Milford chronicle., 1934-02-16

but Douglas said, 81 excavated
channel" Mr.. Lincoln said, "My de
feat by Douglas in 1858 was due Il
bad luck; simply ran at the wront
time" Douglas said, 1T was due Il
a strange, fortuitOus combination o
opportune contingencies that no
body could have fOreseen." In othel
words, no one ever was confused
when Lincoln spoke; others wonder
ed what Douglas meant. Here stands
DOuglas-the Master of Rhetoric
here, Abraham LincOln-the Master
of Logic; Stephen A. DOuglas-elO'
quent i'm words; Abraham Lincoln
eloquent in thought! Douglas al
ways attracted attention to the
speaker; Lincoln always attracted
attention to the issue. People would
go out from the presence of Doug
las, saying: what a wonderful ora
tor is Douglas!" Nobody ever said
that of Lincoln, but they would go
out from the presence of Lincoln
and would be saying: I'VE must
vote against slavery" Douglas
spoke. died, and is forgotten; Lin
coin spoke. passed on. and lives
more now than yesterday--and will
continue to live.
One of the finest addresses in Am
erican literature is the one he de-
livered at Cooper Union in 1860. Mr..
Lincoln had never spoken to the
East before. and he was somewhat
embarrassed when he was introduc-
ed to that famous audience by Will
liam Cullen Bryant. One of Mr.. Lin
coins ardent admirers in the audi
ence and who had never seen him
before. when he saw this angular
figure Shambling across the plat
form, said: 'Is il not possible; is it
not possible; | did not suppose Mr..
Lincoln looked like that" And he
said when he sat down he noticed
ne crossed his legs and both feet
were fiat on the floor at the same
time.
In a study of Mr.. Lincoln, it is
not only interesting to note the
opinions of those who knew him, but
the opinions of those that knew
Douglas. A retired Presbyterian
minister from Freeport Ohio, was
asked his impression of Douglas. He !
said, THE most wonderful orator | /
have ever heard. either before or /
since" Quite naturally. he was ask
ed, What did he say?' And the gen.
tleman hung his head, and with ra-
ther somewhat of embarrassment /
said. Upon my honor. ! cannot re-
member a thing that Douglas said"
We'll, what about LincOln?" 'Oh. /
Lincoln was the funniest fellow |
ever saw in my life!" There is the
contrast; he could not remember a
word Douglas said, but recalled i'm
what Lincoln said. He
said. Il remember how he replied 20 |
Douglas on a matter that Douglas !
had become very eloquent on. and |
he said. complimenting Douglas,
Douglas is the most wonderful ora !
tor | have ever heard, and you will !
never hear his superior; why. to-
night he proved there was not
shadow of a difference between a
chestnut horse and a horse chest
nut"
In one of LincOln's first debates
over in Quincy, he wore long linen /
duster. and while Douglas was
speaking Lincoln retained that dus-
ter. with it buttoned to the last but
ton. When Douglas finished, and
took his seat, and Lincoln was in
reduced by the chairman, the audi
ance was somewhat astOnished to
zee Lincoln step out without remOv-
ng his duster. He looked one of the
allest figures they had ever seen.
lie proceeded for about fifteen min
ties, and then, having warmed up,
IT, began TO unbutton this duster,
alking right on. and turned toward
he chairman, calling him Jake,
nd as he slipped the duster off, he
aid, Jake, hold this thing until I
tone Stephen"
Someone afterward asked him why
e did those funny things on the
latform. Lincoln said, What fun 7
y things?" And the man said, Why,
id you notice tonight you pulled l
p a high-backed chair in front of {
on. and threw one foot over it, and I
TODD on one foot?" well, don't
now much. but know enough
ever to begin on an audience that I
Douglas has left until / get them !
way from Douglas" Lincoln re- I
lied. And if you study these de- !
ates, you will find that Mr.. Lin
Oln never lost an audience.
After the first debate, Mr.. Lin /
oln's supporters were so wonder
ully hilarious, that they literally )
licked him up bodily on their shOul- {
ers and carried him away. Douglas 5
ater referred to this fact, that the I
riends of Lincoln carried him off, !
ut he did it in a very offensive ]
'ay; he said that Lincoln was so ,
sed up after his first debate that I
is friends had to carry him to his I
Otel. Lincoln was not pleased with /
hat joke, because it seemed to be /
Did as a matter of fact. and at the {
cry next meeting. Lincoln referred !
D that, and he issued this chal-
snge: IF Douglas does not publicly d
ere in my presence anOlOgiZe for [
nat mis-statement. l will pick him d
p bodily at the close of this debate L
nd carry him to his hotel, and put +
i'm to bed,"-which he would have
one. b
So it behooved Douglas, in a conf h
ii manner, to refer to the thing as S
lerely amusement, and say that he S
as surprised that Lincoln took it b
eriously. Those debates ended Civ c
lg rank to Mr.. Lincoln as probab- d
! the greatest outstanding political il
tinker of our day, and it was not v
ing after those debates that he was \
40 u.l1.l "a n.... ennnr.,nnA Inndnr :.