The Portland daily press., 1895-05-25
LINCOLN'S ACUTENESS.
How He Gave SenatOrslip in IL
linOiS.
But Took the Presidency of the United
States Two Years Later-An Oft-T0ld
Story Again Told by Joseph MedilI..

States Two Years Later-An Oft-Told
Story Again Told by Joseph Medill.
One of Abraham Lincoln's closest
friends was Joseph Medill, the editor of
the Chicago Tribune Among Mr.. Me-
dill's recently published "reminiscences of
Mr.. Lincoln is the following:
The older remember that joint debate
was held between Senator Douglas and
Abraham Lincoln in the autumn of 1858.
They met in joint debate seven times to
discuss the various phases of the slavery
question as it was then before the public,
Mr.. Douglas having the opening and
closing four times and Lincoln three
times The first debate was at Ottawa
Aug 21, 1858. The second was at Free
port Aug. 81. The intervening time be-
tween each discussion was filled up by
the respective disputants in addressing
separate meetings of their political
friends. At the first debate Senator
Douglas asked Mr. Lincoln seven ques-
tlons as to his position on various phases
of the slavery question, consisting of such
| questions as the following: II want to
know whether Mr.. Lincoln stands
| pledged against the admission of a new
State into the Union with such consti-
tuition as the people of that State may see
| fit to make, whether free or slave;' 81
desire him to answer whether he stands
pledged to the prohibition of the slave
trade between the different States;'' "I
desire to know whether he stands
pledged to prohibit slavery in all the Ter
ritories of the United States, north as
well as south of the repealed Missouri
compromise line,' ETC., to the end of
the seven questions.
Mr.. Lincoln made no reply to these
questions at Ottawa, but reserved what
he might say to the time when he would
meet Douglas at Freeport. I travelled
around with Mr.. Lincoln after the Otta-
wa discussion to Freeport. He addressed
three or four meetings during that time,
one of them at Galesburg, where he had
an immense audience; another at Ma
comb, in McDonough county, where the
crowd was comparatively small. AS 1
recollcet it, we proceeded directly from
Macomb to Freeport on the morning of
August 27. On the way north on the
cars Mr.. Lincoln beckoned me to take
seat beside him-I was sitting a few
seats behind him at the time-which I
did. He took a half sheet of writing
paper out of his pocket and handing it to
me said:
s'I am going to answer Mr.. Douglass
questions today in our discussion which
he put to me at Ottawa, and l intend to
ask him few questions in return and I
jotted them down this morning at the
hotel before left there. I wish you to
read them over and tell me what you
think of my questions. y
did so, reading one of them several
times. After considerable pause he
said:
"Well, how do those interrogatories
strike you?'
I replied: "Mr. Lincoln, do not like
this second question. -
"Whats the objection to it?'' Mr.. Lin
coin asked.
I replied: at opens the door through
which Senator Douglass will be enabled
to escape from the tight place in which
he finds himself on the slavery question
in this State since he succeeded in get
ting the Missouri compromise repealed
(Which excluded slavery from the Terri
tories north Of 38 80, and that included,
Of course, Kansas and Nebraska. "
"In what way do'you think, % said Mr..
Lincoln, 60 it will benefit his position?"
"Your question says: Can the people
of United States Territory in any law
full way, against the wishes of citizens of
the United States, exclude slavery from
it's limits prior to the formation of
State constitution" Now in my opinion
Mr.. Lincoln Senator Douglas will an
swer that question in the affirmative
without any hesitation. He must so an
swer it because if he should reply to that
question in the negative he must see that
it would defeat him disastrously in Hi
nois for reelection to the Senate and he
doesn't want that to happen as it would
destroy his prestige before the country.
He-.will undoubtedly declare today when
that question is put to him that a major
| vent the introduction of slaves therein or
| if they have come in that majority can
| drive them out. -
"Against the will of the owners?' asked
Mr. Lincoln and 1 replied: eyes, GER
tainly. Douglas has been preaching the
doctrine of popular sovereignty in Terri
tories for some time, and he dare not go
back on it now. -
f'Well," said Lincoln, ~ do not agree
with you. Judge Douglas is more an
xious to be elected President two years
from now than he is to be reelected to the
Senate for the third time this fall Can't
you see that if he answers my question
as you seem to think he will he will exas-
perate every Shareholder in the South,
because they all hold to the doctrine that
the people of the South have an equal
constitutional right to take every species
of their property into the Territories as