, 1865-03-10


circuit among the log coutt-honEes Of the
West. He had the advantage OF competing
at bar where very able men Tere hts COM
Eetitors and liye Il, and he always held front
lank. AS have said on different occasion,
there gathe5id some tsn tEentyive z years ngo'
houkes Of central Illinois very remarkable
combination Of men. Among them Abraham
Lirc a1n, Stephen l. Douglas, Lyman Trum-
bull. o. II. Browning, E. D. Baker, 1ate the
able and eloquent Senator from Oregon, tue
martyr Of Bulls Blutf; General James Shields,
the battlc-aclds Of Mexico General John J.
Hardin, who fell on the bloody field Of
Buena Vista james 4. McDougall, Senator
from California Governor Btssell, one Of the
ablcst statesmen Of Illinois, and the eloquent
Representative whose defense Of the gallant
soldiers Of that State drew q challenge from
ffom Missislipr,t, Thich % was accepted ~ siss
sell. but the M[ssissippian did MT tight,
Withdrawing his challenge under the In
Aucncc Of General Taylor.
these, and many others equally able, were
the men with whom Lincoln in Lis career at
the bar was called to compete.
But the man to whom Lincoln was most In
debted for his training and his fame was his
great political rival, Stephen A. Douglas.
Ikesc men, both se1fmadc and selfeducated,
coming in early manhood to Illinois. soon be-
cnme tie leaders, each Of Ills party. No two
men we're more unlike. Physically and men
giant, Douglas was the '' little giant." Sulall
in person, i giant in intellect, Douglas VAS
Eold, dtnunc1atory, irnpetnous, ardent. de-
tc5mjncd. He had the qualities which create
personal popularity, ind he was ever the idol
Of Lis party: His iron will, fndomitaole en-,
trey, fill filth In himself and his cause, united
with frank and magnetic manners, and gen
crous healt, made him one Of the strongest
men in the nation. These two men were mem
bers Of the Legislature Of Illinois as early as
1886. Douglas had distinguished himself
as IN able debater and controyessiallst in
and Senate Of the United States, on the
great question Of slavery, and especially
Of the treatment Of this question in the Ter
rttor.es. After voting to apply the Missouri
line to Te1as, he finally adopted the position
Of popular toyereignty, OF sqnatter soEer-
each Territory to settle the question Of slavery
for themselves. In accordance With this prin-
ciple he 'carsed the repeal Of the Missouri
compromise, md ASSUMED the position that
the people Of each Territory should them
selves choose whetles they would exclude Or
tratton became party to the conspiracy to
make Kansas slave Stats against the viii Of
the people, Doug1ns adhered to his principle
OF popular sovereignty, aud insisted that the
people Of Kansas should decide, by fair
vote,. the question. This brought him in
holders party, and they sought to degrade
him by removing him from his position Of
chairman of the Committee On Territories.
In July, 1858, the senatorial term Of Douglas
WIS about TO expire, aEd he came home to
In June, 1858, the Republican State Con-
rention met at Springfield, Illinois, and nom
mated Abraham Lincoln for the United
States Senate in opposition to Douglas. The
SPEECH which Mr.. Lincoln made at that con-
vtntion, brief as 1t Is, Is one Of the most re-
markable in our history. He gave 50 clear IN
been going On between liberty and slavery
that lis words Immediately seized the atten-
ton Of the people and became historical.
They were recognized as expressing great
phi1osophic fact, and the man who uttered
them, then an obscure lawyer, Immediately
friends Of liberty throughout the Union. His
against ITSELF" &C., Is too familiar to need
quotation, Of the great conflict between
liberty and slavery he eald, We shall not
fail wise counsels may accelerate or mistakes
may delay, but sooner or later the victory is
sure to come" Such was the grave, phi]oso-
plfc appreciation by Lincoln Of the great con-
Test tltn pending. With this feeling he en-
tered upon thcme1nornb1e Senatorial canvass
Of 1853 with Senator Douglas. THIS, whether
ciples involved, vas the most Temarkab{s In
American history. The two great parties
Throughout the Onion paused to watch its
p1og1 ess, and each observed with eager soil
citEde every movement Of its champion.
Soon after the arrival OF Doug las from
Washington, in the summer Of 1853, Mr. Lin
coin challenged lin to q series Of debates
aui3ng the campaign. The challenge WAS ar-
cepted. It was arranged TINT there should
be seven joint dcbstes each alternately open
Ing and closing the discussion; the opening
tpctch to occupy one hour, the reply one
hour and q hall, and the close half IN hour,
so that each tournament should be limited to
three hours. These debates, held In different
sections Of the State and In the open air,
called together yast throngs Of people, They
were conducted, with few excep:ious, with
the dignity an courtesy becoming, the occa-
sion. There was every motive to stimulate
each champion to the exertion of his utmost
power. Each Tas actuatcd by sincere coz
Victiens that the success Of his party was ne
cessary TO the safety aud prosperity Of his
country. The scnato5ship was the immedi-
ate personal prize which would reward the
victor, and in The future was the Presidency,
probably not overlooked by either, certainly
not forgotten By Douglas. The great politi-
cnl questions VI issue between the parties
wire discussed; but each IIlt, instinctigely,
that the slavery question was the question
Of questions. This absorbed all the
interest. The question Of slavery in the
Fugitive Slave Law, and the opinions Of the
fathers, we're among the topics 1lo5i frequent
y debated. Douglas went through this ca u
paiEn with the manner and bearing Of con-
quering hero. There was something grand in
The boldness with which he threw himself IN
to tie contest, and dealt his blows right and
left against the great Republican party OIL
ole side, md the Administration, which
sought to aid his defeat on the other. Doug
las and bis friends were most liberal in thcr
expt nditures in this canvass. Hc had his
special trims Of cars, q cannon, the firing Of
which announced his approach, bands Of mu-
eic, his circle of devoted friends travelling
with him, und is said there was expended ID
Tie canvass not less than s50, 600. Some idea
Of the plain, simple, frugal habits Of Alr. Lin
coin may be gathered from remark made by
him after Its close. when he said, with the
idea, apparently, that he had been somewhat
extravagant, ~ do not believe have spent
q cent lees thnu five hundred dollars IN this
canynss."
Senator Douglas WIS at that time undoubt-
edly tire leading debater In the United States
Senate. For years he had been accustomed
to meet the, trained lenders of the nation in
Congress, and never, either in single combat
been discounted. He was bold, defiant, ag-
gressiye, vigorous, fertile In resources, terri
Bic in tenunciation, familiar with political
history. with practiced readiness In all con-
troyci ssnl discussion ofindomltablc physical
and moral courage, and unqnestionably the
most formidable MN in the nation on Inc
stamp. The friends Of Lincoln were not Will
out anxiety when the challenge Was given, and
accepted, Tor campaign Oh the stump; In
coin was candid, cool, truthful, ipElcal, phi
losoplical; never betrayed into an Unfair
statement. The criticism upon him as law