bright, cool morning ushered in the day, and the little town was soon astir with preparations for the great event. Coles County lay just outside the Eighth Judicial Circuit, and in that region Lincoln trip to Charleston, followed by the whole population of Mattoon in wagons. About a mile from his destination he was met by fifty horsemen, who drew up on each side of the road to allow his carriage to pass between their ranks, and then, falling in behind it, escorted him to the town, where he became the guest of Mr. Thomas A. Marshall, who had accepted a nomination for the State senate at his urgent request. Douglas arrived at Mattoon on a special train decorated with flags and banners and popularly supposed to have been supplied by the Illinois Central Railroad in recognition of the states THE OLD QUINCY From a drawing made in the fifties. Erected 1838, burned 1883. One of the largest and most widely known hotels in the Middle West in its day. Lincoln and Douglas were both guests at the time of their Quincy debate. did not lack support. Charleston itself was not on the line of the Illinois Central Railroad, the nearest point on that road being Mattoon, fully twelve miles to the west, and at this station Lincoln arrived the night before the debate after an ex FIFTH STREET, QUINCY, ILLINOIS, LOOKING NORTH FROM MAIN hausting journey in point is disputed, but a majority of those living who were present at the debate agree that a "saloon car," which not too luxurious accommodation Mr. H. C. Whitney had, with great difficulty, secured for him. Here he was welcomed by Mr. James Cunningham and one or two other friends, and the next morning started with them on the long 1 Douglas had been instrumental in man's past services to the road and the corporation's "lively sense of favors to come." The probability is, however, that Douglas was charged a good round sum for all his privileges, and his retinue of enthusiastic admirers did not serve to diobtaining the company's charter. minish the lavish expenditure which was already depleting his not excessive fortune.1 No organized procession accompanied either candidate on his way to the fair grounds, where they were to speak, but their respective partizans followed them. in large numbers, and as the Republicans moved through Jefferson Street, they passed under a huge banner, the work of a local sign-painter, depicting three or four yoke of oxen attached to an ancient Virginian wagon and driven by Lincoln, gad in hand. This work of art, which bore the legend, "Abe thirty years ago," was a source of much amusement to the supposed original, as was another placard which announced "Edgar County for the Tall Sucker!" Indeed, flags, banners, and placards were to be seen on every side, for the Republicans were beginning to realize the necessity of doing something to meet the electioneering devices upon which Douglas and his party were expending vast sums throughout the State. With this idea they had prepared a doubledeck float, decorated with bunting, wreaths, and flowers, and bearing young girls dressed in white and wearing blue velvet caps ornamented with a silver star to represent the several States of the Union, while another young woman, clothed in black and seated apart, personified Kansas. The Democrats, however, were not to be outdone, and the float which they displayed was even more elaborate, and sixty-two symbolic equestrians, half of whom were women, acted as a guard of honor for Douglas when he approached the town. A large number of benches had been prepared for the audience, but the crowd. which surged into the fair grounds as early as one o'clock numbered fully five thousand and far exceeded the accommodations, and again most of the auditors stood while Lincoln and Douglas closed with each other for the fourth time. Not all of those who listened with rapt attention to the earnest speakers, however, were directly concerned in the contest, for the 1 The campaign is said to have cost him $50,000. Lincoln's expenses were less than $1000. 2 Mr. Isaac N. Arnold states that Douglas paced nervously up and down the platform, watch in hand, while Lincoln was speaking, and the moment his hour expired Douglas exclaimed, with great irritation: "Sit down Lin whole country was beginning to take an interest in it, and a large delegation of men, women, and children had arrived during the morning from Indiana in farm-wagons, carriages, and on horseback, and the number of women in attendance was specially noticeable. Indeed, the pilgrimage of all the countryside to this inaccessible town, miles away from a railroad, was one of the most significant features of this remarkable campaign, and one of those who was present comments upon the "hot, feverish flush" which characterized the interest of the audience. Lincoln had the opening speech, and again he lost no time in advancing to the attack. In fact, Douglas was now clearly on the defensive, and in this position he was plainly ill at ease. For once at least his air of confidence and superiority completely disappeared, and his supporters were sorely disappointed at his showing. Truly it began to seem as though it were case of "Night or Blücher" with him, and the end was still fully six weeks a away. Election day was almost in sight, and the campaign was at its height, before the rivals met again. Meanwhile the Republicans had been gaining confidence and courage, forcing their opponents to fight as they had not fought for years, and both sides strained every nerve to make the joint meeting at Galesburg, scheduled for Thursday, October 7, a memorable event. Galesburg itself began preparing for the fray weeks in advance, for accounts of the other meetings showed that a supreme effort would have to be made to surpass the reception accorded by less important centers, and the citizens rose to the occasion. The county seat of Knox County, then a town of some five thousand inhabitants, boasted a public square, but the intense interest of the whole community for a radius of fifty miles or more indicated a far greater gathering than had attended any of the preceding debates, and it was therefore determined to hold the meeting coln! Your time is up. Sit down!” As neither Mr. White nor any of the other reporters confirm this story, however, and as it is not probable that a shrewd politician like Douglas would make such an exhibition of himself, the chances are that no such incident oc curred. METEORITE PLACED IN WASHINGTON PARK, QUINCY, ILLINOIS, BY THE QUINCY HISTORICAL SOCIETY TO COMMEMORATE THE LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE green, and an effort was made to provide at least sufficient seats for the ladies. In fact, the committee of arrangements apparently provided for every detail save one, but that seemed rather a serious omission in view of the drenching rain which fell on the eve of the contest, for there was no shelter for the speakers or platform guests. Lincoln arrived in Knoxville from Peoria on the evening of October 6, in the midst of a violent storm, and there he 1 Through the courtesy of Ray M. Arnold, Esq., of Galesburg, the writer has had the benefit of the recollections of Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Arnold, who were present at the debate. The other authorities are Colonel Clark E. Carr and the Galesburg "Republican Register." A notable celebration of the thirty-eighth anniversary of the With the vanguard came bands and uniformed paraders, peddlers, political floats, and banners, straw-riding parties of girls and boys, farmers, farm-hands, local dignitaries, all sorts and conditions of men, women, and children, -a laughing, good-natured, even hilariously boisterous crowd, bent upon enjoying itself and determined to make the most of its holiday. Lincoln started from Knoxville early in the day, but not too soon for the enthusi Galesburg debate was held in 1896 under the auspices of President John H. Finley and a memorial tablet erected on the wall of the college building in front of which the platform was erected. At another and later celebration of the same event President McKinley and almost all the members of his cabinet were present. asts, for behind his carriage trailed a procession nearly a mile and a half long, and near Galesburg he was met by another parade headed by a cavalcade of a hundred men and women, who accompanied him to the corner of Broad and Simmons streets, where he became the guest of the Hon. Henry R. Sanderson, whose house had been selected as the Republican whose electioneering devices had at first encountered no competition, were now hard pressed to match their rivals, and their banners acclaiming "Douglas the Little Giant" and "The Constitution as it is" were met by others celebrating "Abe the Giant-Killer" and "The Constitution as it ought to be," while similar placards. and mottos challenged and answered each other on every side as the rival organizations moved past each other, winding through the streets with defiant shouts and jeers, but no clash save that of the bands. All this time more and more people were pouring into the town, and by half-past two fully fifteen thousand persons were massed on the college campus. Again, as at Ottawa, a line of farm-wagons fringed the outskirts of the crowd; but this time every available tree and roof-top was occupied as well as the space before the platform. There was Thus far there had been little or no effort at any of the joint debates to organize the processions upon military lines or to make any great display of flags or banners. But now the Republicans had formed marching clubs all over the State, generally known as the "Wide-awakes," uniformed with a distinctive cap and cape, and these companies were the feature of the day at Galesburg. The Democrats, no doubt to which candidate the college students adhered, for across the east side of the main building, and directly behind. the speakers, they had swung an immense banner announcing "Knox College for Lincoln," and it was under this defiant motto that Douglas began the fifth debate. Neither speaker any longer cared for 1 Hon. James Knox was chairman of the day; John T. Barnett was the Democratic marshal; Hon. Thomas G. Frost delivered a speech of welcome to Lincoln; Judge G. C. Lanphere entertained Douglas applause. Every moment had become precious for attack or defense, and Douglas protested that he desired to be heard rather than cheered. There was now no flippancy or arrogancy about the man. He was in deadly earnest, and when aroused, there was no more formidable antagonist in the United States than he. But Douglas was already beginning to devote no little part of his attention to the Buchanan administration, with which he was at war, and this evidence of dissension in the Democratic ranks was not displeasing to Lincoln, who followed up every admission, and never allowed his opponent to recover an inch of ground. Indeed, Lincoln had for some time past realized that he was speaking to a far wider audience than the thousands who strained to hear his voice, and with a clear vision of the final result he answered Douglas with such calmness and confidence that for the first time during the debate he ceased speaking before his time expired. There was no mistaking the temper of the audience when Douglas made his closing speech. When he charged that Lincoln included the negro in that part of the Declaration which asserts that all men are created equal, the crowd shouted, "We believe it!" When he quoted Lincoln's statement that slavery was a crime, they answered "He 's right!" When he asserted that Lovejoy stood pledged against any more slave States, the response was "Right! So do we!" And when he arraigned his adversary on the same charge, his hearers cheered for Lincoln. In the absence of an authoritative decision, neither candidate can be said to have been the victor at any of the debates, but all the external evidence is that at Galesburg Lincoln carried the day. IN 1858, Quincy, the terminus of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, was a town of about fourteen thousand inhabitants, and its transportation facilities, both by land and water, made it one of the most important business centers of Illinois. Here it was to be expected that the rival candidates would meet with a 1 The details of this debate are derived from investigations made for the writer by Miss Louise Maertz, Recording Secretary of The Historical Society of Quincy, Illinois; the files of the Quincy "Daily Whig and Republican," the Quincy "Daily Herald" for October, great reception, and the local newspapers published full details of the preparations of both parties in honor of their visit. The Republicans were first in the field, and completed their arrangements by the 11th of October, but the Democrats were only a day behind them, and their program was perhaps the more elaborate. The debate occurred on Wednesday, October 13, 1858. October 13, 1858. Lincoln arrived by rail on the evening of the 12th in the company of Carl Schurz, who had accidentally met him on the train, and a reception committee bundled him into a carriage despite his protest that he would rather "foot it to Browning's," meaning O. H. Browning's house, where he was to pass the night. No formal reception was, however, forced upon him, and he was soon left to his own devices at the home of his old friend. Douglas was less fortunate, for he was met at the station by a torchlight procession over half a mile long and escorted with music and cheers to the Democratic headquarters at the Quincy House. Quincy House. Then followed a noisy night, during which the local and visiting political clubs fraternized, celebrated, and planned for the great to-morrow. Early in the morning the visitors from the outlying districts began to flock into the town, among them a large delegation from Missouri, and by noon it seemed as though the attendance would surpass that at Galesburg. Meanwhile the marching clubs and political organizations were marshaling their forces for the customary parade, and with bands, banners, and symbolical floats, the Democrats passed in front of the Quincy House, where Judge Douglas reviewed them, and he was then escorted to the court-house square, where he made a short address. The Republican procession was perhaps a trifle less imposing, but it marched enthusiastically through the principal streets, headed by a man carrying a long pole on the top of which perched a live raccoon, the emblem of the Old Whig party. A company of singers serenaded Lincoln, and the paraders finally halted near the speakers' platform at the southeast corner of the square, 1858; the reminiscences of Carl Schurz, and the New York "Evening Post" for October 20, 1858. 2 The Democrats met this studied compliment to the moribund Whigs by significantly bearing aloft a dead raccoon, tied by the tail. |