BACKTRACKING
Lincoln in Galesburg, 150 Years Ago
by Terry Hogan
the Galesburg Zephyr
It was 150
years ago, this coming October 7th that Abe Lincoln and Stephen Douglas met on
the east side of Old Main at Knox College. It had rained the day and night
before. A cold northwest wind howled across the Knox Campus. The purpose was to
debate one another. It wasnÕt for a presidential campaign. It was for the U.S.
Senate. The debate began at 2:30 in this prairie town. Lincoln failed to win
the Senate seat. But for Lincoln, it was a mighty step toward the presidency in
1860. Probably Lincoln was aware of that in 1858. Lincoln was, after all, a
politician with ambition. Perhaps he had no less ambition than his wife had for
him.
The Lincoln
and Douglas Debates are a significant part of American history for a number of
reasons. The debates helped propel Lincoln on to the national stage. The
debates helped to give him the aurora of the best viable option for northern
abolitionists. The debates also were a warning to the South of what was likely
to come once Lincoln took up residence in the White House.
Lincoln was
also the beneficiary of a relatively new technology that allowed for the
debates to develop a national following – both in the North and the South.
It was the telegraph. The debates
were recorded by scribbled handwritten notes which were then sent off to
newspaper offices in the major American cities of the day. The articles that
appeared sometimes reflected as much of the political viewpoint of the
newspaper as of the alleged speaker of the words. Even allowing for a degree of
ÒspinÓ, the words spoke in Illinois in 1858 caught national attention. The
debates were the preamble of the worst war that America ever fought.
Galesburg
was the fifth of seven debate sites for Lincoln and Douglas. The debates were
primarily focused on the future of slavery and how slavery should be treated in
the great western land masses that would become states. Should they be free
states as advocated by abolitionists? Should they be slave states? Should some
sort of free/slave allocation system be established? Should the choice be left
to the residents of the territory when it becomes a state? The debates also
touched on the underlying issue of how freed Negros should be viewed. Should they
be allowed to vote? Should they be allowed full citizenship? Should they be
allowed to intermarry with ÒwhitesÓ (prohibited by law at the time)?
Most know
that Lincoln was in favor of the demise of slavery. Douglas was not pro-slavery
as much as he was for self-determination by the newly formed states. He was, at
least in the debates, an advocate of allowing the states to make the
determination. He felt the federal government should not intrude into what he
saw as a stateÕs right. He also was well aware of the strain on the nation that
would be imposed if the institution of slavery was directly attacked. Lincoln
took the position that the nation could not survive half slavery and half free.
Thus the famous Òhouse-dividedÓ position was born.
The Galesburg
debate drew the largest crowd of the road show debates. Galesburg was strongly
anti-slavery. Lincoln found Galesburg to be a friendly forum. But that is not
to say that Douglas didnÕt have a strong following in the area, as well.
At the Galesburg
debate, Douglas accused Lincoln of adjusting his position on blacks (ÒnegroesÓ),
depending on where the debate was, and what the audience wanted to hear. Given
that Lincoln was an astute politician, there is probably more than a little
truth to that.
However,
America needs heroes and Lincoln was one, or became one, with his death. His
loss in 1858 became his win in 1860. This victory, in turn, cost him his life. Sometimes
a place in history comes at a high cost.
LincolnÕs
presidency and the slavery issue were at the roots of the Civil War. The impact
of the American Civil War cannot be over-stated. It destroyed the economy and
infrastructure of the South. It strained, and at times broke, or at least
cracked, the Constitution of the United States. Lincoln ignored the Supreme
Court. The war greatly
strengthened the federal government, at the cost of stateÕs rights. The war
also greatly increased the power of the executive branch, at the cost of the
legislative and judicial branches. This executive branch imbalance can be seen
yet today.
Over the
years, Lincoln has grown in stature to become the president who sought full
equality for the Negro. I concede that he and the country paid a great price to
free the slaves. I also concede that Lincoln saw great inequity in the
institution of slavery and felt morally bound to end it.
However, if
we are to take Lincoln at his own words, and there is some risk at doing that
for a politician running for office, Lincoln could be Òfound wantingÓ and even
racist by contemporary standards.
Lincoln is
attributed to have said the following at Charleston, Illinois on September 18, 1858:
I will
say then, that I am not nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any
way, the social and political equality of the white and black races; that I am
not nor ever have been in favor of making voters of the free negroes, or
jurors, or qualifying them to hold office, or having them to marry with white
people. I will say in addition, that there is a physical difference between the
white and black races, which, I suppose, will forever forbid the two races
living together upon terms of social and political equality, and inasmuch as
they cannot so live, that while they do remain together, there must be the
position of superior and inferior, that I as much as any other white man am in
favor of the superior position being assigned to the white man. (Angle,
1958, page 292 – Douglas quoting LincolnÕs Charleston speech at Galesburg
debate; Angle, 1958, page 235, wording attributed to LincolnÕs opening address
at Charleston debate).
Such an
expression today by a political candidate would without doubt, rightfully bring
charges of racism. In 1858, the words were proclaimed by one who would become
known as the great emancipator.
As I write
this, we have our first serious black contender for president. Perhaps
ironically, he is a U.S. Senator from Illinois. This was the seat that Lincoln
was not able to win as an outcome of the 1858 debates. Perhaps Senator Obama
will succeed or fail based on his abilities and not because of or despite of
his color. At the end of the day, only the voters will know their motivation
for voting for or against Obama.
If we are
lucky, within another 150 years, nobody will even feel obliged to consider
this. Let us hope that we become smart enough to vote for the best candidate
and not merely for one who most physically resembles ourselves.
The Lincoln
and Douglas Debates held 150 years ago played a significant step in changing
America and the very nature of the state-federal government relationship. On a
cold windy day in October, Galesburg helped shape history.
Reference:
Angle, P.
1958. Created Equal? The Complete
Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858. University of Chicago Press.
2/14/08