The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1916-08-24
WAS SECOND COUSIN OF MARTYR
ED PRESIDENTS WIFE AND
SPENT eIRLHooD NEAR LIN
COLIN HOME IN SPRINGFIELD.
RECALLS LINCOLN
DOUGLAS DEBATES
lRy W. w. EMMERsoNl

who knew Abraham Lincoln, the
States, during his career at Springfield,
Illinois, as intimately as the average
man or woman does their next-door
neighbor Her name is Mrs. r. S.
Pyle and she was a second cousin
of Mary Todd Lincoln. wife of our
first martyred president
Although Mrs. Pyle's parents came
from Kentucky she was born in
Springfield and spent her girlhood
days in that city. Her family was veal
thy and socially prominent, which af-
forded her an entree to the most ex-
elusive homes in the community. Mrs.
Pyle was sixteen years of age when
the war of the Rebellion broke out
and for some years previously had TAX
en- a keen interest in politics becase
of the public discussions growing out
of the Kansas-Nebraska bill of 1850
and the slavery question which it in
volved. She heard several of the de-
bates between Lincoln and Stephen
A. Douglas. "the little giant" in the
campaign for the United States sena-
torship in 1858 and remembers with
great distinctness many of the Incl
dents of that remarkable canvass.
She was particularly impressed with
the aptness of Lincoln's quotation in
his Galesburg speech that "a house di-
yided against itself cannot stand" and
the forcefulness of his argument that
"a nation half slave and half free
cannot long endure" Although Lin
coin was defeated by Douglas for the
senatorship he left an impression on
the public by his mastery presenta-
tion of the issues that had arisen in
connection with the Missouri compro-
mise and the successive legislation on
the slavery question that eliminated
in the Kansas-Nebraska bill some
thirty years later, that secured for
him in 1860 the nomination for the
presidency and his election to that
great office.
Mrs. Pyle says that both Lincoln
and Douglas were highly picturesque
on the stump. though of very oppo-
site styles, principles and appearance.
Lincoln was six feet four inches tall.
of rustic awkward bearing and home
ly speech; while Douglas was a mani
kin in height. though Goliath in brain
and energy. Lincoln, she says, was
humorous. but straightforward and
copuipcinu raacopa, ,xybiIa
was an orator and had all of the tricks
of the politician of that day with a
great gift for becoming a hailfellow.
well met with the boys. His convic.
tions in relation to the institution OF
slavery lacked stability and anchor
age. in fact, he professed to care moth.
ing about 1t one way or another on
sentimental OF moral grounds; he
would have let it alone where it was
if he could. He was unwilling, how.
ever. to advocate its being violently
forced upon a free majority. but had
no objections to its expansion to.
wards Mexico and Cuba, IL its friends
desired its expansion in that diree-
tion.
Lincoln finally cornered Douglas
with a question evolved from the
Dred Scott decision by asking him
what he had to say about the right
to hold slaves in a territory created
by virtue of the federal compact?
Douglas replied that without prejudice
to the Supreme court view of the mat
ter, that if people or territory
wished to exclude slavery from it,
they would always be able to do so.
The enactment of unfriendly laws by
the legislature could settle it. This
answered Douglas immediate purpose
of carrying his Illinois audiences, but
Lincoln in eliciting the statement
from him had in view the far more
important political contest of 1850.
Douglas by his reply to Lincoln's In
terrogatory had definitely alienated
Southern support for his presidential
aspirations. The South would de-
mand perfect explicitness in the sup
port Of slavery in their candidate. Al
though Lincoln lost the prize of the
Illinois senatorship he prepared the
way for defeating Donuglas for the
presidency.
Mrs. Pyle was frequent visitor TO
4. the Lincoln home In Springfield and
knew Mr.. Herndon. his law partner.
She says Lincoln was kindly. gener.