The sun., 1896-10-08
GREAT DEBATE RECALLED.
TABLET TO COMMEMORATE THE
LINCOLN-DOU STRUGGLE.

GALEsBuRG. ILL.,, Oct. T.-Knox College to-day
honored the memory Of Lincoln and Douglas
oy nnveilinE bronze tablet commcmorating
Tho thirty-eighth anniversary of the great Lin
coln-DonRlas joint debate. Preparations for
this celebration have been under way for a year,
ana large crowd was present to witness the
exercises. During the morning a soldiers mon
ument In Hope Cemetery was unveiled. Shortly
after 10 O'Clock parade composed of local q.
A. Il. ana visiting posts. the Veteran League,
several companies OF State militia. tho Police
and Fire departments, and Women's Relief
| corps OF the Il. a. X. passed through the prnCi-
| pal streets and was reviewed In the public
| square by the Mayor. Chauncey NJ. Dcpow, Sem
ator Palmer. and other distinguished guests
| The procession then marched to Hope Gene
| terry, where the monument was unveiled by the
| Hon. Robert t. Lincoln. As the monument was
unveiled 1t was saluted by number of rounds
| from two brass field pieces The Hon. Robert
| T. Lincoln then said:
| The question debated here in 1858 was ono
| as to which 1t now seems almost incredible that
| there could be opposing parties, and yet that
question caused the longest and most bitter war
OF modern times. Before the little garrison OF
Fort Sumter had marched from its ruined walls
| proclamation was drawn by tho President
calling for 10000 soldiers to suppress the In
surrection, but ere there was time to issue 1t
there came to him. to pledge the earnest support
of his great ability aud widespread influence in
reestablishing the authority of the national
Government, the great Democratic leader who
had been his lifelong political antagonist,
stephen A. Douglas. In the peril Of the re-
public the contentious of Democracy and Re-
publlcanism were by him and the President put
aside, and for the first time In their lives they
clasped hands as allies in q public cause. In
the election then just past more than q million
devoted followers in the North had cast their
ballots for Mr.. Douglas. ard to them, and to all
others whom his voice could reach. he did not
cease to cry until his untimely death, Every
man must be for the United States against
1t; there can be no neutrals in this war-only
patriots and traitors
Upon the appalling events which crowd the
history of the next four years there is here no
time to dwell. We, who enjoy the blessings of
the liberties and OF the great nationality which
the valor OF defenders has made enduring.
gratefully honor the names Of all Of them.
whether living or dead.
And now let US dedicate this monument to tho
memory OF these patriots of Galesburg and to
patriotism. Since the close of the great strug-
Gle. which 1t commentaries, victors and van
quished have by thousands and tens OF thou
sans fallen into the sleep of death under the
peaceful shelter of their homes. With few
exceptions. the names OF those who were In
high places OF State on either side. or who led
armies, or corps, or divisions In battle. or
commanded sQuadrons on tho sea, are in tho
great ca alogue of the dead.
ITO those who survive. the memories brought
| up by an occasion like this have long ceased to
recall the exultation of victory on one side or
the grief OF defeat on the other. The reflections
Of more than thirty years have turned the once
bitterly warning streams OF sentiment into one
broad river whose current Is borne in safety
and in glory the ship OF state. and no one lives
under the protection OF It's tiax who does NOT at
heart rejoice that the rock of disunlon
ploded from its path and the canker OF human
slavery torn from its framework"
The chief exercises OF the day began at l
O'Clock. the hour at which the famous debate
began thirty-eight years ago. reception
Knox College and n number of prominent citi-
2ens. had previously escorted Mr.. Depew. Mr..
form CAPABLE OF seating the 500 invited guests
which had been erected In front OF the college,
an address OF weiSome was delivered by Col.
Clarke e. Z, Earr fhts bNia wa, followed M I by an ad;
University. The anniversary oration was then
delivered by Chauncey NJ. Depew. In It he said:
Abraham Lincoln was not an accident. but
country was shocked as never before by his
assassination. and yet to ths vast majority Of
the American people he is already legendary
character. and the human elements which en-
deared him to his generation are forgotten. To
understand the Significance Of the meeting here
thirty eight years ago between Lincoln and
Douglas. We must recreate the conditions under
whioh they fought revive the questions which
caused parties to rush from partisanshlp to re-
hellion. and reincarnate the combatants on this
Statehood Of Kansas but both the orators and
the people knew that tho tremendous Issue Was
between freedom and slavery. the dissolution of
the Union or Its perpetuity.
Lincoln and Douglas were rivals In youth
for the hand OF the lady who married tho
former. and contestants In after years for the
United States Senate and the Presidency.
Douglas had been for more than a decade with
coin. after years OF effort, had come to be rec
oEnized as the only orator who could DO safely
iional fame. while Lincoln had only State
reputation. i heard Horace Greeley, who
OF tho 'os of his
though many men could excel Douglas In a
single speech. he had no equal in the country
He could so misstate and then demolish
his adversary's position that It was next TO
lay the falseh, cd. He had the faculty OF extri-
eating himself from an apparently hopeless d.
won the applause OF bis hsarera He intuitively
saw the weak point OF his opponent and rushed
gy His unscrupulousness and untruth fitness.
which would have destroyed other speakers,
Wds m him hs MOI. an h ] no OF n
the forces OF truth With such surprising skill
and logical power that his friends proudly
"I.incoln had humor and pathos. and Douglas
possessed mother. Lincoln's faculty of being at
familiarity which makes them both frIendly
and receptive was the genius of popular ora!ory.
But with these elements he had Rsingularly
lucid power of abatement, aud was master OF
logic. Unlike Douglas, he was weak unless he
knsw he was right. His whole nature must be
stirred with the justice OF his cause i for him to
vinced that he wa battling for right and
truth. and he was Irresistible. He became log-
cal, epigrammatic. and eloquent. Convincing AS
was his spsgih TO G .hois IN WnG oo Listened 1t was
1T Is always the device OF party managers
who corrurtly using thor power to charge
that the reformers who would purify the or
ganization will destroy 1t. This simply means
that they will either rule ruin; but the threat
deccves multitudes who cannot see that at
tackng false leaders IL not Rssailing the party.
Tens of thousands of we'll meaning men believed
that to assail slavery was to endnngur tho
Union. They could not understand that, while
the shareholders were shouting patrloticnlly to
the auti-savery forces II you do not stop this
agitation you will dissolve tho Union they
meant II you do not leave slavery where II 10
aud permit Its extension where II is not. We will
break up tho republic II was Lncoln's task to
make this clear and place the responsibility for
secession upon those " no aeceded and for rebsl-
lion upon those who rsbel!ed and he did IL with
unsnual ad alDOuenra and mower