A Stephen Douglas Major Date Today, August 21, 1858

Can you guess what happened this date 162 years ago?

It involved another man.

It had to do with politics.

It had to do with who was going to be the next Illinois U.S. senator.

This was the first of seven.

Okay, it was a debate.

Got it yet?

Today in 1858 the Illinois senatorial contenders Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas held the  first of their seven debates.

It was held in Ottawa, Illinois.  Lincoln said that popular sovereignty would nationalize and perpetuate slavery.

Douglas went on to win the election in November where the voting was done in the state legislature even though overall Lincoln received 3,000 more popular votes in the general election.

--Old Secesh

Stephen A. Douglas Tomb-- Part 5: His Tomb and Memorial in Chicago

From Wikipedia.

The Stephen A. Douglas Tomb and Memorial, also referred to as the Stephen Douglas Monument Park is located in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago (primarily Black). It is near the site of the Union Army's training camp and Confederate prisoner of war camp known as Camp Douglas.

The memorial is a 96-foot tall granite structure comprising three  circular bases and a  20-foot diameter octagonal mausoleum which holds Douglas'  sarcophagus.  Four figures portraying Illinois, History, Justice and Eloquence are at the four corners of the mausoleum.  A ten-foot statue of Douglas stands at the top of the  46-foot column of white marble from his native state of Vermont,

Douglas is probably best known for his series of debates with Abraham Lincoln in 1858 and his run for presidency in 1860.  However, he died soon after the Civil War began on June 3, 1861, from typhoid fever.

--Old Secesh

John C. Black-- Part 5: Lincoln Slept There

From the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture.

A Medal of Honor recipient for valor at the Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, and brevet major general of volunteers.  John Charles (Charlie) Black later served as U.S. Congressman and national commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR).

He was born January 27, 1839, in Lexington, Mississippi, to the Reverend John Black and Josephine Culbertson Black.  He was the eldest of four children.  After the Reverend Black died in 1847, his widow  moved her family to Danville, Illinois, to be near her brother James Culbertson.

Soon afterwards, she married Dr. William Fithian who served in the Illinois General Assembly with Abraham Lincoln in 1834.  Lincoln successfully represented Fithian in a lawsuit in 1850.  During the 1858 campaign for U.S. senator, Lincoln stayed at the Danville home of John's parents during his travels for the Lincoln-Douglas Debates and spoke briefly to a crowd of well-wishers on September 21.

--Old Secesh

Abe Lincoln On Racial Equality-- Part 2

Abraham Lincoln also said:  "I will add to this that I have never seen to my knowledge a man, woman or child was in favor of producing a perfect equality, social and political between negroes and white men.  I recollect of but one distinguished instance that I have ever heard of so frequently as to be entirely satisfied of its correctness -- and that is the case of Judge Douglas' old friend Col. Richard M. Johnson."

The crowd responded to these remarks with laughter.

Thus Sayeth the Great Emancipator.  --Old Secesh

Abe Lincoln Weighs In On Racial Equality-- Part 1

From Undercover Black Man: The Vice President and His Mulatto Lincoln in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates 1858."

Said the Great Emancipator in 1858 during a Lincoln-Douglas debate:  "I am not, nor have I ever been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races ... nor qualifying [negroes] to hold office nor to intermarry with white people ...."

He was referring to Richard M. Johnson's common law wife Julia Chinn who had been vice president under President Millard Fillmore

--Old Secesh

Today Marks the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Stephen Douglas-- Part 1

From the April 13, 2013, Springfield (Il) Journal-Register "Stephen Douglas: patriotism over partisanship" on editorial page.

Even though he was not much involved in the war itself, he definitely had a play in events leading up to it.  Not to mention the Union Army training camp on his land in Chicago which eventually became an infamous Union prison.

Illinois' own "Little Giant," standing at just 5 feet 4 inches, but the man had a booming voice as well as high ideals

Four years ago, there was a huge statewide and even national celebration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday.

But, "If it wasn't for Douglas and their famed debates for the U.S. Senate seat, Lincoln would not have had the national recognition to secure his party's nomination for the presidency in 1860."  His victory led to the Civil War.

Then, Douglas was nominated for president by the Democratic party where his views on allowing citizens of new states to decide whether or not to allow slavery alienated the South and led to their putting up their own candidate, this splitting the Democratic party and assuring Lincoln's victory.

A Man Whose Birthday Should be Noted.  --Old Secesh

And, a Lincoln Thing

Of course, Illinois is the Land of Lincoln, even says so on our license plates. However, other than the Lincoln Highway, celebrating its 100th anniversary next year, there isn't a whole lot of Lincoln here in the northern part of the state.

However, one of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates took place in Freeport, right along US-20, now with a bypass, but Business US-20 goes right through town. They have statues of the two men in a park.

This year, the Freeport/Stevenson County Visitors Center, located east of town on the US-20 bypass has an exhibit on the debate. I found the Illinois voting maps for the 1858 election of particular interest. The northern part of the state was solid Republican (even though Lincoln was from the Central. The southern half went Democrat. Back then, the states picked their senators.

We'll Have to Spend Some Time in Freeport One of These Days. --Old Secesh

Lincoln Spent the Night Here-- Part 2

Lincoln spent the night of August 20, 1858, at the home of his friend Judge William T. Hopkins, part of a building that housed the former Morris Lincoln Nursing Home at 916 Fremont Avenue.

The next morning, Lincoln and Hopkins went to Wash's barbershop located in the basement of what is now The Fabric Center at 301 Liberty Street.

After they left, Wash closed his shop and went with others to see the debate.

Lincoln went to Ottawa by train and rode in a horse-drawn carriage to Washington Park in the town.

George Washington "Wash" Foster died at age 95 on September 17, 1917.

So, Old Abe Really Did Sleep here/There. --Old B-Runner

Lincoln Spent the Night Here-- Part 1

It would seem in most places in Illinois of any age, that either Abraham Lincoln or Al Capone spent the night there.

Such is the case in the town of Morris, a town that I very often drive through on Illinois Highway 47 on my way either to North Carolina or Route 66.

From the August 22, 2008, Morris Daily Herald "Lincoln spent night before famed debate in Morris" by Jo Ann Hustis.

George Washington "Wash" Foster, a black man, shaved Abraham Lincoln 150 years ago just prior to his debate with Douglas in Ottawa. In a newspaper article from 1917, he recalled, "I knew that he was a big man. Not as big as he was afterward, but a mighty big man to be in Morris in those days." Referring to Lincoln's fame, not his size.

The first of nine Lincoln-Douglas debates for US Senate took place August 21, 1858.

Lincoln ended up losing the election, but gained national prominence as a result.


So, Where'd He Sleep Now That We Know Where He Got His Shave? --Old B-Runner

Today, the 150th Anniversary of Final Lincoln-Douglad Debate

And it is also the last presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain.

I wonder if they planned it that way? What do you think?

Even though Lincoln ended up losing the race for the US Senate, we all know what happened two years later.

Could this be the first part-black man elected to the presidency? We'll know in a few weeks.

I'd sure like to know their plans as to punishment for the CEOs and their ilk for getting the country into this current economic mess. And what about those idiots on Wall Street and the commodity traders? These folks are BAD for America.

Still Haven't Completely Made Up My Mind.

Alton, Illinois Highlighting Lincoln and Civil War Heritage

The October 15th St. Louis Today.com had an article about Alton's new Lincoln and Civil War Legacy Trail which was unveiled today, the 150th anniversary of the final debate between Lincoln and Stephen Douglas which occurred in Alton on today's date.

This effort came together thanks to community volunteers, city officials and employees and a $65,000 grant from the Illinois Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

The Trail was dedicated at Lincoln-Douglas square, the site of the debate during their 1858 US Senate campaign.


OTHER TRAIL STOPS

Other sites on the trail are the site of a Confederate prison, Confederate monument, and Confederate cemetery. Two others are at the former home of Lincoln friend Lyman Trumball and the old Franklin House Hotel that was Lincoln's campaign headquarters during the debate.

This weekend, there will be all sorts of festivities in Alton to mark the sesquicentennial.

Way to Go Alton. --B-Runner