Show lincoln douglas debate greatest creates in our history lincoln first attracted notional at teri tion in the lincoln douglas de debate late j 19 in 1858 concerning till tills debate it P writer who heard it s mys iloth both wit 1 i reference to the ability of tile lie speak arf 4 ers and its influence upon opinion and i events it was unquestionably the most i J i important in american history that 4 the speeches of lincoln published clr t y and read throughout the lie free dee elates did more than tiny any otia other agency s in creating public opinion which alch tire pre CW pared the way fir tor ahe ln overthrow er throw of r slavery it was in speeches spot dies in that 1 debate that lincoln made frequent use i of the declaration declai atlon that a house divided H against itself shall not stand a declaration that Is both scriptural and self evident in the application mude made by lincoln 1 I believe tills this government go cannot endure permanently half slave and half free I 1 to do not expect the lie house to fall but I 1 to do J expect it will cense to be divided it will become till nil one tiling thing or tile the J other either the opponents of slav 5 ery cry will arrest the further spread of it and place it where the public mind shall rest in tae ta e belief that it Is lit in tile the of ultimate extinction or its advocates will push it forward fol ward 11 until 11 3 r it beco beeb inea tries alike la lawful awful I 1 in nil fill the states old od as aa ell as new north its as well e as south the file posit position loh of douglas on the question of slavery was one of indifference in ills speeches he severely criticized the declaration of lincoln and his application of it hoube divided against itself doug lots IDS advocated with all his power the doctrine of popular sovereignty 1 a proposition which an aa quaintly put by lincoln meant that if one man an chooses to enslave another no third man illan ill im it 11 right light to object loth both giants in intellect at the time of this nie memorable morable its augi lon hoth both lincoln and douglas were ere in the full maturity of their powers says sab a writer lit in the oils news douglas being nt at the age of forty fort y five years cars find and lincoln four fo air years his senior douglas had long been recognized recognize ft its as till nn able and 1 op u tt 1 lar speaker lit in congress and lit in me united states senate lie had find been accustomed cu cus tomed to meet the ablest debaters of the state and nation ills friends insisted that never either in conf conflict liet with it a single opponent or when repelling the assaults of a whole party had lie he ever eer been discomfited ills manner maliner wits was bold vigorous and aggressive gres sive ile ho was rendy ready and fluent in lan language elegant lit in diction fertile eln in resources es and especially fa familiar millar political ival history lincoln wail wa nt at that time n trained speaker having contended successfully at the bur lit in thi the legi lature and in the congress congre sr and before the people with tile ablest men of tho the west I 1 including net tiding douglas wit a whom lie always rather sought than molded it a discussion such wore were the Z who engaged end 9 11 9 d in I 1 1 I 1 that famous discussion I 1 before 1 1 1 f 1 e alie th e people of illinois with t the 1 nation as spectators and tin audience tile political questions then pending f especially ohp vital question relating to slurry sla ery cry it was not a hilele com combat bitt but extended through a whole campaign the meetings meeting st were held in fit the open air for no hull hall war large enough to accommodate the immense crowds that ns assembled at ench place to tn hear tile hip discussion the speeches were published publish in III nil all the alie principal newspapers of the country and were eagerly read by a majority of the voters in tile united states the tit attention of tile the people was thus arrested and the lie liole hole nation was wa aroused on oil this one vital question of the lay day s it tin had never been wore before douglas secured the immediate object of tile contest in III retain retaining ing ill his s peat ea t it in tile the united states senate but the vigorous logic the honesty and sincerity erity and the great intellectual aoi s exhibited by lincoln prepared fit alp way for ills his nomination and election to the presidency two years later which was really leally the goal of douglas ambition and the ultimate object of the lincoln douglas debate douglas patriotism it Is a touching incident and happily illustrates tile alie patriotism that inspired both of these statesmen widely as they differed in political policy and keen as had been th their el r riv a I 1 r just jur t as soon as tile life of t the h e republic il was menaced they joined hands to shield and sine the country country tile they both loved loed when Ab abrahamn Ahra liuni lincoln walked out to the east steps of tile the to tn deliver ills his inaugural address fill and talip tak tile the anth of office ns president of the lie united neing facing a great crowd of people among union whom were ninny funny who would gindey lieve taken liln ills life tile annn who ailin ant and who M lio stood alose hv by ills ids side the man inan who was IB the alie first to take ills his hand and pledge ills his support sui port in tho the great task lincoln lind hall leI us as president of a distracted country toun tr was senator stephen A unfortunately f 1 r t for the country douglas is died i iu a few months later inter june 3 and tile the cause of tho union and support ort of the administration was ft as deprived of his great influence in res respond pons to invitations lincoln tile cities of cill columbus Coluin bus cleveland burgh and other places in if tho the last on oil lily ills journey from spi to Mis washington hington a journey that occupied about ten days marked by off iclal receptions find grent crowds of p people itimous an loub to sop see and hear the man upon whom aiom tile the destinies of the country de dc gentled pent af pf led I iry every ry word of the president elect on this journey carefully scanned for some 11 light by which tc roud read the troubled und alid uncertain fit ture luie measuring his words with un usi usual ml caution he avoided tiny an of policy but tho the coun conn try MIS its nevertheless able ro read ile be tween the lines that it had made no itil mistake stake in the man to whom it had confided the preservation of the gov ern crement ment pathetic leave taking nothing in tho the history of lincoln h 1 more pathetic ulan than the scene of hl hi departure from springfield on alu morning of february 11 1801 1861 whet when i lie he bade farewell to hit old friend and neighbors the iceie Is thus de scribed ascribed by Lincol fis ns blo biographer graphe A throng throne of ut at least a thousand of Lincol ns frier els find neighbors had gathered Ra at the dingy little railroad station at springfield to te bid bd him film good by tt it was q R cloudy stormy morn ing which served to add gloom and depression to their spirits the leave tat icing became a scena of subdued anxiety almost of solemnity unity sir I 1 r lincoln took a po position in the waiting room where his friends filed blied past hlin hill often merely pressing sing ills his hand in st sl lent emotion the half finished core cere mony molly wn was s broken by the ringing bell lind and rushing train alie the crowd closed about the railroad car into which the president elect and hh bix party had en then cattle came the lie central ind dent of the lie morning once more the bell gave notice of starting but tile conductor paused with his hand lifted to the hell bell rope mr lincoln appeared on the platform of the car and labod its ills liand to command attention the bystanders bared their heads to tin thi snowflakes and s standing thus his neighbors heard ills voice for tile the last time in the city of his him home my may have foreseen fate farewell address to his springfield neighbors is expressed in words so chaste find and pathetic that it rends reads as if he already felt the tragic phit shadow low of forecasting fute fate no one 1 isaid can realize the sadness I 1 feel lit at this parting I 1 now flow leave not nol know ing when mien or whether over I 1 may return I 1 go to assume a task more difficult alian any that has devolved upon any alef executive since washington washing ton without the assistance of that divine being who ener eer attended him I 1 cannot st hii creed with that assistance I 1 cannot full trusting in him who can call go with me find and remain with you rou and tie be everywhere eer where for good let a ns IN ly hope that till nil will he be well to ale III care I 1 conin commend lend you as I 1 hope in prayers ou oil will commend mp file 1 I bl N ou oil tin an affectionate far farewell civell arid and a lie wavid liln his liand hand in In rewell oil tu to tic the oli old home to which lie was to return the fervent from many of ills old friends god find and keep you iou G bcd cd protect yo you u they were sorrowing mot mo t of nil all r lf vioris v he impressed with u feeling that chat they would see ce tua faco no more |