probability-he will have to do that; in the congressional arena, the words of debaters are snatched from their lips, as it were, and immediately enter into and become a permanent part of the literature of the country. But it seems, from the difference between the two versions of Lincoln's speech, that the Republicans have a candidate for the Senate of whose bad rhetoric and horrible jargon they are ashamed, upon which, before they would publish it, they called a council of "literary" men, to discuss, re-construct and re-write; they dare not allow Lincoln to go into print in his own dress; and abuse us, the TIMES, for reporting him literally. We also printed Senator Douglas literally. Our accomplished reporters alone are responsible to us for the accuracy of our version of both speeches. There is no orator in America more correct in rhetoric, more clear in ideas, more direct in purpose, in all his public addresses, than Stephen A. Douglas. That this is so, is not our fault, but rather it is the pride of the Democracy of Illinois and of the Union. [Galesburg, Ill., Democrat, October 13, 1858] One Hundred and Eighty Mutilations Made in Lincoln's Speech by The Chicago Times!! We had heard of the numerous frauds to which the Douglas party resort to mislead the public mind, beginning with the forgery of the platform at Ottawa and ending with Douglas' declaration that Mr. Lincoln is hired by the Illinois Central Railroad Company, at $5,000 per year, to cheat the State of its 7 per cent. dividends of the earnings of the Road (the very post occupied by Mr. Douglas), but were not prepared for such rascality as is exhibited in the Times' report of the debate in this place. There is scarcely a correctly reported paragraph in the whole speech! Many sentences are dropped out which were absolutely necessary for the sense; many are transposed so as to read wrong end first; many are made to read exactly the opposite of the orator's intention, and the whole aim has been to blunt the keen edge of Mr. Lincoln's wit, to mar the beauty of his most eloquent passages, and make him talk like a booby, a half-witted numbskull. By placing him thus before their readers they hope to disgust the people with Mr. Lincoln, and at least keep them at home if they do not vote for Douglas. Even that beautiful apostrophe, quoted from the "REVERED CLAY," as Douglas hypocritically called him at the Bancroft House, could not go unmutilated. We have taken the pains to go over the reports of the speeches carefully and note the material alterations-saying nothing of long passages, where the Times' Reporter appeared to aim only at the sense, without giving the language-and find that they number ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY! We believe that an action for libel would hold against these villains, and they richly deserve the prosecution. [Chicago Times, October 12, 1858] GARBLING SPEECHES.-THE OLD CHARGE We do not mean, by this remark, to cast any imputation of unfairness on Mr. Hitt, the reporter for the Press and Tribune; such imputation would be unjust, as we have reason to believe. Our controversy is not with the reporter at all; for even if he should maltreat Senator Douglas' speeches, he would do so under instructions; he being the employee of our neighbor, he could not relieve the editors of the odium of the act. But such are the facts; we give them, not because we feel very deeply on this point, but to put the public right with regard to them. We can prove their proof by Mr. Hitt himself, if he will go upon the stand under oath. Even, however, after Senator Douglas' speeches are marred by striking out words, here and there, by mangling sentences to hide their meaning, by mis-punctuations, etc. etc.—and after re-writing and polishing the speeches of Lincoln, those of Douglas so much excelled those of his opponent, in all respects, that we cannot find it in our hearts to complain much. Poor Lincoln requires some such advantage-though it be mean-in his contest with the irresistible advocate of liberal principles-the acknowledged champion of living principles in Illinois. [The Daily Whig, Quincy, Ill., October 16, 1858] Douglas carries around with him a reporter by the name of Sheridan, whose business it is to garble the speeches of Mr. Lincoln, and amend and elaborate those of Douglas, for the Times. As almost everybody present on Wednesday could hear Mr. Lincoln distinctly, and not a hundred in the crowd could understand Douglas, we are curious to see the report that this fellow Sheridan will give of the speeches. Our word for it, he will serve his master to the best of his ability, and lie about the whole proceedings. CHAPTER V THE OTTAWA DEBATE [Chicago Press and Tribune, August 18, 1858] THE GREAT DEBATE AT OTTAWA The first grand encounter between the champions of Slavery and Freedom,-Douglas and Lincoln,-takes place at Ottawa on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 21st. A special train will leave the Rock Island depot at 8 A. M., passing Blue Island at 8:45, Joliet at 9:55, Morris 10:50, and Ottawa at 11:45, which will give plenty of time for dinner, to arrange the preliminaries, and to prepare the polemic combatants for the contest. The train will leave Ottawa on its return at 6 P. M. and will be back in Chicago at 9:45. Passengers will be carried the round trip for half-fare from all the stations above named. How big a crowd is going from this city? The Lincoln boys should be on hand. [Chicago Press and Tribune, August 21, 1858] Special Despatch to Press and Tribune. OTTAWA, Aug. 20, 1858 Lincoln will take the Special Train from Chicago at Morris tomorrow morning. Please give notice to the public. REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE [Chicago Press and Tribune, August 21, 1858] HO! FOR OTTAWA The gallant LINCOLN will enter the lists at Ottawa today, with DOUGLAS. The meeting will be a memorable one, and the first of the present campaign. A large delegation will be in attendance from this city, leaving here by the 8 A. M. train on the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad, returning this evening. Let there be a good attendance of our Republicans. THE PRESS AND TRIBUNE of Monday will contain a full Phonographic verbatim report of the speeches of LINCOLN and DOUGLAS. Let all who can be present hear the champions, and all who cannot should read and judge for themselves. [Chicago Press and Tribune, August 23, 1858] FIRST JOINT DEBATE At two o'clock the multitude gathered in the public square, the sun shining down with great intensity, and the few trees affording but little shade. It would seem that the most exposed part of the city was selected for the speaking. After a long delay, the discussion was opened by Judge Douglas, who spoke as follows: Mr. Douglas' Speech' Ladies and Gentlemen: I appear before you to-day for the purpose of discussing the leading political topics which now agitate the public mind. By an arrangement between Mr. Lincoln and myself, we are present here to-day for the purpose of having a joint discussion, as the representatives of the two great political parties of the State and Union, upon the principles in issue between those parties, and this vast concourse of people shows the deep feeling which pervades the public mind in regard to the questions dividing us. Prior to 1854 this country was divided into two great political parties, known as the Whig and Democratic parties. Both were national and patriotic, advocating principles that were universal in their application. An Old Line Whig could proclaim his principles in Louisiana and Massachusetts alike. Whig principles had no boundary sectional line; they were not limited by the Ohio River, nor by the Potomac, nor by the line of the Free and Slave States; but applied and were proclaimed wherever the Constitution ruled or the American flag waved over the American soil. ["Hear him;" and three cheers.] So it was, and so it is with the great Democratic party, which, from the days of Jefferson until this period, has proven itself to be the historic party of this nation. While the Whig and Democratic parties differed in regard to a bank, the tariff, distribution, the specie circular, and the sub-treasury, they The speeches in this debate have been reprinted from the Follett, Foster & Co. edition of 1860, and all the interruptions, omitted in that edition, have been added from the newspaper reports, those in Douglas' speeches from the official Democratic report in the Chicago Times, and those in Lincoln's speeches from the official Republican report in the Chicago Press and Tribune. All variants in the text (except those of capitalization and punctuation) from these official reports have been noticed in the footnotes. From an examination of these, it will be seen that Lincoln did not make any important changes in his speeches, and that the editors were very fair in their reprint of the speeches of his opponent. |