The life and public services of Abraham Lincoln ... together with his state papers, including his speeches, addresses, messages, letters, and proclamations, and the closing scenes connected with his life and death. By Henry J. Raymond. To which are added anecdotes and personal reminiscences of President Lincoln, by Frank B. Carpenter.

THE LIFE, PUBLIC SERVICES. AND

CHAPTER II.
THE LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE.
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF 1856.-DOUGLAS AT SPRINGFIELD IN 1857.LiTNOLN'B REPLY.-THE GREAT DEBATE.-ELOQUENT DEFENCE OF THE
DOCTRINES OF TIE REPUBLICAN PARTY.-RESULT OF THE CONTEST.
THE pressure of the slavery contest at last fully organized the Republican party, which held its first convention
for the nomination of President and Vice-President at
Philadelphia, on June 17, 1856. John C. Fremont was
nominated for President, and William L. Dayton for
Vice-President. Mr. Lincoln's name was prominent before the convention for the latter office, and on the informal ballot lhe stood next to Mr. Dayton, receiving 110
votes. Mr. Lincoln's name headed the Republican electoral ticket in Illinois, and he took an active part in the
canvass, but the Democrats carried the State, though
only by a plurality vote.
Meanwhile, Senator Douglas embraced every opportunity to keep himself and his doctrines before the
people, but whichever way he turned, he found his
vigilant antagonist constantly in his front. For twenty
years the two had been so invariably opposed to each
other in politics, that whenever Mr. Douglas made a
speech, the people instinctively anticipated a reply from
Mr. Lincoln; and there was a special Providence in thus
opposing to the wily, deceptive sophistries of the former
the clear, incisive common sense of the latter, which the
multitude could not avoid comprehending. Early in
June, 1857, Senator Douglas made his famous speech in
Springfield, which was universally accepted as a declaration that he meant to sustain all the acts of the Lecompton Convention, even though a pro-slavery constitution