Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-05-25

EGC0IleCJ Tue tESL1GEGOUs bAitiS AiA It44-
Eois that year, wiz award to Abraham Lincoln
fully three-fourths of the ability end unweary
ing labor which resulted in the mighty victory
which gaTe Illinois her first HepubIican
Legislature, and placed Lyman in the
Senate of the United States. Tie first and
greatest debate Of that year came eff between
Lincoln and Douglas at Springfield. during
the progress of the State Fair, in October
We remember the event yividly as though
it transpired yesterday /; and in view of the
prominence now given to the chief actor IN
that exciting event, it cannot fail to be inter
@tiDg to all
The affair came off ou the 4th day Of 0cto
Der 1854. The State Fair had been in pro-
gress two days, and the capital was full of all
manner of men. The Nebraska bill had been
passed on the previous 22d of May. Mr..
Douglas had returned to Illinois to meet an
outraged constituency. He had made a frag
mentary speech in Chicago, the people filling
up each hiatus 10 peculiar and good humor-
Cd way. He called the people mob-they
called him a rowdy. The mob had the
best of it, both then and at the election which
succeeded. The notoriety of all these events
had stirred up the politics of the State from
bottom to top. Hundreds of politicians bad
met at Springfield, expecting a tournament OF
an unusual charaeter-Douglas, Breese, KGr
uer. Lincoln, Trumhuil, Natteson, Yates, Cod
ing, John Calhoun, (ot the order Of the Can
die Box,) John NJ. Palmer, the whole house
or the McConneIls, Singleton, known to fame
In the Mormon war.) Thos. L. Harris, and a
host of others. Several speeches were made
before, and several after, the passage between
Lincoln and Douglas, but that was justly held
% be tie event of the occasion.
We do not remember whether challenge
TO debate passed between the friends of the
speakers or not, but there was perfectly am
icabIe understanding between Lincoln and
Douglas, that the former should speak two or
three hours, and the latter reply in just as Ill
tie or as much time as he chose Mr. Lin
colu took the staud at two O'clock large
crowd in ATTENDANCE, and Dir. DoHglas was
seated on small platform in front Of the
desk. The first half hour Of Mr.. Lincolus
speech was taken up with compliments to his
friend Judge Douglas, and dry illusions to the
political events Of the past few years. His
distinguished friend. Douglas, had taken his
seat as solemn as the Cock-Lane ghost, eyi-
deutty with the design of not moving mus
ele till it came his turn to speak. The laugh
ter provoked by Lincolns exordium, however.
soon began to make BIN uneasy and when
Mr.. L. arrived at his (Douglas1 speech pro-
neunciug the Missouri Compromise, "a sacred
thing which TO ruthless hand would ever be
reckless enough to disturb" he opened his lips
far enough to remark, "a first rate speech p
This was the beginning of an amusing col
lcquy.
"Yes," continued Lincoln, $50 afftctionatc
was my friends regard for this compromise
inc, that when Texas was admitted into the
Union and it was found that strip extended
north of &c deg. 80 min., be actually intro
dnced bill extending the line and prohibiting
slavery in the northern edge of the new State"
"And you voted against the bill, said Doug
iae
Precisely so,p replied Lincoln; II was III fa-
vor of running the line great deal further
soutA-"
About this Tine" the speaker continued,
@my distinguished friend introduced me to
particular friend of his one David Wilmot OF
Pennsylvania" [Laughter.]
II thought" said Douglas, @you would find
him congeniaI company"
$50 did," replied Lincoln, 81 had the
pleasure of voting for his Proviso, in one way
and another, about forty times. 1t was
Democratic neasurs then, believe. At any
rate Gen. Cass scolded honest John Davis of
Massachusetts, soundly for talking away the
last hours Of the session, that he (Cass)
couldn't crowd it through. Apropos of
Gen. Cass if / am not greatly mistaken he
has prior claim to my distinguished friend,
to the authorship of Popular Sovereignty
The old General has au infirnity for writing
letters. Shortly after the scoding he gave
John Davis he wrote his Nicholson letter
Douglas fsolennly) Almighty placed
man on the earth, and told him to choose be
tween good and evil. That vas the origin Of
the Nebraska bill -
Lneoln-'Well, the priority of invention
being settled, let US award all credit to Judge
Douglas for being the first to discover it."
1t would be impossible, in these limits to
give an idea Of the strength of Mr.. Lincon's
argument We deemed it by far the ablest
effort of the campaign from whatever source.
The occasion was great one, and the speaker
was every way equal to it. The effect produe
ed on the listeners was magnetic. No one
who was present will ever forget the power
and yehemence of the following passage:
"My distinguished friend says it is an insult
10 the emigrauts to Kansas and Nebraska to
suppose they are unable to govern themselves.
We must not sur over an argument of this
kind because it happens to tickle the ear. 1t
must bt met and answered. / admit that the
enigrant to Kansas and Nebraska is compe-
tent TO govern hlmseLf, but.' the speaker rising
y. fall 7
any other person WITHOUT THAT PERSONS con-
SENT" The applause which followed this tri-
Hmphaat refa;ation of cunning falsehood
was but an earnest of the victory at the polls
which followed just one month from that day.
When Mr Lincoln had concluded, Mr.. Doug
las strode hastily to the stand. As usual he
employed ten minutes in telling how grossly
he had been abused. Rccoilecting himself he
added, though in perfectly courteous man
ner abused in perfectly courteous manner
He then devoted half an hour to showing that
b was indispensably necessary to California
emigrants, Santa Fe traders and others to have
organic acts provided for the Territories of
Kansas and Nebraska-that being precisely
the point which nobody disputed. Having es-
tablished this premise to his satisfaction, Mr.
Douglas launched forth into an argument
wholly apart from the positions taken by Mr..
Lincoln He had about zhssff. finished at sia
o'clock, when an adjournment to tea was eff
fected. The speaker insisted strenuousy upon
his right to resume in the evening, but we be-
lieve the second part of that speech has not
been delivered to this day. After the Spring
field passage, the two speakers went to Peoria
and tried it again with identically the same re-
suits. A friend who listened to the Peoria de-
bate informed us that after Lincoln had finish
ed, Douglas "hadn't much to say"-which we
presume to have been Mr.. Douglas view of
the case also, for the reason that he ran away
from his antagonist and kept out of his way
dsnrinr the rnrnai indar of the camrnainn