The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-10-08

dent, but development. He did not
cap into leadership at a bound, but
earned the position by laborious prepa-
ration and frequent demonstration OF
supreme ability. 1t is only thirty
years since the country was shocked
as never before, by his assassination,
and yet to the Vast majority of the
American people he is already a leg
endary character, and the human ele-
| mentS which endeared him to his gen.
Grafton are forgotten. We have made
| history so rapidly in the last quarter
OF a century that even the thrilling
events of the civil war can no longer
conjure votes or move audiences. Mem
orial day, which was once a period OF
passion and sorrow, is now a popular
picnic and a children's holiday.
ITO understand the significance of
the meeting here thirty-eight years ago
between lincoln and Douglass We mus:
recreate the conditions under which
they fought, revive the question which
caused parties to rush from partisan
ship to rebellion, and reincarnate the
conIbatants on this famous field. The
apparent contest was the statehood of
Kansas, but both the orators and the
people know that the tremendous is.
sue was between freedom and slavery,
the dissolution of the union or it's per-
petuity.
Upon this platform and on this very
spot thirty-eight years ago today stood
these Intellectual athletes-Lincoln and
Douglas. Neither they nor the vast
audience which enjoyed their thrusts
and parties and cheered their effective
blows were entranced by their elo-
quence knew how rapidly they were
making history; how ably they were
preparing the most important chapter
in the history of the nineteenth CEN
tury. Tt was the battle eternally go
ing on, often lost, but never won,' be-
tween principle and expediency. Lin
coin consciously and Douglass uncon-
sciously were preparing the people Of
the free states for the sacrifices of
civil war and the preservation of the
national life. 1t Is to the eternal hon.
or and glory of Douglass, that when |
the war broke out the partisan became
a patriot and gave to his lifelong an
tagonist, President Lincoln, his unqual- |
flied support. For the questions they
debated here hundreds of thousands
OF our countryInen died upon the field |
OF battle. The south fought, as Amsri- |
cans can fight, for what they believed |
TO be right, and the north fought. as |
Americans san fight, for what time has |
demonstrated was right. Two MILL |
ions OF volunteer soldiers helped LIN
coin enforce his message TO the disun- /
ionists in his first speech at the COM
mencement Of this debate: We will |
not go out OF the union and you shall |
not The famous controversy over thu
house divided against itself" nowhere
discussed more bitterly than here on
this platform. ended at Appomattox.
The house did not fall, but 1t did be-
come all free The new south, the
peopled west, the enriched east and the
prosperous north can calmly review the
issues which so radically divided them
in the past, and reverently thank God
that In the final conflict and lis ser-
ueTnent, the leader of the forces Of
union and liberty was the great-hearteei
hroad-souled. wisebrained man Of love
and charity-Abraham Lincoln"
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