The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-08-10
From the Springfield Republican.
LINCOLN and Dosgius...a Contrast.

In the free states, Mt least, whose votes are u
elect the president this year, the principal can.
didates will be Lincoln and Douglas. Though
the latter is quite certain to run behind, he will
be next to Lincoln or second In the canvass In
every free state save California. About these
two men the interest OF the campaign mainly
centers and there is more In the personal char
acter and history and political career, OF either
of them, to awaken an interest and excite en-.
thusiasm, than there is in both Breckinrilge
and Bell put together. They are alike striking
aud peculiar representatives Of American life
and character. They are both men of humble
origin, and have risen to their present position
by their own unaidcd efforts. Each man has
cut his own path to eminence through the woods.
Neither has had greatness thrust upon him.
Each has achieved all that he Is, and all that hc
possesses Each stands before the country to-
day as representative OF party and princi
ple, because he is man of power. Lincoln is
strong, rugged, kind and genial Douglas Is
facile, nervous, audaci0us, willful and donii'
neering.
The Illinois debates, rs the speeches CT their
great senatorial canvass in 1858 are called,
showed the peculiarities of their genius, and
the difference in their characters and abilities,
10 great advantage. Lincoln was always argu-
mentatiye, always cool, never yituperatiye,
never low. lie appealed to the Judgment OF his
auditors, TO their conscience or their reason,
always. If he indulged In u bit OF playful hui
NOR, it was to relieve the weariness ofthe hour,
or to foil some adroit blow Of his antagonist -
lie handled Douglas as he would an eel-by
main strength. Sometimes, perhaps, he hug
ged him SO strongly that he slipped through
his fingers. Douglas rarely argues. lie Is q
sophist of the ultra-slippery school,. lie makes
much of phrases, and trips ones heels by his
tricks of language. But his main power lies In
his appeals to the passions and the lower in
stncts of the mob. Here he is ut home. lie
could talk as il he were the most honest man in
the world, about amalgamation rs being associ-
ated with the republican party, when he knew
that he was lying, and was conscious that eve
~ sensible man around him knew that he was
lying. But this was an instrument by which
he could awake the passions and appeal to the
prejud,es of the mob, and he used 1t dd nause .
um. lie was tricky man through all that
fierce campaign, and won his battle by tricks.
The Judgment of all men Of mind upon the ILL
nois canvass is in favor Of Lincoln as against
Douglas. Caleb Cushing said but recently that
these debates ''showed Lincoln the superior Of
Douglas in every vital element Of power - and
Mr.. Gushing added, what We believe is equally
true, that "the world does not know yet how
much Of man Lincoln really is" The con-
trast Of the two men suggests the contrast be-
whole no one Of the four men could ever By any
chance be mistaken for either ofthe others.
Nothing in this campaign Is better apprecia-
ted than the difference in the personal charac-
ter of Lincoln and Douglas. No man of any
party doubts that Lincoln Is an honest man.
Everybody feels that he is sincere believer in
the distinguishing principles Of rcpublcanism !;
that he will do In straightforward way what
he believes TO be right, and where VIC find him
now, We shall always find him, that he Is man
Of strong convictions and an honest conscience.
For personal advantage, Of any kind, he would
cheat no man. Does any man believe all this
Of Douglasl No-n his frmest friends
They admire his pluck, his skill, his readiness,
have no great confidence In his moral principle.
His record on the subject of popular sovereign
iva subject which seems to form the larger
mart of his stock in trade-is 30 blind-so many
sided-so susceptible of multitudinous inter-
pretations-that he would have no difficulty In
changing his position every Gay, and justify fying
himself by his record. Nobody would ever sus-
pect Abraham Lincoln OF o trick-or of ever
making his course tortuous 50 as to adopt new
tracks at convenience.
Is called administrative or executive ability
than Lincoln. This was shown In the Illinois
campaign but II Douglas relied more upon
machinery and the combinations Of forces and
appeals to prsjudices aud tricks Of all kinds,
the result Of that campaign, which was really .
popular triumph for Lincoln, showed how much
better for a mans character and ultimate sue
cess Is personal power than personal cunning.
Lincoln Is o man TO secure the honor and en-
gage the sympathics OF honest Christian men.
Douglas viii ret the vote Of all those, general
iy, who have rowdyish tendencies Others, too.
without doubt, but these prima faeia. A bar
room or A brothel audience would furnish ten
men for Douglas to one for Lincoln. And this
Active assume Il 10 be fact-tells the whole
story of the elements Of character and personal
power that respectively enter into the compost
ton OF these men. Like calls TO itself like.