The Writings of Abraham Lincoln, vol 4 | Page 4

was at the hotel to-day, an elderly gentleman 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 proposed 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
something 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 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 in as much 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. I 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 to keep them from it;
but as Judge Douglas and his friends seem to be in great apprehension
that they might, if there were no law to keep them from it, I give him
the most solemn pledge that I will to the very last stand by the law of
this State which forbids the marrying of white people with negroes. I
will add one further word, which is this: that I do not understand that
there is any place where an alteration of the social and political

relations of the negro and the white man can be made, except in the
State Legislature,--not in the Congress of the United States; and as I do
not really apprehend the approach of any such thing myself, and as
Judge Douglas seems to be in constant horror that some such danger is
rapidly approaching, I propose as the best means to prevent it that the
Judge be kept at home, and placed in the State Legislature to fight the
measure. I do not propose dwelling longer at this time on this subject.
When Judge Trumbull, our other Senator in Congress, returned to
Illinois in the month of August, he made a speech at Chicago, in which
he made what may be called a charge against Judge Douglas, which I
understand proved to be very offensive to him. The Judge was at that
time out upon one of his speaking tours through the country, and when
the news of it reached him, as I am informed, he denounced Judge
Trumbull in rather harsh terms for having said what he did in regard to
that matter. I was traveling at that time, and speaking at the same places
with Judge Douglas on subsequent days, and when I heard of what
Judge Trumbull had said of Douglas, and what Douglas had said back
again, I felt that I was in a position where I could not remain entirely
silent in regard to the matter. Consequently, upon two or three
occasions I alluded to it, and alluded to it in no other wise than to say
that in regard to the charge brought by Trumbull against Douglas, I
personally knew nothing, and sought to say nothing about it; that I