In 1854, the excitement over the Kansas-Nebraska bill ① broke out in the United States. One day, Judge Dickey of Illinois was with Lincoln, then a lawyer, and several other friends attending court. That evening, they discussed the slavery question.
Dickey contended that slavery was an institution which the Constitution recognised, and which could not be disturbed. Lincoln argued that ultimately slavery must become extinct. After a while, they went upstairs to bed.
There were two beds in the room for Dickey and Lincoln, who, sitting on the edge of his bed, continued to argue with Dickey till Dickey went to sleep. When he woke up early in the morning, there was Lincoln half sitting up in bed. "Dickey," said he, "I tell you this nation cannot exist half slave and half free. ②
一八五四年，堪薩斯-內布拉斯加議案①，在美國引起激烈爭論。有一天，伊利諾州法官迪基和律師林肯等幾個朋友上法庭。那天晚上，他們討論奴隸制度。
迪基認為，奴隸制度是憲法容許的，不能侵犯。林肯則力言這制度終須結束。過了一會，他們到樓上睡覺。
迪基、林肯的房間裏，有兩張牀。林肯坐在牀邊，繼續和迪基爭論，直到迪基入睡。第二天，迪基一早醒來，林肯半卧半坐牀上，對他說：「迪基，我告訴你，美國不可能一半人受奴役，一半人則享自由。」②
䥓根據該議案，堪薩斯、內布拉斯加兩州居民，得自由決定是否保留奴隸制，引起激烈爭議。
𤪌林肯未見新中國耳。國家萬分之一人享自由，其餘則受奴役，有何不可。