Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 February 1901 — Late Story of Lincoln. [ARTICLE]

Late Story of Lincoln.

Among the reminiscences of the Lin-coln-'Douglns debates is one by Gen. Clark E. Carr, formerly minister to Denmark. It emphasizes the wonderful tact of Mr. Lincoln. Gen. Carr said: “Mr. Douglas had the opening and conclusion, and he got in one shot on Mr. Lincoln that was so pat that even the adherents of that gentleman had to join in the laughter. Mr. Lincoln, in the course of his remarks, twitted his opponent with making only one speech; a set oration which he delivered to each new audience, the suggestion being that he was incapable of changing his stock address. In reply Mr. Douglas said that he admitted the charge, and conceded that his rival knew in advance what he was going to say. He wished that he could foretell with the same exactness what Mr. Lincoln, was going to say, but alas! that was impossible, since he changed his argument to suit his audiences, making a fierce abolition talk in communities where that sentiment was strongly entertained, as at Galesburg, but in southern Illinois ignoring abolition and standing up squarely as an old-time Whig.”