The record-union., 1896-10-11


higher. He again summoned his friends
and admirers. He submitted to them
whether he should ask and compel
Douglas to answer the question whether.
Notwithstanding the Dred Scot decision
had declared that slavery was lawful in
the territories under the Constitution.
1.-The people of a territory could in any
lawful way exclude slavery from its
limits prior to the formation of q State
Constitution?" This nakedly presented
the deadly antagonism between the
Dred Scot decision and the popular
sovereignty" of Douglas. Lincoln's
friends unanimously advised against it.
They knew his answer would be that the
decision of the Supreme Court could not
enforce Itself, and therefore, regardless
of it, the people of the territories, by
unfriendly legislation and police regula-
| tions, could exclude slavery. They said
| this would satisfy Illinois and re-elect
Douglas Senator Lincolns answer
was again lofty and memorable: Il
am after loftier game. If Douglas so
answers he can never be President. and
| the battle of 1860 is worth a hundred of
| this" Douglas answered as anticipated.
The answer defeated Lincoln and made
Douglas Senator, but it split the Demo-
cratic party two years later and drove it
from power. 1t defeated Douglas for
the Presidency and carried Lincoln into
the White House.
Upon this platform. and on this very
spot thirty-eight years ago to-day,
stood these intellectual athletes. Neither
they, nor the vast audience which en-
joyed their thrusts and parties, cheered
| their effective blows, and We're en-
| tranced by their eloquence, knew how
rapidly they were making history; how
ably they were preparing the most inn
p1rtant chapter in the story Of the nine
| teenth century. 1t was the battle
eternally going on, "Often lost. but ever
| won," between principle and expedien-
| cy. Lincoln was tall, gaunt awkward
| and homely, with a high, penetrating
voice, which reached easily the utmost
| limits of the crowd. Douglas was short,
corpulent and dignified, with the grace
and courtesy of Senatorial custom and
ass ociation, and spoke with deep tones
and slow enunciation, as if every word
was weighted with an important argu-
mint. Douglas was the more adroit de-
batter; Lincoln the more cogent reasoner.
| Douglas could capture the crowd by
those courtesies to his opponent behind
which he miSrepreSented his position,
while Lincoln, unframed to compliment,
grew resentful and harsh at these sue
cessful falsifcations. Lincoln could
! lift his audience by passionate appeal
! to their better nature for the slave, for
| Justice and for liberty. Douglas was
| always the fighter and debater. Lin
coin consciously and Douglas uncon-
| sciously were preparing the people of
| TIE free States for the sacrifices of civil
war and the preservation of the national
| life. 1t is to the eternal honor and
| glcry of Douglas that when the war
broke out the partisan became a patriot
and gave to his lifelong antagonist,
| President Lincoln, his unqualified sup
port.
For the questions they debated here
| hundreds of thousands of our country
men died upon the field of battle. The
| South fought as Americans can fight
| for what they believed to be right, and
the North fought as Americans car
| fight for what time has demonstrated
was the right. The VOW registered by
Lincoln, the rough flatboatman of 10
at the slave mart in New Orleans, was
fulfilled by Lincoln, President of the
United States, in the proclama tion
|
! sentence for freedom in the Declara-
ton of Independence both a sentiment
and fact Two millions Of volunteer
soldiers helped him enforce his message
to the disunionists in his first speech
| at the commencement of this debate
I'VE will not go out of the Union and
| you shall not"
| The famous controversy over the
| ''hOuSe divided against itself nowhere
| discussed more bitterly than here on
this platform, ended at Appomattox
The house did not fall, but it 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 its
| settlement the leader of the forces OF
union and liberty was the great
hearted, broadsouled, wise-brained
man of love and charity, Abraham Lin
| coin.