Show 1809 ABRAHAM LINCOLN 1865 X 10 19 mo g av all J q aln J Y wl nal if Z 4 tio 01 A t lincoln douglas debate greatest in our history lincoln first attracted national attention I 1 in the lincoln douglas debate I 1 in n aks this aliis lr linte te a writer who heard beard it says bays 1 iloth I olli with reference to t the ability of the speakers and its influence upon opinion slid and events it ft was unquestionably tile the most important in american history that the speeches of lincoln circulated sted and read throughout tile the free states did more than any other agency in creating public opinion which prepared the way for the overthrow of clavery it lias as in speeches in that debate that lincoln matte made frequent use of f the declaration thit that th it a house dl df tided against itself shall bial not strind stand it declaration that la Is both scriptural and self eldena lit in the application made by lincoln 1 I believe this government er cannot denture permanently hf balf slave and half fi free ec I 1 do not expect tile the lloyse to fall but I 1 do expect it will I 1 I 1 cense cease to io be divided ll it will become all it one thin tiling or tile obber elther either the opponents of slav cry will arrest the further spread of it and place it where the public mind thai shall rest in tile belief that it Is in the carse course of extinction or Us its advocates will push it forward until it li becomes cames alike lawful in all the states old 68 as well ivell us as new liew north as aa wiell well as south the alie position of doug ins on the question of slavery was one of if indifference la in lis speeches he te verely criticized the declaration of lincoln and his application of a house divided against IL itself elf douglas advocated with all hla his power the doctrine of popular sovereignty a proposition which as quaintly put by lincoln meant that tf it one man chooses hoo to enslave another no third inan man fin hns a eglit to object doth giants in intellect at the time of this memorable dis nii Jon both lincoln and douglas were bere rere in tile full maturity of their powers says a writer riter in the indianapolis news douglas being at tile the age aee of forty live five years arid and lincoln four sears ears his senior douglas had long been recognized as an able find and popular speaker in congress and in ins united states seriate senate lie had been tic ac cub tomed to meet the ablest demateis deba teis of the flip state and nation ills his friends insisted that never either la in conolia with it single opponent or when repelling the assaults of a whole party parly had he ever been ills manner was bold vigorous and ag KrebB lve lie ile was ready and fluent in language in diction fertile in resources and especially familiar with political history lincoln wils was at that time a trained speaker having contended successfully at the bur bar in the lift legislature and in the congress find before tile the people with the ablest men inen of the west including douglas with irith whom lie he always rather sought than avoided a discussion such were the champions who en raged lu lit flint famous IN discussion eus slon before th the e people of illinois with the whole nation as spectators tin and artill ance alie political questions alien prud ud liik ing the vital question re to 0 o sla elo emyr ery it banol not a bingly bangle combat but extended through a whole campaign the meetings were held 1 in the open air for no hall was large arlou enough 11 t to cl accommodate the immense crowds that assembled at each place to hear the discussion the speeches were published in all the principal newspapers of the country and were eagerly read by a majority of the oters loters in the united states the attention of the people was thus arrested and the whole nation was aroused on this one vital question of the day ly a it had never been before douglas secured the immediate object of the contest in retaining his seat in the united states senate but the vigorous logic ionic the honesty and sincerity and the treat grent intellectual powers exhibited by lincoln prepared the way for ills his nomination and election to the presidency two years later which was really tile the goal gat of douglas dougas as and the ultimate object of the lincoln douglas debate douglas patriotism it Is a touching incident and happily illustrates the patriotism that inspired both of these statesmen widely as they difre differed red in political policy and heen as had been their rivalry just as soon as the life lie of the republic was hodgenville HODG ENVILLE STATUE Z work of the well known new york sculptor adolph weinman aced they joined hands to shield nuil and have tile country they both loved when abraham Abra hiim lincoln walked out to the past beeps of if the lie capitol to dellier ills his inaugural duill ral addres and take tile the oath of if ns as president of the united plates fil fueling icing a great areat crowd of lle tiple anion were many who would gladly ha lime hate te maln n his life tile aliu tuan ni in who accompanied liim idin and who sit liti oil od close by ills his side eldo mhd ali man iian ho to tan th the llie first to take ti alls li hand fadd nd elvdge p arde ills unqualified support in tin fill groat great task lincoln had assur ned as nt of it a distrusted country was senator stephen Sterl icil A douglas Doug lits unfortunately for the country douglas tied died it 11 few months later june 3 1801 1861 arid the cause of the llie union and support of the administration was deprived arl ved of f his great in response to imitations lincoln visited the cities of indianapolis cin clu chunati nati columbus cleveland pittsburgh and other places in the east on ills journey from springfield to washington a journey that occupied about ten days marked by official receptions and mat great crowds of people e anxious to atiee see and hear the man upon whom the destinies of the country depended every word of the president elect on this journey was carefully scanned for some light by which to read the troubled and uncertain future measuring his words with unusual caution he avoided any an no of policy but the country was nevertheless able to 10 read between the lines that it had made no mistake in the man to whom it had confided the preservation of the government ern ment pathetic Path etlo leave taking nothing in the history of lincoln I 1 h more pathetic than the scene of his departure from springfield on the rooming morning of february 11 1861 when lie bade farewell to ills old friends and ald neighbors the scebe Is thus described by Lincol ns biographer A throng of at least a thousand of Lincol ns and neighbors hid had h id gathered at the dingy little railroad station at springfield to ta nd bid him good by it was a cloudy stormy moru ing which served to add gloom and depression to their spirits the leavec tat ta ing became a seen of subdued anxiety almost of solemnity mr lincoln took a position in the waiting room where his friends filed past him film often merely pressing his hand in sl at lent emotion the halt half finished cere mony was ivas broken hy by the ringing bell and rushing train the crowd closed about the railroad car into which the president elect and ahli hi party had bad en terea then came caine the central dent of the morning g once more the bell give gave notice of starting but the conductor paused with iiii his hand lifted to the bell rope mr lincoln appeared on the platform of the car and raised his hand to command attention th the bystanders bared their head to the faili nir snowflakes lohes arid and standing thus his neighbors heard his voice oleo for the last time in the city of ill his 8 I 1 home 1 ome may have foreseen ft fate Lincol ns farewell address to hla his springfield neighbors Is expressed in words so chaste and pathetic that it rends reads as it if lie he already felt the tragic shallow of forecasting fate no one olle lie he said can realize the sadness t f feel at this parting part lui I 1 now leave not knowing when or whether ever I 1 may return I 1 so go to assume a task ans k more difficult than uny any that tins has devolved upon any chief exec title since washington without tile the assistance of that divine being lican A tt lie ha ever attended him I 1 cannot succeed with that assistance T tan iahn not nil fail trusting in illin ho can po go with me arid remain with you lind be everywhere for good let os as confident ly hope that lint all villa tie be well weil to ills care I 1 commend you as I 1 hope in your prayers you will cotard nd me I 1 bid you tin 1111 affectionate farei farewell veil anil and no n lie waved ills hind in fo to ulf ali old boing to which he wits ans never to return the hie fervent rell front from many of lil ill old fri friends endi god bless and L keep eel you god protect you yon they I 1 were sorrowing most of all tor for the words he impressed with a feeling that they would diee ee his face ace 4 no more |