meaning" of republicanism, and incur for it that odium which it justly deserves. The Democracy have only to unite their forces upon their old platform of principle, maintain the rights of the states under the constitution, and the presidential result will be "a settler to Seward," Lincoln and all their fellow aspirants for presidential honors upon a sectional, unconstitutional platform. CHAPTER XX EDITIONS OF THE DEBATES The Campaign in Illinois. Last Joint Debate. Douglas and Lincoln at Alton, Illinois. (From the Chicago Times, October 17, 1858.) Washington: Lemuel Towers, 1858. The Introduction to this pamphlet contains uncomplimentary references to Lincoln and the value of his arguments. It may be the "document" referred to in the following, although there is a discrepancy in the dates: [Galesburg (Ill.) Democrat, October 13, 1858] Douglas has put out a lying document composed of extracts from the speeches of Lincoln & Douglas at the joint debates. The extracts from Lincoln's speeches are all emasculated and perverted just as his speech here was. They have been secretly scattered by the thousands in Fulton & Tazewell co's as we know, and they are probably distributed throughout the State, excepting in such places as Chicago, where the fraud would recoil upon their heads too quickly. What language can portray the depravity of the man who will resort to means so base for the accomplishment of his end. Lincoln's speeches in the Debates made him the spokesman of Republican principles in the West and the rival of Seward in that position among the Eastern states. They formulated the arguments used in the gubernatorial election in Ohio in 1859; and, immediately after the election, Governor-elect Dennison and various Republican officials of the state wrote to Lincoln for official copies of the Debates in order to publish them as a hand-book for the approaching presidential election. In response to this request, Lincoln forwarded copies of the Chicago Press and Tribune, from which his speeches could be set up, and the Chicago Times, from which the speeches of Douglas could be taken. In an accompanying letter Lincoln said: "The copies I send you are as reported and printed by the respective friends of Senator Douglas and myself at the time-that is, by his friends and mine at the time. It would be an unwarranted liberty for us to change a word or letter in his, and the changes I have made in mine, you perceive, are verbal only, and very few in number. I wish the reprint to be precisely as the copies I send, without any comment whatever." The first official edition of the debates is listed: Political Debates between Lincoln and Douglas. 8vo, pp. 268, cloth. Columbus, Ohio: Foster, Follett & Co., 1860. Of the many issues of this edition, a dealer' says: "Of the so-called first editions, there seem to be at least four different issues. I have four before me as I write. What is considered the first issue contains no advertisements. The second issue has three pages of advertisements following the title-page with the statement that 15,000 copies have already been sold. The third issue has one page of advertisements and three pages of correspondence preceding the title-page, with the announcement that 30,000 copies have been sold; and the correspondence includes a letter from Douglas complaining of alleged corrections in former issues together with the publishers' rejoinder. There are differences even in the so-called first issue. In one the copyright notice is on the page following the title, with the table of contents on the next page, while Lincoln's speech of June 17, 1858, begins on the second page following. In another issue, the table of contents and copyright notice are on the page following the title and the next two pages are taken up with the correspondence between Lincoln and the Central Executive Committee relating to the publication of the Debates. Nicolay and Hay's Lincoln's Works, I, 596. Daniel H. Newhall, 59 Maiden Lane, New York. The first speech begins on the next page." The protest of Douglas mentioned above is as follows: WASHINGTON, June 9, 1860 "Gentlemen: I have received by the express one dozen copies of your publication of the joint debates between Mr. Lincoln and myself in 1858, sent by order of Mr. Cox, who will pay you the amount of your bill. I feel it my duty to protest against the unfairness of this publication, and especially against the alterations and mutilations in the reports, as published in the Chicago Times, although intended to be fair and just, were necessarily imperfect, and in some respects erroneous. The speeches were all delivered in the open air, to immense crowds of people, and in some instances in stormy and boisterous weather, when it was impossible for the reporters to hear distinctly and report literally. The reports of my speeches were not submitted to me or any friend of mine for inspection or correction before publication; nor did I have the opportunity of reading more than one or two of them afterwards, until the election was over, when all interest in the subject had passed away. In short, I regard your publication as partial and unfair, and designed to do me injustice, by placing me in a false position. I saw in the preface to the first edition of your publication which is omitted in the copy sent to me, a correspondence between Mr. Lincoln and the Ohio republican committee, from which it appears that Mr. Lincoln furnished his speeches and mine for publication-his in the revised and corrected form, and mine as they came from the hand of the reporter, without revision. Being thus notified that his speeches had been revised and corrected, this fact ought to have reminded you that common fairness and justice required that I should have an opportunity of revising and correcting mine. But to deny me that privilege, and then to change and mutilate the reports as they appeared in the newspaper from which they were taken is an act of injustice against which I must be permitted to enter my protest. In order that the injustice which you have done me may be in some degree diminished, I respectfully request that this letter, together with the correspondence between Mr. Lincoln and the committee, which led to the publication may be inserted as a preface to all future editions of these debates. I have the honor to be, very respectfully your obedient servant, Messrs. Follett, Foster & Co., Columbus, Ohio |