The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-07-29
Spesch of Abraham Lincoln in reply to
Senator Douglas, Delivered in Chicago
ON the 10th inst.


Senator Douglas, Delivered In Chicago
ON the 10th inst.
Mv Fel1oao Citizens On yesterday
evening, upon the occasion of the re-
ception given to Senator Douglas, / was
furnished with aseatvery convenient for
hearing him, and was otherwise very
courteously treated by him and by his
friends, and for which thank him and
them. During the course of his re-
marks my name was mentioned in such
a way, as suppose renders it at least
not improper that should make some
sort of reply to him. I shall not at
tempt to follow him in the precise or
der in which he addressed the assem-
bled multitude upon that occasion,
though I shall perhaps do so in the
main.
There was one question to which he
asked the attention of the crowd,
which / deem of somewhat less impor-
tance-at least of propriety for me to
dwell upon-than the others, which he
brought in near the close of his speech,
and which think it would not be en-
tirely proper for me to omit attending
to altogether, and yet if / were not to
give some attention to it now, should
probably forget it altogether. Ap-
pladsel While am upon this sub; Get,
allow me to say that l do not intend to
indulge in that inconvenient mode
sometimes adopted in public speaking,
of reading from documents but l shall
depart from that rule so far as to read
little scrap from his speech, which
notices the first topic of which 1 shall
speak:
81 have made up my mind to appeal
to the people against the combination
that has been make against me the
Republican leaders having formed an
alliance, an unholy and unnatural alli-
ance, with a portion of unscrupufous
federal office-holders. / intend to fight
that allied army whenever meet them.
/ know they deny the alliance, but yet
these men who are trying to divide the
Democratic party for the purpose OF
electing Republican Senator in my
place, are just as much the agents and
tools of the supporters of Mr.. Lincoln.
Hence, / shall deal with this allied
army just as the Russians dealt with
the allies at Sebastopol-that is, the
Russians did not stop to inquire when
they fired a broadside, whether it hit
an Englishlnan, a Frenchman, or a
Turk. Nor will / stop to inquire, mol
shall / hesitate, whether my blows
shall hit these Republican leaders OIL
their allies who are holding the federal
offices and yet acting in concert with
them"
Well now, gentlemen, is not that
very alarming? Laughter. just te
think of it! right at the outset of his
canvass, /, poor kind, amiable, intel
ligent laughter] gentlemen, laughter
and renewed cheers 1 am to be slain il
this way. Why, my friend, the Judge
is not only, as it turns out, not a dead
lion, nor even a living one-he is the
rugged Russian Bearl Roars ot
laughter and loud applause.
! But if they will have it-for he says
that we deny it-that there is any such
alliance, as. he says there is-and
don't propose hanging very much upon
this question of veracity-but if he
will have it that there is such an ALI
ance-that the Administration mer
and we are allied, and we stand il
the attitude of English, French and
Turks, and he occupies the position O
the Russian, in that case, 1 beg that ht
will indulge us while we barely sugges
to him, that those allies took Sebastopol
l[Long and tremendous applause.
Gentlemen, only few more word
as to this alliance. For my part,
have to say, that whether there be sucl
an alliance, depends, so far as / know
upon what may be a right definition o
!, the term alliance. If for the Republi
d can party to see the other great part
to which they are opposed divides
among themselves, and not try to sto
the division and rather be glad of it
!, if that is an alliance, / contest / am in
t but if it is meant to be said that tn
Republicans had formed an allianc
going beyond that, by which there
: contribution of money or sacrifice G
, principle on the one side or the othel
: so far as the Republican party is cor
cerned, if there be any such thing,
( protest that / neither know Of it, no
d do / believe it. / will however say
1t as think this branch of the argumen
: is lugged in-I would, before leave il
state, for the benefit of those cor
a cerned, that one of those same Buchar
an men did once tell me of an argu
: ment that he made for his oppositio
to Judge Douglas. He said that
friend of our Senator Douglas had bee
: talking to him, and had among othe
5 things said to him: "Why, you don
want to beat Douglas % EYES," sal
he, I" l do want to beat him, and / wi
ID tell you why. / believe his origins
ut Nebraska Bill was right in the abstrac
but it was wrong in the time that
was brought forward. 1t was wron
in the application to territory in n
ID gard to which the question had bee
Ct settled; it was brought forward at
> time when nobody asked him; it wa
. rendered to the South when the Sout
had not asked for it, but when the
could not well refuse it; and for th
same reason he forced that questio
10 upon our party: it has sunk our be,
e men all over the nation, everywhere
! and now when our President, stru.
D, oIinp with the difficulties of this man