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Show Douglas and the Clambake Little Giant Mightily Pleased the People Peo-ple of Norwich, Conn., by His Tribute to the Native Institution. Stephen A. Douglas, known from one end of the land to the other in the days of his popularity as the "Little Giant," was the first candidate for the presidency to take the stump In his own behalf. His determination to make a personal campaign for the presidency presi-dency was not entirely to the liking of the conservative politicians of 18G0, but I have been told that he excused his action by saying that Lincoln made his campaign for the same office, especially, es-pecially, in the east, before he was nominated, and that it was vital that some one in authority should reply to Lincoln in that section of the country, there having been no opportunity for this to be done until after the presidential presi-dential nominations had been made. However that may be, I know personally per-sonally that the "Little Giant" gladly accepted an Invitation to speak to his countrymen at Norwich, Conn., the home town of William A. Buckingham, Bucking-ham, who a little later became one of the great war governors of the north a town where Lincoln, in February of the same year, made an address which many persons said later saved Connecticut to the Republican party in the ensuing state election by the narrow majority of 541. Great preparations were made for the Little Giant's appearance in the old town. In deference to his wishes for a meeting in the open the usual type of political gathering in the west a large common was selected for the scene of the rally, booths were set up to purvey lunch, consisting principally of oyster soup, and it was arranged that there should be a characteristic New England clambake at the end of the speechmaking. It turned out to be a gala occasion. The farmers flocked in from miles ,.nn tn rpr and hear Lincoln's great rival, and as they gazed on the little dumpy man with the great head, the great shock of hair and the large, cavernous cav-ernous eyes thundering forth at them from the speakers' stand, many were the comparisons they drew between him and the tall, gaunt, loose-jointed rail-splitter most of them had seen and heard speak in the same town a few months earlier. Yet for all the diminutiveness of stature, Douglas held the close attention atten-tion of the great gathering throughout his entire speech. My boyhood recollection recol-lection of that speech is that it was a superb political and oratorical effort, but the impression that it made on me was slight compared with the effect caused by the impromptu postscript to the speech itself. His peroration delivered de-livered with all that power of oratory which he possessed to a superlative degree, Douglas paused lor a moment and smiled expectautly into the sea of upturned faces before him. "And now that I have had the privilege priv-ilege of addressing my fellow-citizens of this historic town," he continued, "I shall take advantage of the invitation given to me to participate for the first time in my life in a genuine New England Eng-land clambake. Its aroma first reached me while I was in the midst of my speech. It has lingered in my nostrils ever since. It has tantalized me greatly. great-ly. It is very inviting. And, with your permission, I will now step down from this platform and proceed to revel to my heart's content in your famous feast." A mighty shout greeted this unexpected unex-pected tribute to a much-loved native institution. Then they took the Little Giant to a place which had been prepared pre-pared for him and feasted him. And when he had had a surfeit he sighed contentedly, beamed upon the gentlemen gentle-men gathered about him in the tent (my father was of the number) and said: "Now, gentlemen, I shall go on my way rejoicing." (Copyright, 1910, by E. J. Edwards. All RighU Reserved.) |