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as they are pronounced by the highest tribunal on earth; and any man who resists these must resort to mob law and violence to overturn the government of laws.

SEMI-CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF LINCOLN-
DOUGLAS DEBATE A SUCCESS

The Lincoln-Douglas celebration was a success. There were a great many people present in the city before the average man arose from his slumbers, and long before noon it became evident that a large crowd would be in the city. Every train swelled the numbers, and when the exercises of the day began at 10 o'clock, the seats were nearly filled. The seating arrangements were excellent.

The various bureaus for the accommodation of the visitors were taxed to their utmost capacity. Especially was this true of the registration bureau in Alumni hall at the college. This bureau was for the accommodation of the survivors and old soldiers, and the demands on it exceeded the supply of tickets furnished it.

Colonel Clark E. Carr, the president of the day, and the man who had most to do with bringing the celebration to pass, called the vast crowd to order. He in his opening remarks said:

"From the time of the first settlement of this continent by white men and women, until 1860, a period of more than two hundred years, two organizations existed, one recognizing the right of property in slaves and the other claiming that all men have the right to be freeone upholding slavery and the other freedom.

These civilizations confronted each other with varying degrees of success until one extended over the southern states of the union, and the other throughout the northern states.

CIVILIZATIONS IN CONSTANT CONFLICT

These civilizations were constantly in conflict and several times, notably in 1820 when the Missouri Compromise was adopted, in 1850 when the fugitive slave law was enacted, and in 1860 when the republican party was given control, imperilled the existence of this government. So intense became the conflict that every question of public policy was affected by it.

In the south, slavery became profitable and its influence was gradually extended until every department of the government, legislative, executive and judicial, was controlled by the slave power. Upon slavery the social and industrial fabrics of the south depended. It was claimed that a state of slavery was the natural and proper condition of the negro, and that slaves were held by Divine right. The institution became so potential that at the north it controlled legislatures and courts, appeared in every countinghouse, and even ascended into pulpits, and the moral sense of the country became indifferent to its enormities. While the government was under its baneful influence there could not possibly have been any such development as has followed its overthrow. We could not have become a world power.

For half a century the champions of freedom and slavery, confronting each other in discussion, had appeared before the people, but the two civilizations had not been brought to a direct issue.

NOTABLE CONTEST

Finally there was a contest in Illinois for the position of United States senator. The second term of Stephen A. Douglas, the foremost American statesman, was about to expire. Abraham Lincoln, whose name was scarcely known beyond the boundaries of Illinois, appeared as a candidate for the same position.

Both of these men at the time of the government's extremity proved to be the sublimest of patriots.

This contest for the senatorship resulted in the great debates before vast concourses of people, in the course of which the conflict between the two civilizations came to a direct issue.

ISSUE WAS SLAVERY

This issue was stated by Mr. Lincoln to be upon whether slavery was a wrong and should not, therefore, be extended into new territory, or whether slavery was not a wrong. By Senator Douglas the issue was claimed to be whether the people of all the territories of the United States should or should not be permitted to establish or prohibit slavery as a majority should determine.

Senator Douglas favored permitting slavery in the new territories whenever a majority of the people wanted it, and Mr. Lincoln declared himself in favor of absolutely limiting it to its then present boundaries for the purpose of finally putting an end to the whole system to use his own language to place slavery in such a position that "the public mind would rest in the belief of its ultimate extinction."

MOMENTOUS PRINCIPLES

Mr. Lincoln claimed that the sentiment "all men are created equal" of the Declaration of Independence applied to black as well as to white men. Senator Douglas argued that "this government was formed upon the white basis, for white men and their property, and that the 'all men are created equal' of the Declaration of Independence was not intended to, and did not, apply to the negro." Mr. Lincoln proclaimed the doctrine that the government could not "endure permanently half slave and half free," that it "must become all one thing or all the other," which Senator Douglas denied, and declared that "this republic can exist forever divided into free and slave states."

The fame of Senator Douglas had been for several years world wide, and just at that time was at its zenith on account of his brilliant

and successful opposition to the effort to force slavery upon the people of Kansas against their will, although all the time declaring that, had the people of that territory favored a slave constitution, he would, just as earnestly have opposed forcing a free constitution upon them.

The greatest concourse of people that attended either of the debates assembled upon this spot fifty years ago today, where Mr. Lincoln and Senator Douglas met face to face in joint debate. There were seven of these joint debates of which the one we are here commorating was the fifth.

We have upon these grounds, including this occasion, three times celebrated the great event, with many thousands of people present. At our last celebration before this, William McKinley, president of the United States, and all his cabinet, save one member, were present and took part in the exercises.

While the people of Illinois then knew Mr. Lincoln and appreciated his great abilities, outside of the state people wondered that they should have put forward one who was known so little, as a candidate against the great senator, and that he should have had the temerity to undertake the task.

As the debates proceeded it was a matter of constant surprise that Mr. Lincoln was able to cope with Senator Douglas, but it was finally realized that the republicans of Illinois had made no mistake.

So ably did each champion present his arguments that they arrested the attention of the whole great nation. The interest continued to increase until, when the debate was held here, every word was read from ocean to ocean. So interested did men become that they forgot what public position was contended for, and only considered the questions involved.

It may be said of the Lincoln and Douglas debates, that the ablest men of the country were the champions-that the great prairies were the audience room-that the whole American people was the audience-that the constitution of the United States was the

platform—and that, upon the elucidation and solution of the problems involved, depended the fate of a continent.

The immediate result of the contest was a triumph for Senator Douglas. While Mr. Lincoln had a majority of the popular vote. Senator Douglas carried the legislature and was re-elected. But finally Mr. Lincoln triumphed.

Two years later, the people of the great nation, who had followed the debates with absorbing interest, decided that there should be no more slave states-that Lincoln was right and Douglas was wrongthat slavery should be restricted and placed where "the public mind would rest in the belief of its ultimate extinction."

Both of the great champions were candidates before the people for the presidency to which position Abraham Lincoln was triumphantly elected.

MR. PRINCE'S ADDRESS

Hon. George W. Prince, congressman from the Fifteenth Congressional District, then delivered the following speech for "The District." Mr. Prince said:

"President Carr, Distinguished Guests, Survivors of the Great Debate, Soldiers of the Civil War and Fellow Countrymen:

I have the privilege and the honor in behalf of the Fifteenth Congressional District of Illinois, to extend to you a most cordial welcome. The Hon. John McLean was the first member of congress to represent Illinois in the Fifteenth Congress. From that congress up to the twenty-third congress, Illinois had but one representative in that body. At the opening of the twenty-third congress, Illinois had three representatives. Stephen A. Douglas of Quincy, Adams county, now a part of this district first took his seat as a member of the house in the twenty-eighth congress. He served in the house in the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth congress. He entered the senate of the United States in the thirtieth congress and his home was then in Quincy, Ill. He served continuously as a member of the senate up to the time of his death.

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