The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-02-13

Ill j 3 ii I VIC Cil
fied into the new states. This
reused Lincoln as nothing had ever
reused him before. He said, This
nation cannot endure half slave
and half free" When Douglas,
who had been senator all these
years, came home that fall the peo'
pie were angry, and in Chicago
they Kissed him, for he he'd done
more than anyone to repeal the
Missouri compromise. But he set
to work to win them back. He
spoke at Sprinfield, and Lincoln
answered him in a fine speech.
Douglas spoke again; Lincoln went
to Peoria and replied to him, say
ing that mo man is good enough
TO govern another man without the
Others consent Then all men
who were opposed to slavery saw
at once that they had champion
in Lincoln.
:. In 1856 he helped to organize the
republican party, and campaigned
for Fremont. In 1858 legislature
was to be elected which would
choose a successor to Senator
Douglas, and on June 16, 1858, the
republicans in convention at
Springfield resolved that Lincoln
was their first and only choice for
United States senator" Lincoln
then made a speech which fright
ened his friends, who thought it
too radical. He had been preparing
1t for weeks. He would write down
a sentence on scrap of paper and
A,ut it In his hat, and when he had
1T all done In this way, he put these
parts together and read it to his
friends. What frightened them was
that he said that "A house divided
against itself cannot stand. be-
lieve this government cannot en-
slure permanently half slave and
lfhalf free. do not expect the union
TO be dissolved do not expect to
see the house to fall--but | do eX-
pect it will cease to be divided: it
Twill become all one thing or all the
other" His friends begged him
not to deliver it in this form, but
he did so. Then Douglas charged
1incoln with being an aboltionist,
md said he had no reverence for
courts or the law.
These speeches, as Illinois politi-
clans would say. set the prairies on
fire, and Lincoln challenged Doug
Jas to debate. Seven debates were
set-at Ottawa, Aug. 81; Freeport,
Aug. 81: Jonesboro. Sept. Is:
Charleston, Sept. IS: Galesburg,
Oct. 7; Quincy Oct. 10 and Alton,
Oct. Is.
Lincoln had come. to a new epoch
In his career; he was no longer
seeking office for himself: he was
now working for the great cause of
human liberty. And so he kept out
of his speeches all bitterness, all
hatred. and was kind. Take no
thought for the political fate of any
man whomsover, but come back to
the truths that are in the Declara-
zion of Independence. You may do
anything with me you choose, If
you will but heed these sacred
principles. While pretending no
indifference to earthly honors, | do
claim to be actuated in this con
Rest by something higher than an
anxiety for office. | charge you to
drop every petty and insignificant
thought for any mans success. 1t
Is nothing: N am nothing; Judge
Douglas is nothing. But do not de-
stroy that immortal emblem of hui
.manity-the Declaration of Amer
ican independence"
The aristocratic people We're on
Douglas side: the common people
were on l.incoln's side Douglas be-
gan the debates in proud scorn of
Lincoln. but he soon got over this.
He asked Lincoln some questions
whic hhe thought would finish him,
but Lincoln asked him some Ques-
tions-four at Freeport and three
at Jonesboro--on which the debate
and indeed, the fate of the nation.
turned. The second question at
Ereeport was most important, and
his friends begged Lincoln not to
ask 1t; they feared 1t would lose
him the senatorship. He thought it
might. too, but II am after larger
game" he said, 1.-The battle of 1860
Is worth a hundred of this" The
second question was: Can the peo-
pie of United States territory in
any lawful way, against the wishes
of any citizen of the United States,
exclude slavery from it's limits
prior to the formation of state
constitution
Douglas had notion which he
called popular sovereignty" which
was Il clever way of saying that all!
the people might say whether they
Would have slavery or not; that is,
/ all the people exceut those who had
o. be the slaves. Lincoln believed
that II Douglas should answer no"
he would lose Illinois and the sena-
tarshIp; II he answered Eyes" the
t.,I, n -