THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS 1854 by which I was to have the place of General Shields in the United States Senate, and Judge Trumbull was to have the place of Judge Doug- las. Now all I have to say upon that subject is that I think no man — not even Judge Douglas — can prove it, because it is not true. I have no doubt he is *' conscientious in saying it. As to those resolutions that he took such a length of time to read, as being the platform of the Re- publican party in 1854, I say I never had anything to do with them, and I think Trumbull never had. Judge Douglas can not show that either of us ever did have anything to do with them. Now, about this story that Judge Douglas tells of Trumbull bargaining to sell out the old Demo- cratic party, and Lincoln agreeing to sell out the old Whig party, I have the means of know- ing about that ; Judge Douglas can not have and I know there is no substance to it whatever. Yet I have no doubt he is ' ' conscientious ' ' about it. I know that after Mr. Love joy got into the Legislature that winter, he complained of me that I had told all the old Whigs of his district thai the old Whig party was good enough for them, and some of them voted against them because I told them so. Anything that argues me into his idea of per- fect social and political equality with the negrc is but a specious and fantastic arrangement of words, by which a man can prove a horse-chest- nut to be a chestnut horse. I will say herCj 228
