Charleston, Illinois, Sept. 18 As fall becomes well and truly upon us so does the frequency of the Lincoln and Douglas public feud. This debate is set to take place on the Coles County Fairgrounds, and it is filled with upwards of ten thousand people, perhaps nearer to fifteen thousand. Eleven railroad cars of people arrived from Indiana. Again there is much pageantry … [Read more...] about Lincoln: ‘Physical differences…forever forbid the two races from living together’
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Lincoln: Granting negro equality as fantastical as proving ‘horse-chesnut to be a chesnut horse’
Quincy, Illinois,Oct. 13 The Lincoln Douglas debate moves to downtown Quincy. It could be assumed that this city is a fan of Lincoln. Quincy is a city of Whigs, Mr. Lincoln’s former political party. Today is a clear sky and without any of the cold and bracing wind of Galesburg. The Quincy Whig published a programme for the speech. Judge Douglas arrived the prior night in … [Read more...] about Lincoln: Granting negro equality as fantastical as proving ‘horse-chesnut to be a chesnut horse’
Douglas: ‘I’m in favor of confining citizenship to white men’
Ottawa, Illinois, Aug. 21 The stage for the first debate has been erected on the edge of the canal. It is constructed in a manner that allows for impermanence due to the nature of these debates. To stir people up for the election and then to be torn away at the end of it all. I suppose there is a charm to it, to live in the moment of history. Ottawa itself, in the far north … [Read more...] about Douglas: ‘I’m in favor of confining citizenship to white men’
Lincoln-Douglas debates marred by overt racism
When Abraham Lincoln and Sen. Stephen A. Douglas arrived in dry and dusty Ottawa, Illinois, on Aug. 21, 1858, for the first of their seven great debates, their campaigns for the Senate were consumed by the great national struggle over slavery. A large press corps covered the debates, which were big news across the nation and established Lincoln’s national reputation. … [Read more...] about Lincoln-Douglas debates marred by overt racism
Lincoln: Slavery represents ‘eternal struggle between….right and wrong”
Alton, Illinois, Oct. 15 The final debate has a small crowd of perhaps 5,000 people, a small number considering that many trains lowered their fare by nearly half from Chicago and Springfield to come to this debate. As it was, many of the crowd arrived from St. Louis on a steamboat. The day was cloudy but otherwise the weather was fair for the riverfront debate. Both … [Read more...] about Lincoln: Slavery represents ‘eternal struggle between….right and wrong”