the life of stephen a. douglas-第28章

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ncoln　was　nominated；　he　said　to　Forney：

〃I　shall　have　my　hands　full。　　He　is　a　strong　man　of　his　party；full　of　wit；　facts；　dates；and　the　best　stump　speaker；　with　his　droll　ways　and　dry　jokes；　in　the　West。　　He　is　as　honest　as　his　is　shrewd；　and　if　I　beat　him　my　victory　will　be　hardly　won。〃

Lincoln　was　burning　with　jealousy。　　He　believed　himself　to　be　Douglas'　full　equal　in　mental　endowment。　　Fortune；　he　thought；　with　a　tinge　of　bitterness；　had　dealt　with　them　most　unequally；　clothing　his　rival　with　the　glory　of　a　world…renowned　statesman；　and　leaving　him　to　waste　his　powers　on　the　obscure　quarrels　of　litigious　clients　in　a　small　town。　　He　yearned　for　the　opportunity　to　measure　himself　with　the　great　Senator　on　a　conspicuous　stage。

This　series　of　debates　was　a　rare　piece　of　strategy　on　Lincoln's　part。　　Douglas　had　so　long　been　wrapped　in　his　senatorial　toga　that　his　greatness　had　become　exaggerated　to　the　popular　mind　of　Illinois；　while　Lincoln　had　been　a　plain；　modest　lawyer；　moving　among　the　people　in　the　daily　round　of　routine　life。　　The　dogmatic　statement　of　the　great　Senator　carried　more　weight　than　the　profoundest　argument　of　the　clearest　demonstration　of　the　country　lawyer。　　But　these　debates　brought　them　to　a　common　level。　　They　measured　their　intellectual　strength　in　the　presence　of　the　people；　with　all　official　trappings　laid　aside；　and　while　no　one　could　well　be　disappointed　in　Douglas'　strength；　the　whole　country　was　amazed　at　the　unexpected　power　of　Lincoln。

There　were　disadvantages　to　Douglas　in　this　mode　of　combat。　　He　must　sacrifice　the　glamour　of　senatorial　dignity　and　enter　the　arena　on　equal　footing　with　his　antagonist。　　He　was　a　brilliant　debater。　〃In　the　whole　field　of　American　politics　no　man　has　equaled　him　in　the　expedients　and　strategy　of　debate。　　*　*　*　He　was　tireless；　ubiquitous；　unseizable。　　It　would　have　been　as　easy　to　hold　a　globule　of　mercury　under　the　finger's　tip　as　to　fasten　him　to　a　point　he　desired　to　evade。　　*　*　*　In　spirit　he　was　alert；　combative；　aggressive；　in　manner　patronizing　and　arrogant　by　turns。〃　　But　he　had　to　meet　in　argument　a　man　of　imperturbably　temper；　who　had　thought　deeply　on　the　great　questions　of　the　time；　who　by　unerring　instinct　could　lay　his　finger　on　every　flaw　in　his　chain　of　reasoning；　could　rise　to　heights　of　eloquence　beyond　the　reach　of　his　unimaginative　mind　and　pour　out　streams　of　quaint　humor　that　must　have　filled　him　with　despair。

So　great　was　the　interest　of　the　people　in　this　extraordinary　contest　that　it　was　found　impossible　to　hold　the　meetings　in　halls。　　They　were　held　during　the　warm　autumn　days　in　the　open　air；　where　the　crowds；　numbering　from　five　to　twenty　thousand；　struggled　to　get　within　range　of　the　speakers'　voices。

It　would　be　difficult　to　conceive　a　more　picturesque　contest　than　that　now　waged　by　these　politicians　as　they　strove　for　the　mastery；　and　the　enormous　crowds　of　friends　and　sympathizers　listened　with　intense　interest　to　the　weighty　arguments；　or　shouted　applause　when　their　favorite　scored　a　point。　　The　audiences；　consisting　largely　of　farmers；　who　had　made　long　journeys　in　wagons　and　lived　in　tents　or　camped　out　in　the　open　air　while　awaiting　the　great　event；　were　in　stern　earnest；　despite　their　holiday　appearance；　and　listened　with　thoughtful　faces　and　troubled　hearts　as　the　grave　theme　was　discussed　which　had　distracted　the　country　for　years。

And　the　orators；　who　were　unconsciously　playing　a　great　role　on　the　historic　stage；　were　surely　among　the　most　interesting　products　of　modern　times。　　Lincoln's　lank；　ungainly　figure；　nearly　six　and　a　half　feet　tall；　clad　in　loose　fitting　clothes；　contrasted　oddly　with　the　short；　stout　figure　of　Douglas；　barely　five　feet　in　height；　trimly　and　rather　sprucely　dressed。　　The　sad；　calm　face　o　Lincoln；　his　humble　and　unheroic　bearing；　were　in　marked　contrast　with　the　finely　chiseled；　powerful；　defiant　face　and　magnificent　Napoleonic　head　surmounting　the　short；　thick　neck　of　Douglas；　who　strode　with　kingly　air　before　he　admiring　throngs。　　The　manner　of　Douglas　was　so　masterful　and　strong　that　a　wavering　audience　must　have　been　swept　away　by　it。　　His　finely　modulated　voice　reached　with　ease　to　the　utmost　limits　of　the　crowds　as　he　thundered　out　his　decisive　arguments　or　condescended　to　compliment　his　aspiring　rival；　while　Lincoln　manifestly　labored　to　so　pitch　his　unmusical　voice　that　the　distant　listeners　could　hear；　and　was　never　betrayed　into　a　single　gracious　compliment　to　the　distinguished　Senator　whose　seat　he　aspired　to　fill。　　And　the　contestants；　however　great　their　posthumous　fame；　were　as　yet　merely　ambitious　politicians；　supremely　interested　in　winning　the　splendid　prize。　　To　Lincoln　the　possibility　of　a　seat　in　the　Senate　was　stimulus　enough。　　Douglas　was　in　mid　career；　assured　of　the　Presidency　in　the　near　future；　but　compelled　at　all　hazards　to　hold　the　ground　already　won。　　His　commanding　eminence　attracted　universal　attention　to　the　contest。　　He　must　not　only　win；　but　bear　himself　throughout　with　the　air　of　an　assured　conqueror。

With　all　their　disparity　of　rank　and　fame；　they　were　not　badly　matched；　and　all　the　substantial　advantages　of　the　situation　lay　with　Lincoln。　　The　greatness　of　Douglas'　fame　excited　sympathy　for　his　rival。　　Success　in　the　contest　would　give　power　and　prestige　to　Lincoln；　and　even　defeat　would　not　be　humiliating。　　Douglas　could　not　expect　much　glory　even　from　victory。　　Though　he　crushed　his　opponent　in　argument；　he　must　still　measure　himself　with　the　Douglas　of　the　Senate　and　not　fall　below　his　own　standard。　　In　his　contest　for　the　Senate；　he　must　remember　the　Presidency　and　shape　his　arguments　for　a　larger　audience　than　that　addressed　by　Lincoln。

During　the　period　of　the　debates　both　were　actively　engaged　in　the　State　campaign；　addressing　one　or　two　audiences　daily；　so　arranging　their　routes　as　to　meet　at　the　appointed　times　and　places。　　On　August　21st；　in　presence　of　a　vast　multitude；　Douglas　opened　the　first　debate　at　Ottawa。

〃Prior　to　1854；〃　he　said；　〃this　country　was　divided　into　two　great　political　parties；　known　as　the　Whig　and　Democratic　parties。　　Both　were　national　and　patriotic。　　*　*　*　Whig　principles　had　no　boundary　sectional　line；　*　*　*　but　applied　and　were　proclaimed　wherever　the　Constitution　ruled　or　the　American　flag　waved　over　American　soil。　So　it　was；　and　so　it　is；　with　the　great　Democratic　party；　which　from　the　days　of　Jefferson　to　this　period　has　proven　itself　to　be　the　historic　party　of　this　Nation。　　*　*　*　The　Whig　party　and　the　Democratic　party　jointly　adopted　the　Compromise　measures　of　1850　as　the　basis　of　a　proper　and　just　solution　of　this　slavery　question　in　all　its　forms。　　Clay　was　the　great　leader；　with　Webster　on　his　right　and　Cass　on　his　left；　and　sustained　by　the　patriots　in　the　Whig　and　Democratic　ranks。　　*　*　*　*　In　1851　the　Whig　party　and　the　Democratic　party　united　in　Illinois　in　approving　the　principles　of　the　Compromise　measures　of　1850。　　*　*　*　In　1852　the　Whig　party　in　Convention　at　Baltimore　declared　the　Compromise　measures　of　1850　a　suitable　adjustment　of　that　question。　　*　*　*　*　The　Democratic　Convention　assembled　in　Baltimore　the　same　year　and　adopted　the　Compromise　measures　of　1850　as　the　basis　of　Democratic　action。　　*　*　*　They　both　stood　on　the　same　platform　with　regard　to　the　slavery　question。　　That　platform　was　the　right　of　the　people　of　each　State　and　Territory　to　decide　their　local　and　domestic　institutions　for　themselves；　subject　only　to　the　Federal　Constitution。

〃In　1854　I　introduced　into　the　Senate　a　bill　to　organize　the　Territories　of　Kansas　and　Nebraska　on　that　principle　which　had　been　adopted　in　the　Compromise　measures　of　1850；　and　indorsed　by　the　Whig　party　and　the　Democratic　party　in　National　Convention　in　1852。　　*　*　*　Thus　you　see　that　up　to　1854；　when　the　Kansas…Nebraska　bill　was　brought　into　Congress　for　the　purpose　of　carrying　out　the　principles　which　both　parties　up　to　that　time　had　indorsed　and　approved；　there　was　no　division　of　opinion　in　this　country　in　regard　to　that　principle；　except　the　opposition　of　the　Abolitionists。　　In　the　House　of　Representatives　of　Illinois　upon　a　resolution　asserting　that　principle　every　Whig　and　every　Democrat　voted　in　the　affirmative。〃

In　1854　Lincoln