the life of stephen a. douglas-第20章

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。　　The　northern　part　of　the　State　was　settled　by　people　from　New　England　and　the　Northwest。　　The　Southern　part　was　settled　from　Kentucky　and　the　other　Southern　States。　　The　growth　of　Chicago　and　the　rapid　development　of　the　northern　counties　had　made　the　State　extremely　doubtful　even　for　Douglas。　　To　any　other　man　his　task　was　hopeless。　　In　the　north　the　anti…slavery　sentiment　was　strong；　even　to　fanaticism；　and　many　of　his　own　supporters　prayed　fervently　for　the　arrival　of　the　day　when　slavery　would　be　blotted　from　existence。　　In　the　south；　though　slavery　was　prohibited　by　law；　it　was　cherished　in　the　hearts　of　the　people　who　remembered　with　warm　affection　the　old　homesteads　in　Kentucky　and　Tennessee。

Lincoln　had；　with　more　frankness　than　discretion　announced　his　views　on　the　great　question。　　It　was　supremely　important　to　compel　Douglas　to　explicitly　declare　himself；　to　hold　him　down　to　the　dangerous　issue　and　force　him　to　speak　plainly。　　Each　had　the　disadvantage　of　pleasing　one　section　of　the　State　at　the　cost　of　offending　the　other　section。　　But　Douglas　was　further　embarrassed　by　the　necessity　of　avoiding　offense　to　the　slave　holding　States　of　the　South。　　He　was　a　candidate　not　only　for　the　Senate；　but　also　for　the　Presidency。





Chapter　XIV。　　The　Debates　with　Lincoln。




Chicago；　Ill。；　July　24；　1858。　　〃Hon。　S。　A。　Douglas：

〃My　dear　Sir：Will　it　be　agreeable　to　you　to　make　an　arrangement　for　you　and　myself　to　divide　time　and　address　the　same　audiences　the　present　canvass？　　Mr。　Judd；　who　will　hand　you　this；　is　authorized　to　receive　your　answer；　and；　if　agreeable　to　you；　to　enter　into　the　terms　of　such　an　arrangement。

〃Your　obedient　servant；

〃A。　Lincoln。〃

This　is　the　note　received　by　Douglas　a　week　after　his　return　from　Springfield。　　On　the　same　day　he　returned　the　following　answer：

〃Chicago；　Ill。；　July　24；　1858。　　〃Hon。　A。　Lincoln：

〃Dear　Sir：Your　note　of　this　date　*　*　*　was　handed　me　by　Mr。　Judd。　　*　*　*　I　went　to　Springfield　last　week　for　the　purpose　of　conferring　with　the　Democratic　State　Central　Committee　upon　the　mode　of　conducting　the　canvass；　and　with　them　*　*　*　made　a　list　of　appointments　covering　the　entire　period　until　late　in　October。　　The　people　of　the　several　localities　have　been　notified　of　the　times　and　places　of　the　meetings。　　*　*　*　I　cannot　refrain　from　expressing　my　surprise；　if　it　was　your　original　intention　to　invite　such　an　arrangement；　that　you　should　have　waited　until　after　I　had　made　my　appointments；　in　as　much　as　we　were　both　here　in　Chicago　together　for　several　days　after　my　arrival；　and　again　at　Bloomington；　Atlanta；　Lincoln　and　Springfield；　where　it　was　well　known　I　went　for　the　purpose　of　consulting　with　the　State　Central　Committee　and　agreeing　upon　the　plan　of　campaign。　　*　*　*　I　will；　in　order　to　accommodate　you；　as　far　as　it　is　in　my　power　to　do　so；　take　the　responsibility　of　making　an　arrangement　with　you　for　a　discussion　between　us　at　one　prominent　point　in　each　congressional　district　in　the　State；　except　the　Second　and　Sixth；　where　we　have　both　spoken　and　in　each　of　which　you　had　the　concluding　speech。　　If　agreeable　to　you；　I　will　indicate　the　following　places　as　the　most　suitable　in　the　several　congressional　districts　at　which　we　should　speak；　to　wit：　　Freeport；　Ottawa；　Galesburg；　Quincy；　Alton；　Jonesboro　and　Charleston。　　*　*　*

〃Very　respectfully；　your　most　obedient　servant；

〃S。　A。　Douglas。〃

Lincoln　replied：

〃Springfield；　July　29；　1858。

〃Hon。　S。　A。　Douglas：

Dear　Sir：Yours　of　the　24th　in　relation　to　an　arrangement　to　divide　time　and　address　the　same　audiences；　is　received；　and；　in　apology　for　not　sooner　replying；　allow　me　to　say　that；　when　I　sat　by　you　at　dinner　yesterday；　I　was　not　aware　that　you　had　answered　my　note；　nor；　certainly；　that　my　own　note　had　been　presented　to　you。　　An　hour　after；　I　saw　a　copy　of　your　answer　in　the　Chicago　Times；　and　reaching　home　I　found　the　original　awaiting　me。　　*　*　*　As　to　your　surprise　that　I　did　not　sooner　make　the　proposal　to　divide　time　with　you；　I　can　only　say；　I　made　it　as　soon　as　I　resolved　to　make　it。　　I　did　not　know　but　that　such　a　proposal　would　come　from　you；　I　waited　respectfully　to　see。　　*　*　*　I　agree　to　an　arrangement　for　us　to　speak　at　the　seven　places　you　have　named　and　at　your　own　times；　provided　you　name　the　times　at　once；　so　that　I；　as　well　as　you；　can　have　to　myself　the　time　not　covered　by　the　arrangement。　As　to　the　other　details；　I　wish　perfect　reciprocity；　and　no　more。　I　wish　as　much　time　as　you　and　that　conclusions　shall　alternate。　That　is　all。

〃Your　obedient　servant；

〃A。　Lincoln。〃

On　the　next　day　Douglas　wrote：

〃Bement；　Piatt　Co。；　Ill。；　July　30；　1858。

〃Dear　Sir：Your　letter；　dated　yesterday；　accepting　my　proposition　for　a　joint　discussion　at　one　prominent　point　in　each　congressional　district　*　*　*　was　received　this　morning。　　The　times　and　places　designated　are　as　follows：

Ottawa；　La　Salle　County　。。。。。。。。。　August　21；　1858。　Freeport；　Stephenson　County　。。。。。　August　27；　1858。　Jonesboro；　Union　County　。。。。。。　September　15；　1858。　Charleston；　Coles　County　。。。。。　September　18；　1858。　Galesburgh；　Knox　County　。。。。。。。。。　October　7；　1858。　Quincy；　Adams　County　。。。。。。。。。。。　October　13；　1858。　Alton；　Madison　County　。。。。。。。。。。　October　15；　1858。

〃I　agree　to　your　suggestion　that　we　shall　alternately　open　and　close　the　discussion。　　I　will　speak　at　Ottawa　one　hour；　you　can　reply；　occupying　an　hour　and　a　half；　and　I　will　then　follow　for　half　an　hour。　　At　Freeport；　you　shall　open　the　discussion　and　speak　one　hour；　I　will　follow　for　an　hour　and　a　half；　and　you　can　then　reply　for　half　an　hour。　　We　will　alternate　in　like　manner　in　each　successive　place。

〃Very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；

〃S。　A。　Douglas。〃

To　which　Lincoln　replied：

〃Springfield；　July　31；　1858。

〃Hon。　S。　A。　Douglas：

〃Dear　Sir：Yours　of　yesterday；　naming　places；　time　and　terms　for　joint　discussions；　between　us；　was　received　this　morning。　　Although　by　the　terms　as　you　propose；　you　take　four　openings　and　closes　to　my　three；　I　accede；　and　thus　close　the　arrangement。　　*　*　*

〃Your　obedient　servant；

〃A。　Lincoln。〃

Now　that　Lincoln　has　become　idealized　and　is　safely　classed　with　the　great　men　of　all　ages；　his　modest　challenge　seems　like　a　condescension　of　the　immortal　President　to　his　rival。　　It　then　seemed　an　act　of　temerity　bordering　on　madness。　　Lincoln's　friends　thought　it　rash。　　Douglas'　friends　had　no　hope　that　his　adversary　would　be　so　easily　delivered　into　his　hands。

Yet　Lincoln　was　not　a　despised　antagonist。　　He　was　the　most　prominent　Republican　in　Illinois。　　But　Douglas　was　the　recognized　head　of　a　great　national　party；　the　giant　of　the　Senate；　the　most　resourceful　American　statesman　then　living。　　Through　years　of　desperate　battling　he　had　successfully　repelled　the　assaults　of　Seward；　Sumner　and　Chase。　　He　had　more　recently　encountered　with　equal　ease　all　the　Southern　Senators。　　It　seemed　a　simple　task　to　meet　this　humble　Western　lawyer　and　make　his　friends　ashamed　of　their　senatorial　candidate。　　Douglas　did　not　share　the　pleasant　illusion　of　his　friends。　　Before　leaving　Washington；　when　he　heard　that　Lincoln　was　nominated；　he　said　to　Forney：

〃I　shall　have　my　hands　full。　　He　is　a　strong　man　of　his　party；full　of　wit；　facts；　dates；and　the　best　stump　speaker；　with　his　droll　ways　and　dry　jokes；　in　the　West。　　He　is　as　honest　as　his　is　shrewd；　and　if　I　beat　him　my　victory　will　be　hardly　won。〃

Lincoln　was　burning　with　jealousy。　　He　believed　himself　to　be　Douglas'　full　equal　in　mental　endowment。　　Fortune；　he　thought；　with　a　tinge　of　bitterness；　had　dealt　with　them　most　unequally；　clothing　his　rival　with　the　glory　of　a　world…renowned　statesman；　and　leaving　him　to　waste　his　powers　on　the　obscure　quarrels　of　litigious　clients　in　a　small　town。　　He　yearned　for　the　opportunity　to　measure　himself　with　the　great　Senator　on　a　conspicuous　stage。

This　series　of　debates　was　a　rare　piece　of　strategy　on　Lincoln's　part。　　Douglas　had　so　long　been　wrapped　in　his　senatorial　toga　that　his　greatness　had　become　exaggerated　to　the　popular　mind　of　Illinois；　while　Lincoln　had　been　a　plain；　modest　lawyer；　moving　among　the　people　in　the　daily　round　of　routine　life。　　The　dogmatic　statement　of　the　great　Senator　carried　more　weight　than　the　profoundest　argument　of　the　clearest　demonstration　of　the　country　lawyer。　　But　these　debates　brought　them　to　a　common　level。　　They　measured　their　intellectual　strength　in　the　presence　of　the　people；　with　all　official　trappings　laid　aside；　and　while　no　one　could　well　be　disappointed　in　Douglas'　strength；　the　whole　country　was　amazed　at　the　unexpected　power　of　Lincoln。

There　were　disadvantages　to　Douglas　in　this　mode　of　combat。　　He　must　sacrifice　the　glamour　of　senatorial　dignity　and　enter　the　arena　on　equal　footing　with　his　antagonist。　　He　was　a　brilliant　debater。　〃In　the　whole　field　of　American　politics　no　man　has　equaled　him　in　the　expedients　and　strategy　of　debate。　　*　*　*　He　was　tireless；　ubiquitous；　unseizable。　　It　would　have　been　as　easy　to　hold　a　globule　of　mercury　under　the　finger's　tip　as　to　fasten　him　to　a　point　he　desired　to　evade。　　*　*　*　In　spirit　he　was　alert；　combative；　aggressive；　in　manner　patronizing　and　arrogant　by　turns。〃　　But　he　had　to　meet　in　argument　a　man　of　imperturbably　temper；　who　had　thought　deeply　on　the　great　questions　of　the　time；　who　by　unerring　instinct　could　lay　his　finger　on　every　flaw　in　his　chain　of　reasoning；　could　rise　to　heights　of　eloquence　beyond　the　reach　of　his　unimaginative　mind　and　pour　out　streams　of　quaint　humor　that　must　have　filled　him　with　despair。

So　great　was　the　interest　of　the　people　in　this　extraordinary　contest　that　it　was　found　impossible　to　hold　the　meetings　in　halls。　　They　were　held　during　the　warm　autumn　days　in　the　open　air；　where　the　crowds；　numbering　from　five　to　twenty　thousand；　struggled　to　get　within　range　of　the　speakers'　voices。

It　would　be　difficult　to　conceive　a　more　picturesque　contest　than　that　now　waged　by　these　politicians　as　they　strove　for　the　mastery；　and　the　enormous　crowds　of　friends　and　sympathizers　listened　with　intense　interest　to　the　weighty　arguments；　or　shouted　applause　when　their　favorite　scored　a　point。　　The　audiences；　consisting　largely　of　farmers；　who　had　made　long　journeys　in　wagons　and　lived　in　tents　or　camped　out　in　the　open　air　while　awaiting　the　great　event；　were　in　stern　earnest；　despite　their　holiday　appearance；　and　listened　with　thoughtful　faces　and　troubled　hearts　as　the　grave　theme　was　discussed　which　had　distracted　the　country　for　years。

And　the　orators；　who　were　unconsciously　playing　a　great　role　on　the　historic　stage；　were　surely　among　the　most　interesting　products　of　modern　times。　　Lincoln's　lank；　ungainly　figure；　nearly　six　and　a　half　feet　tall；　clad　in　loose　fitting　clothes；　contrasted　oddly　with　the　short；　stout　figure　of　Douglas；　barely　five　feet　in　height；　trimly　and　rather　sprucely　dressed。　　The　sad；　calm　face　o　Lincoln；　his　humble　and　unheroic　bearing；　were　in　marked　contrast　with　the　finely　chiseled；　powerful；　defiant　face　and　magnificent　Napoleonic　head　surmounting　the　short；　thick　neck　of　Douglas；　who　strode　with　kingly　air　before　he　admiring　throngs。　　The　manner　of　Douglas　was　so　masterful　and　strong　that　a　wavering　audience　must　have　been　swept　away　by　it。　　His　finely　modulated　voice　re