成這個樣子,要么統(tǒng)一成另一個樣子。以奴隸制而言,要么是反對它的人們阻止它繼續(xù)發(fā)展,直至最終依據(jù)民心把它納入最終消滅的軌道;要么是擁護它的人們推動它繼續(xù)發(fā)展,直至它在所有無論新老,無論南北的各州都取得同樣合法的地位。我們難道沒有淪入后一中處境的勢頭嗎?如果有人懷疑這一點,那就請他再仔細的思索一下:現(xiàn)在幾乎所有司法機構(gòu),都可算是體現(xiàn)著內(nèi)布拉斯加原則和德雷德·斯科特決議的精神。讓他不僅考慮這套機構(gòu)適合于何種工作以及適合的程度,而且研究它形成的過程,并且追尋(如果他做得到的話不過更可能做不到),倘若能夠做到,那就讓他追尋他的首席設(shè)計師們一開始所設(shè)計和所采取的一致行動的各種跡象吧!