But no man can logically say it who does see a wrong in it; because no man can logically say he don’t care whether a wrong is voted up or voted down....  Any man can say that who does not see anything wrong in slavery....  But if it is a wrong, he cannot say that people have a right to do wrong.  He says that, upon the score of equality, slaves should be allowed to go into a new Territory like other property.  This is strictly logical if there is no difference between it and other property....  But if you insist that one is wrong and the other right, there is no use to institute a comparison between right and wrong....  The Democratic policy everywhere carefully excludes the idea that there is anything wrong in it.

That is the real issue.  That is the issue that will continue in this country when these poor tongues of Judge Douglas and myself shall be silent.  It is the eternal struggle between these two principles—­right and wrong—­throughout the world.  They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time, and will ever continue to struggle.

The one is the common right of humanity, and the other the divine right of kings.  It is the same principle in whatever shape it develops itself.  It is the same spirit that says, “You toil and work and earn bread, and I’ll eat it.”  No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king, who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation and live by the fruit of their labour, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race,—­it is the same tyrannical principle....  Whenever the issue can be distinctly made, and all extraneous matter thrown out, so that men can fairly see the real difference between the parties, this controversy will soon be settled, and it will be done peaceably, too.  There will be no war, no violence.  It will be placed again where the wisest and best men of the world placed it.

From a Speech at Columbus, Ohio, on the Slave Trade, Popular Sovereignty, etc.  September 16, 1859

...  The Republican party, as I understand its principles and policy, believes that there is great danger of the institution of slavery being spread out and extended, until it is ultimately made alike lawful in all the States of this Union; so believing, to prevent that incidental and ultimate consummation is the original and chief purpose of the Republican organization.

I say “chief purpose” of the Republican organization; for it is certainly true that if the national House shall fall into the hands of the Republicans, they will have to attend to all the matters of national house-keeping as well as this.  The chief and real purpose of the Republican party is eminently conservative.  It proposes nothing save and except to restore this Government to its original tone in regard to this element of slavery, and there to maintain it, looking for no further change in reference to it than that which the original framers of the Government themselves expected and looked forward to.