(Springfield) Illinois State Register, "The Galesburg Debate," October 12, 1858

    Source citation
    "The Galesburg Debate," (Springfield)  Illinois State Register, October 12, 1858, in Edwin Erle Sparks, ed., The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858 (Springfield: Illinois State Historical Library, 1908), 387.
    Newspaper: Publication
    Illinois State Register
    Newspaper: Headline
    The Galesburg Debate
    Type
    Newspaper
    Date Certainty
    Exact
    Transcriber
    Transcription adapted from The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858 (1908), edited by Edwin Erle Sparks
    Adapted by David Park, Dickinson College
    Transcription date
    The following transcript has been adapted from the Lincoln Douglas Debates of 1858 (1908).

    THE GALESBURG DEBATE

    Nearly all of our available space to-day is occupied with a report of the speeches of Douglas and Lincoln at Galesburg—The meeting was very large—much the largest of the campaign. The republicans had spared neither money nor pains to have a large crowd, and letters had been sent to all parts of the country begging their people to be present. Notwithstanding all their efforts, the democrats outnumbered them two to one, and made a much finer and more imposing demonstration. A wonderful change seems to have been effected in that place for the democracy during the last year or two.

    Lincoln confined himself to his old hobby—that of making war upon the supreme court, and an attempt to pander to the prejudices of the abolitionists. He avowed himself in favor of negro equality, simply because he was in an abolition district. In his reply Senator Douglas showed him up in his true colors, by referring to his denunciations of the negro at Jonesboro and Charleston. The arguments of Lincoln were miserably weak, and all candid persons must, after a careful persual of the speeches, admit that he was badly worsted by Douglas.

    We trust that the speeches will be carefully read by men of all parties, as they will amply repay for the time thus employed.

    The republicans are fast becoming disheartened, and are daily losing ground. Their "spotty" principles are not adapted to the tastes of any person claiming to be in favor of the Union, the constitution and the laws.

    The conclusion of the debate will appear tomorrow.

    How to Cite This Page: "(Springfield) Illinois State Register, "The Galesburg Debate," October 12, 1858," House Divided: The Civil War Research Engine at Dickinson College, https://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/index.php/node/27515.