But though Douglas kept his following together, and though
Lincoln was voted down, to Lincoln belonged the real strategic
victory. In order to save himself with his own people, Douglas
had been forced to make admissions that ruined him with the
South. Because of these admissions the breach in the party of
political evasion became irreparable. It was in the debate at
Freeport that Douglas's fate overtook him, for Lincoln put this
question: "Can the people of a United States territory, in any
lawful way, against the wish of any citizen of the United States,
exclude slavery from its limits, prior to the formation of a
state constitution?"
Douglas answered in his best style of political thunder. "It
matters not," he said, "what way the Supreme Court may hereafter
decide as to the abstract question whether slavery may or may not
go into a territory under the Constitution; the people have the
lawful means to introduce it or exclude it as they please, for
the reason that slavery cannot exist a day or an hour anywhere
unless it is supported by local police regulations. Those police
regulations can only be established by the local legislatures;
and if the people are opposed to slavery, they will elect
representatives to that body who will by unfriendly legislation
effectually prevent the introduction of it into their midst.
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