The Writings of Abraham Lincoln, vol 4 | Page 9

the evidence is a forgery from beginning to
end. He had the bill or document in his hand like that [holding up a
paper]. He says that is a copy of the Toomb's bill,-- the amendment
offered by Toomb's. He says that is a copy of the bill as it was
introduced and went into Judge Douglas's hands. Now, does Judge
Douglas say that is a forgery? That is one thing Trumbull brought
forward. Judge Douglas says he forged it from beginning to end! That
is the "beginning," we will say. Does Douglas say that is a forgery? Let
him say it to-day, and we will have a subsequent examination upon this
subject. Trumbull then holds up another document like this, and says
that is an exact copy of the bill as it came back in the amended form out
of Judge Douglas's hands. Does Judge Douglas say that is a forgery?
Does he say it in his general sweeping charge? Does he say so now? If
he does not, then take this Toomb's bill and the bill in the amended

form, and it only needs to compare them to see that the provision is in
the one and not in the other; it leaves the inference inevitable that it was
taken out.
But, while I am dealing with this question, let us see what Trumbull's
other evidence is. One other piece of evidence I will read. Trumbull
says there are in this original Toomb's bill these words:
"That the following propositions be and the same are hereby offered to
the said Convention of the people of Kansas, when formed, for their
free acceptance or rejection; which, if accepted by the Convention and
ratified by the people at the election for the adoption of the constitution,
shall be obligatory upon the United States and the said State of
Kansas."
Now, if it is said that this is a forgery, we will open the paper here and
see whether it is or not. Again, Trumbull says, as he goes along, that
Mr. Bigler made the following statement in his place in the Senate,
December 9, 1857:
"I was present when that subject was discussed by senators before the
bill was introduced, and the question was raised and discussed, whether
the constitution, when formed, should be submitted to a vote of the
people. It was held by those most intelligent on the subject that, in view
of all the difficulties surrounding that Territory, the danger of any
experiment at that time of a popular vote, it would be better there
should be no such provision in the Toomb's bill; and it was my
understanding, in all the intercourse I had, that the Convention would
make a constitution, and send it here, without submitting it to the
popular vote."
Then Trumbull follows on:
"In speaking of this meeting again on the 21st December, 1857
[Congressional Globe, same vol., page 113], Senator Bigler said:
"'Nothing was further from my mind than to allude to any social or
confidential interview. The meeting was not of that character. Indeed, it
was semi-official, and called to promote the public good. My
recollection was clear that I left the conference under the impression
that it had been deemed best to adopt measures to admit Kansas as a
State through the agency of one popular election, and that for delegates
to this Convention. This impression was stronger because I thought the
spirit of the bill infringed upon the doctrine of non-intervention, to

which I had great aversion; but with the hope of accomplishing a great
good, and as no movement had been made in that direction in the
Territory, I waived this objection, and concluded to support the
measure. I have a few items of testimony as to the correctness of these
impressions, and with their submission I shall be content. I have before
me the bill reported by the senator from Illinois on the 7th of March,
1856, providing for the admission of Kansas as a State, the third section
of which reads as follows:
"That the following propositions be, and the same are hereby offered to
the said Convention of the people of Kansas, when formed, for their
free acceptance or rejection; which, if accepted by the Convention and
ratified by the people at the election for the adoption of the constitution,
shall be obligatory upon the United States and the said State of
Kansas."
The bill read in his place by the senator from Georgia on the 25th of
June, and referred to the Committee on Territories, contained the same
section word for word. Both these bills were under consideration at the
conference referred to; but, sir, when the senator from Illinois reported
the Toombs bill to the Senate with amendments, the next morning, it
did not contain