"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 of the negroes, or jurors, or qualifying them to hold office, or having them to marry with white people. I will say in addition, that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will for ever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality, and inasmuch, as they cannot so live, that while they do remain together, there must be the position of superior and inferior, that I as much as any other man am in favor of the superior position being assigned to the white man. I say in this connection, that I do not perceive, however, that because the white man is to have the superior position, that it requires tht 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 leave her alone. I am now in my fiftieth year, and certainly have never had a black woman either for a slave or wife, so that it seems to me that it is quite possible for us to get along without making either slaves or wives of negroes.
I will add that I have never seen, to my knowledge, a man, woman, or child that was in favor of producing a perfect equality, socially and politically between the negro and white people, and I recollect of but one distinguished instance that I have heard of a great deal so as to be entirely confident of it, and that is the case of my friend Douglas' old friend, Col. Richard M. Johnston (former vice president whose long affair with a mulatto mistress was common knowledge.)
I will add to the few remarks that 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 my friend Douglas and his friends seem to be under great apprehension that may be they might if there was 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 in the State that forbids the marriage of white folks with negroes.
I will add one further word, which is this, I don't understand that there is any place where any alteration of the relation--the social and political relation of the negro and white man would be changed except in the state legislature, and in the Congress of the United States, and I do not really apprehend the approach of any such thing myself, but as Judge Douglas does seem to be in constant horror of some such thing I do recommend that the Judge be kept at home, and be placed in the next legislature to vote it off."
Abraham Lincoln, 4th Debate.
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