“I do not consider it necessary at present for me to discuss those matters of administration about which there is no special anxiety or excitement.”
Then he at once took up the subjects of slavery and secession, to which his elimination of extraneous material had narrowed the question.
The same brevity and directness characterizes Lincoln’s introduction to his Cooper Institute speech. Here a statement of admitted matter forms the means by which the point at issue is reached. This offers an introduction which is impartial, since both sides indorsed it, and the main issues arose out of the different interpretation which the Lincoln-Republicans and the Douglas-Democrats placed upon it. The crucial part of the introduction is as follows:
“In his speech last autumn at Columbus, Ohio, as reported in the New York ‘Times’ Senator Douglas said: ‘Our fathers, when they framed the government under which we live, understood this question just as well, and even better, than we do now.’ I fully indorse this, and I adopt it as a text for this discourse. I so adopt it because it furnishes a precise and an agreed starting-point for a discussion between Republicans and that wing of the Democracy headed by Senator Douglas. It simply leaves the inquiry: What was the understanding those fathers had of the question mentioned?”
It is seen that these statements bring us directly to the point at issue through the statement of admitted matter. The adoption of this admitted matter makes necessary some definitions. Lincoln gives these with clearness and exactness. “The frame of government under which we live,” is the Constitution of the United States. “The fathers” that framed this constitution were the thirty-nine men who signed the original instrument. The “question” which these fathers understood, “just as well, and even better, than we do now,” was: “Does the proper division of local from Federal authority, or anything in the constitution, forbid our Federal Government to control as to slavery in our Federal Territories?” Then Lincoln continues: “Upon this, Senator Douglas holds the affirmative, and the Republicans the negative. This affirmation and denial form an issue; and this issue—this question—is precisely what the text declares our fathers understood “better than we.” Let us now inquire whether the “thirty-nine,” or any of them, ever acted upon this question; and if they did, how they acted upon it—how they expressed that better understanding.” Thus Lincoln brings his hearers to the proof of his argument—to the point where it introduces evidence to show that the great majority of these men answered the question by voting for the prohibition of slavery.
Now let us write out a formal brief of this introduction and thus determine just what matters it really includes.
NEGATIVE BRIEF
Proposition: Resolved, that the proper division of local from Federal authority or the Constitution, forbids our Federal Government to control as to slavery in our Federal territories.
INTRODUCTION
I. Statement of admitted matter.