The Great Debate (Part III)

Continuing from Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's The Great Debate:

Within a stone's throw of this great Statehouse, stands a fine old mansion, up the walk to which, the two most conspicuous men depicted in this plate, each form and posture so true to life, passed many times. they were bent on other than political business, yet in antagonism as they always were, until November 6, 1860.

Both were ambitious to attain distinction, but neither dreamed of the exalted position their forms and faces would occupy, in such a magnificent structure as the Capitol of Illinois now is, and which rears its beautiful symmetrical dome, so near the house, then the house of her, to attain whose hand was their present ambition. It was the old statehouse, then quite new, but now too small for the Judicial and Administrative business of Sangamon county, whose walls were made to ring with their eloquence, and the Representative Hall, of which was made sacred by the lying-in state therein, of the remains of him whose greatest aim in life was "To take care that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, might not perish from the earth."

With ordinary men the continued clashing of interests would have caused an enmity so strong as to preclude even the usual amenities of acquaintance. But it was not so with these "big and little giants;" they respected each other and were friendly, even familiar in their conversation, as is illustrated by an incident related to the writer, by Judge Barge of Dixon.

On the day of the debate at Freeport, Judge Barge with a young friend, went early to the grove in which the platform for the occasion had been erected, and discussed the question as to which direction the speakers would face. A pretty brisk breeze was blowing as Lincoln and Douglas walked up the steps of the platform.

"Douglas said to Lincoln, "Abe, which way shall we talk?"

"It's hard enough to talk with the wind, Dug. We'd better face this way" was Abe's reply.

The writer had never before heard the name of Douglas abbreviated in that way, but has since learned that it was frequently so used by his intimates.

Notwithstanding the fact that Douglas sometimes became personal and quite abusive, Lincoln never lost his equanimity, and even turned the abuse of his adversary to his own advantage.

This was amusingly and strikingly done, either at this Freeport debate, or in that at Ottawa, as related by Deacon Bushnell, of Paxton, who was then living in that part of the State.

Douglas had worked himself up to such a degree of earnestness in talking of what Lincoln had said, that he forgot his audience, turned his back to it, and, facing Lincoln, scolded and fumed until his face became almost hideous with rage. Lincoln folded his arms as evidence that he had no hostile intent, arose and moved around slowly so Douglas would follow his movement, until he brought to the view of the audience, the distorted and repulsive features, which could not fail to impress them as evidence of want of argument on his side, which such exhibitions of anger usually do.

This piece of strategy by Lincoln, was the keen act of the lawyer, who takes advantage of every opportunity afforded by opposing counsel to show him to the jury in an unfavorable light, or rather, as in this case, to let him show himself in such light.

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"