USA > Illinois > Stephenson County > History of Stephenson County, Illinois : a record of its settlement, organization, and three-quarters of a century of progress > Part 25
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The officers were: President, W. J. Johnston; Vice President, J. Burrell; Secretary, J. S. Oliver. J. S. Oliver and W. J. Johnston debated against H. M. Sheetz and J. C. Howells. J. Burrell gave a declamation. Professor' Daniels gave a series of lectures on Geology. The Journal says, "The efforts of the Addams Institute to introduce these lectures deserves credit."
FREEPORT LITERARY INSTITUTE.
The Freeport Literary Institute was organized at Hon. T. J. Turner's office January 11, 1853. Mr. U. D. Meacham was chairman of the meeting. The following officers were elected for one year: President, Judge Coats; Vice Presi- dent, P. D. Fisher ; Secretary, S. D. Knight; Treasurer, John Barfoot ; Librarian, Dr. O. E. Stearns. The business committee consisted of John K. Brewster, Dr. C. Bartin, and D. C. Wilmot, part of whose duties were the employment of lecturers, and purchase of books, papers and scientific apparatus. The mem-
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bership fee was one dollar. Mr. F. W. S. Brawley was to deliver the first lec- ture. The Journal says, "Mr. Brawley is an easy and beautiful writer and a ripe scholar." Mr. Brawley being absent, Hon. T. J. Turner gave one of his characteristic speeches. Mr. C. A. Clark also addressed the meeting.
LECTURES.
PUBLIC LECTURES.
In 1853, the following citizens volunteered to deliver public lectures: F. W. S. Brawley, T. J. Turner, Rev. A. J. Warner, D. E. Markle, C. A. Clark, Rev. J. Coon, U. D. Meacham, Dr. C. Martin, J. C. Howells, Rev. James Bentley, H. M. Sheetz, Dr. R. Van Valzah, E. Hunt, Dr. O. E. Stearns and C. E. Berry.
Cassius M. Clay spoke in Freeport in 1854, for the whigs, before an audience of 2,000 to 3,900 people. Later came Joshua R. Giddings, the Anti-Slavery war horse of the Western Reserve, Salmon P. Chase, George W. Julian, followed by Stephen A. Douglas.
LECTURE COURSE, 1855-6.
Wm. Stark New Hampshire.
. E. P. Whipple Boston.
Park Benjamin New York.
Parke Goodwin New York.
T. Starr King . Boston.
R. W. Emerson Concord.
John G. Saxe Vermont.
B. F. Taylor Chicago.
J. K. Doolittle Racine.
E. H. Chapin New York.
THE LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE-1858.
The greatest political event in Stephenson County was the Lincoln and Douglas Debate at Freeport, August 27, 1858. Both Lincoln and Douglas were candidates for the United States Senate. Douglas had been in the senate since 1847 and his second term would expire in 1859. In order to be elected in 1858, Douglas knew he must control the election to the state legislature. Douglas had broken with Buchanan in the Kansas troubles and found that he had a hard fight before him in Illinois. When Buchanan threatened Douglas, the "Little Giant" told the president that Andrew Jackson was dead. This meant that Douglas would take his own course on his idea of 'Popular Sovereignty.'"
Mr. Lincoln, as a candidate, however, found that Douglas was a strong op- ponent, for in over eleven years Douglas had planted an army of federal officials, postmasters, revenue collectors, etc., over the state. He had back of him an interested organization, composed of the old wheelhorses of his party. As Lincoln said of Douglas : "All anxious politicians have seen in his round, jolly,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN .
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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fruitful face, post-offices, land-offices, marshall-ships, cabinet appointments, charge-ships and foreign missions, bursting and sprouting out in wonderful exuberance, ready to be laid hold of by their greedy hands. On the contrary, nobody ever expected me to be president. In my poor lean, lank face nobody has ever seen that any cabbages were sprouting out. We have to fight this battle upon principle, and principle alone."
Some claimed that John Wentworth of Chicago was the real republican can- didate and that Lincoln was just a stalking-horse to beat Douglas in the leg- islative elections.
Douglas received the indorsement of the Democratic State Convention April 21, 1858. A number of democrats bolted, held a "rump" convention on June 9th and denounced Douglas. The Republican Convention was held June 16, at Springfield. Lincoln was unanimously nominated with wild applause. Chicago took the lead in securing Lincoln's nomination.
It was Lincoln's carefully written speech of acceptance that brought him at once into national prominence. It was in this speech that he broke away from the old compromise idea and said, "The Government cannot exist half salve and half free; it must become all one thing or all the other." Future events justified the wisdom of Lincoln going to the root of the whole slavery question. But the politicians of his own party felt that he had made a mistake. Truly enough, from the standpoint of immediate politics, he lost, for Douglas beat him in the race for the senate. But Lincoln was looking far into the muture. He grasped the great fundamentals and essentials of the slavery question, and in 1860 he became the logical candidate for the presidency of the United States.
The campaign really opened in Chicago, where Douglas was given a great oration. Democratic newspapers said 30,000 people heard him. Republican papers said 12,000. In this speech Douglas attacked Lincoln's Springfield speech. Lincoln then went to Chicago and replied to Douglas. The Illinois Journal then said: "The war has begun. In sound manly argument Lincoln is too much for Douglas. While the former shakes his black locks vaingloriously, and ex- plodes in mere fustion of sound and smoke, the latter, quietly, unassumingly but effectively, drives home argument after argument, heavy as cannon balls and sharp as two-edged swords, until his adversary is so thoroughly riddled, cut up and used up, that in the view of discriminating men, nothing remains of him but a ghastly appearance." The Louisville Democrat said: "The debate in Illinois is the ablest and most important that has ever taken place in any of the states, on the great question which has so long agitated the country, elected and de- feated presidential candidates, built up and broken down parties. It is the opening for the question of 1860. In Illinois the real battle has begun, by broad- sides too, from the heaviest artillery. Douglas is matchless in debate and stands upon the only national platform. Lincoln is able and does full justice to the cause he advocates." The New York Tribune commented on the fact that Douglas was born in Free Vermont and Lincoln in slave-holding Kentucky, and observes that these gentlemen would seem respectively to have "conquered their preju- dices" found in early impressions. The Philadelphian North America said August 25, 1858, "The administration of Buchanan has been at work with all its power and influence to prevent the election of Douglas to the Senate. Mr.
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Lincoln follows Douglas wherever he goes, and has the best of the argument." Trumbull also stumped the state against Douglas and Mr. Edwin Ensle Sparks says : "Without a formal nomination or indorsement by the people of Illinois, ridiculed as a "My party" candidate, and facing the loss of Federal patronage, Douglas entered on the greatest of his many battles for supremacy,-a contest surpassing that waged two years later for the presidency. Alone and un- aided he forced in the lists Trumbull and Lincoln, the best debaters afforded by the Republicans in the West and probably equaled by Seward in the East."
The Quincy Whig had an idea that Douglas was done for. It said, "Judge Douglas has left the Democratic party or it has left him. He sees that his fate is sealed, but he is determined to die hard." The Pittsfield Democrat took up Lincoln's statement that he would rather be a live dog than a dead lion. The Democrat said, "Abe Lincoln who compared himself to a living dog and Doug- las to a dead lion will rapidly discover that instead of 'living,' he is one of the smallest of defunct puppies. His comparison in some degree was true-it is very much like a puppy-dog fighting a lion."
Douglas began a tour of the state after his oration in Chicago. He had a special train, and a flat car at the rear on which was a small cannon. It was reported that Douglas mortgaged his Chicago home and borrowed funds in New York to carry on his campaign. Republicans said he carried a cannon so as to announce his entrance to a city, provided there was no reception for him. On the baggage car in large letters were the words, "S. A. Douglas, the Champion of Popular Sovereignty." At Bloomington Douglas attacked Lincoln's ideas. He said Lincoln was in favor of negro equality. That he defied the Supreme Court in opposing the Dred Scott Decision and that Lincoln's "House Divided Against Itself" speech beautiful the spirit of disunion.
July 19, 1858, Douglas spoke in Springfield in the afternoon and Lincoln replied at night. Lincoln also had an invitation to go to Bloomington and reply to Douglas. Douglas made out a schedule of speeches indicating his itinerary, after his Springfield speech. Lincoln's friends made a corresponding schedule closely following that of Douglas, sometimes at the same place on the same date, but more often a day or so following. Douglas' friends claimed that Lincoln was violating the ethics of campaigning by following Douglas. The Illinois State Journal approved, saying: "We hope that Mr. Lincoln will continue to follow up Mr. Douglas with a sharp stick, even if it does make his organ (the Chicago Times) howl with rage." Another paper said: "Wherever the Little Giant happens to be, Abe is sure to turn up and be a thorn in his side." The Chicago Times said Lincoln's Chicago and Springfield meetings were failures. "The cringing, crawling creature is hanging at the outskirts of Douglas' meet- ings, begging the people to come and hear him. He rode to Monticello yesterday on Douglas' train ; poor deseperate creature, he wants an audience! The people won't turn out and hear him, and he must do something, even if it is mean, sneaking and disreputable! We suggest that Lincoln's managers make an ar- rangement with a Circus Company now touring the State, to include a speech by Lincoln in the program. In this way Lincoln could get good audiences." In reply the Chicago Journal said: "We suppose Douglas owns neither the railroad trains he travels on nor the people whom he addresses." The Chicago Times said :
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"Lincoln attended the Douglas Meeting at Clinton screened behind a man in green goggles, whom he used as a shield and cover. When Douglas was through, Lincoln gradually lengthened out his long lank proportions till he stood upon his feet, and with a desperate attempt to look pleasant, said that he would not take advantage of Judge Douglas' crowd but would address 'sich' as like to hear him in the evening at the Courthouse."
LINCOLN'S CHALLENGE TO DOUGLAS.
In his speeches Douglas was paying particular attention to Trumbull's speeches. Lincoln's friends feared that in this way he would be a minor attrac- tion in the campaign and would lose force as a candidate. Lincoln was anxious for a series of joint debates with Douglas and after consulting the Republican leaders, he sent the following challenge to Douglas :
Hon. S. A. Douglas.
Chicago, Il1., July 24, 1858.
My Dear Sir: Will it be agreeable to you to make an arrangement for you and myself to divide time, and address the same audiences the present canvas ? Mr. Judd, who will hand you this, is authorized to receive your answer; and if agreeable to you, to enter into terms of such agreement.
Your obedient servant, A. LINCOLN.
That very day Douglas answered the challenge, accepting it and suggesting places where the debates were to be held. Mr. Douglas expressed surprise that Lincoln had delayed so long in sending the challenge as he had already made out his schedule and had arranged with candidates for Congress and State offices to speak from the same platform. "However," Mr. Douglas said, "I will take the responsibility of making an arrangement with you for a discussion between us at one prominent point in each Congressional District except the second and the sixth where both have spoken and you had the last speech. If agreeable to you, I will indicate to you the following places as those most suitable in the sev- eral congressional districts in which we should speak, to wit: Freeport, Ottawa, Galesburg, Quincy, Alton, Jonesboro, and Charleston. I will confer with you at the earliest opportunity in regard to the mode of conducting the debate.
Very respectfully, your most obedient servant, S. A. DOUGLAS.
Republican papers claimed that Douglas evaded the conflict in limiting the number of debates and that he lacked courtesy when he selected the places where the debates were to be held, if any were to be held. The Chicago Daily Journal, July 27, says : "Every canvass for the last twenty years has found these two champions of their respective parties side by side with each other, and often addressing the same audience, and Mr. Lincoln never asked any favor of his adversary. He does not now. Douglas shows the white feather and, like a trembling Felix, skulks behind the appointments of the emasculate Democratic State Central Committee!" The Chicago Times believed, or pretended to be- lieve that Lincoln's challenge was due to the fact that Lincoln could not get audiences to come out to hear him. It expressed the opinion that about two
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joint discussions would satisfy Mr. Lincoln's ambitions along this line. The paper doubted Mr. Lincoln's acceptance, but stated that if he did he would get enough of debate and discomfiture to last him a life-time. The Peoria Tran- script and other papers took the position that Lincoln's delay in issuing the chal- lenge was due to the fact that out of courtesy, in accordance with a western cus- tom, Lincoln expected and hoped that Judge Douglas would challenge him to stump the state.
FREEPORT JOURNAL, JULY 29, 1858.
In discussing the debate the Freeport Journal said, "Mr. Lincoln having challenged Senator Douglas to meet him on the stump all over the state. The latter declines the general invitation, but agrees to meet him at seven different places as follows: Freeport, Galesburg, Ottawa, Quincy, Jonesboro, Alton and Charleston, provided Lincoln will come at the time Douglas' friends may have chosen, if any. Though this is a half-way evasion of the challenge, we are glad that we in Freeport, at least, will have an opportunity to hear these two champions from the same stand. We bespeak for them the largest gathering ever known here, and are willing to let the people judge for themselves who shall be their choice after a fair hearing of them both in person."
The Illinois State register defended Douglas and hoots at the idea that Douglas is afraid to meet Lincoln. It said, "The idea that a man who has crossed blades in the Senate with the strongest intellects of the country, who has as the champion of Democratic principles in the senatorial arena, routed all opposition-that such a man dreads encounter with A. Lincoln is an ab- surdity that can be uttered by Lincoln's organs only with a ghastly phiz. If Lincoln was good for fifty or a hundred encounters, he ought to be good for seven."
On July 29, Lincoln met Douglas near Monticello, Illinois, and offered him his answer to Douglas' reply to the challenge. A St. Louis paper gives the following account of that meeting on a prairie road. It is needless to say the account was written by a Douglas reporter. "On the way to the railroad, the judge's procession was met by Abe, who in a kind of nervous, excited manner tumbled out of his carriage, his legs appearing sadly in the way or out of place. He got to the judge's carriage with a kind of hop, skip and a jump, and then with considerable bowing and scraping, he told the judge he had the answer to the judge's letter; that it was long, that he had not compared it with the original letter, and could the judge just wait that the comparison might be made by the roadside. Just think of staying out in the middle of a vast prairie to compare notes. Douglas, of course, declined, requesting Mr. Lincoln to compare to his own satisfaction, and then forward the communica- tion." Lincoln's reply is dated Springfield, July 29. In it, Mr. Lincoln an- swers several insinuations in Mr. Douglas' letter. Concluding Mr. Lincoln says, "I agree to an arrangement for us to speak at the seven places you men- tion, and at your own' times, provided you name the times at once, so that I, as well as you, can have to myself the time not covered by the arrangement.
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As to the other details, I wish perfect reciprocity and no more. I wish as much time as you and that conclusions shall alternate. That is all.
Your obedient servant, A. LINCOLN.
P. S. As matters now stand, I shall be at no more of your exclusive meet- ings. A. L.
Douglas received Lincoln's letter at Bement, and replied the next day, July 30, 1858, as follows :
Dear Sir: Your letter dated yesterday, accepting my proposition for a joint' discussion at one prominent point in each district except, as stated in my pre- vious letter, was received this morning. The times and places designated are as follows: Ottawa, LaSalle County, August 21, 1858; Freeport, Stephenson County, August 27, 1858; Jonesboro, Union County, September 15, 1858; Charleston, Coles County, September 18, 1858; Galesburg, Knox County, Octo- ber 7, 1858; Quincy, Adams County, October 13, 1858; Alton, Madison County, October 15, 1858.
I agree to your suggestion that to alternately open and close the discussion, I will speak at Ottawa one hour, you can reply, occupying one hour and a half, and I will then follow for one-half hour. We will alternate in like manner at each successive place.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. A. DOUGLAS.
On July 31, Lincoln replied : "Yours of yesterday, naming places, times and terms for joint discussions between us was received this morning. Although by the terms, as you propose, you take four openings and closes to my three, I accede, and thus close the arrangement. I direct this to you at Hillsboro, and shall try to have both your letter and this appear in the Journal and Register Monday morning.
Your obedient servant, A. LINCOLN.
The Springfield Journal said on July 31, "It is clear that Senator Douglas is not fond of Mr. Lincoln's rough-handling and is anxious to get out of an ugly scrape on any terms. He had to run away from Lincoln in 1854 and dares not stand his broadsides now."
Thus on July 31, the last word had been written between these two great sons of Illinois, and a series of joint debates arranged that have no parallel in the history of the United States. The whole state was aroused and all looked for- ward eagerly to the opening of the series at Ottawa, August 21, 1858.
THE OTTAWA DEBATE.
The special Chicago train of 14 cars, leaving at 8:00, arrived at Ottawa with Lincoln at II:45. The railroad gave a half-fare rate. Twenty thousand people assembled to hear the contest. Douglas was met at Peru and brought to Ottawa in a carriage drawn by four horses. He was escorted into the city by shouts of the thousands, the booming of cannons and the music of brass bands, says one of the reporters, while the Lincoln delegation made a sorrowful appear- ance. Another paper said that Lincoln was met at the depot by an immense crowd with flying banners, while Douglas' turnout was less noisy.
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At Ottawa the surging crowd two or three times almost drove the reporters off the platform. People climbed to the roof of the speakers stand and it broke through on the heads of the reception committee. The Chicago Press and the Tribune said, "Fully two-thirds of the crowd were with Lincoln and cheered him wildly all through his speech." It says, "When Lincoln had finished his speech, Douglas sprang to his feet to reply. His face was lined with passion and excitement. We have never seen a human face so distorted with rage. He re- sembled a wild beast in looks and gesture, and a maniac in language and argu- ment. He called everybody liars who believed the charges Lincoln made against him. He boasted that he had won the victory and threatened what awful things he would do to Lincoln at Freeport."
The Missouri Republican's reporter wrote in his paper that Douglas' speech was received calmly, but "Lincoln in one of his characteristic efforts, inter- larding his address with funny anecdotes, droll expressions and frequent witti- cisms, soon brought outbursts of applause which his clever hits brought forth. He punched the Little Giant right and left and dealt him many a well aimed thrust of keen satire. But the aforesaid Giant did not seem to be otherwise af- fected than as a young bull by an attack of gad flies. Douglas was aroused, and when it came his turn to reply, "perhaps" he didn't make the "hair" "fly." The Peoria Transcript said "Douglas' whole speech was delivered in a coarse, vulgar, boisterous style. Lincoln's speech was high-toned and honorable, bold pungent and powerful." The Illinois State Register, Springfield, said, "Compared with the hearty welcome of Douglas the efforts of the Republicans to make a show for Lincoln was a sickly affair. Lincoln did not 'face the music.' He only blun- dered and broke down lacking fifteen minutes of making out the time al- lotted to him. Lincoln withered before the bold, lucid, eloquent argumentation, and writhed under the sharp invective of Douglas." The Chicago Times said "Lincoln broke down, his heart, his legs, his tongue, his arms failed him, and he failed all over." The Chicago Journal: "Since the flailing Senator Douglas got at Ottawa on Saturday we suggest that his friends address him as the late Mr. Douglas." The Quincy Whig: "Among other equally eloquent expressions, Douglas said he intended to bring Lincoln to his milk, that Lincoln advocated that 'niggers' were equal to white men and that he was going to 'trot' Lincoln down to Egypt. Isn't this beautiful language for a United States senator?"
The newspapers gave such conflicting reports of the debate at Ottawa that the only way to form an unbiased opinion is to read the speeches.
THE FREEPORT DEBATE.
Friday, August 27, at Freeport was a chilly day, threatening rain. But the crowds came from all directions to hear the great debate, the second of the series between Lincoln and Douglas. At 9 o'clock the Carroll County delegations arrived with a brass band and banners. An hour later a special train of twelve crowded cars came in from Dixon. Mr. Lincoln arrived on this train and was met at the station by two thousand citizens of Stephenson County. They met him with tremendous cheering and the multitude, headed by a band, marched. to the Brewster Hotel where Hon. Thomas J. Turner delivered the welcome ad-
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dress. A special train of sixteen cars, carrying over one thousand persons, came in from Rockford, with a banner "Winnebago County for Old Abe." They swept up Stephenson Street to the hotel and yelled till Lincoln came out and made a brief speech. A train of eight cars brought a crowd from Galena and Lincoln again had to appear on the balcony at the Brewster. Douglas reached Freeport Thursday evening and was escorted to the Brewster by a torchlight procession. The New York Evening Post's special correspondent said the crowd was larger than at Ottawa. "All prairiedom has broken loose. Everywhere are banners, cotton mottoes and small flags. The streets are black with people. The weather is cool and cloudy. Mr. Douglas was greeted last evening by a turnout of torches, salutes of artillery and a stunning illumination of the hotel." A Republican Chicago newspaper said there were seventy-five in the torchlight procession and the Missouri Republican (Democratic) said there were one thousand.
The Freeport Journal (September 21, 1858) said: "The people began coming the day before. The crowd was estimated at from ten thousand to twenty thousand. Douglas was met at the depot Thursday evening and made a brief speech at the Brewster Hotel. Lincoln arrived from the South at ten o'clock and was met at the train by an immense assemblage of Republicans. All away along the procession to the Brewster Hotel he was received with the most un- bounded enthusiasm. It was plainly evident that the great majority of the peo- ple had no sympathy with the party that endorsed the Dred Scott Decision or its unprincipled leader."
WHERE THE DEBATE WAS HELD.
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The Lincoln-Douglas debate in Freeport was held not far from the Brewster Hotel, the site being marked by a large boulder. The platform was three or four feet high and had room on it for about a dozen people. The crowd formed a vast semi-circle about the stand.
It had been planned to take Douglas to the speaking place in a handsome carriage. Lincoln's men, hearing of this, decided to produce a contrast, explained as follows from the recollection of General Smith D. Atkins: "Larning that it was the intention to convey the Democratic champion in a splendid equipage from Mr. Brawley's residence to the place of speaking, the Republican Committee sent out into Lancaster township for Uncle John Long to come to Freeport with his splendid team of six enormous horses and his conestoga wagon in which he had recently driven from Pennsylavnia. Lincoln stoutly protested against the plan, but finally consented. Amid the cheers of Republicans and Democrats alike, he climbed into the wagon, followed by a dozen of his enthusiastic supporters from the. farming contingent and was drawn to the place of speaking. The driver of the teams sat on the nigh wheel horse and drove the six horses with a single rein." When Douglas was informed of Lincoln's conveyance, he decided to abandon the fine carriage and the dapple grays and walked to the speaker's plat- form with Colonel Mitchel.
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