trary, urged the necessity of an organic enactment, excluding slavery
in any form--this last to be the condition of its admission into the
Union as a State. The public mind was divided and the utterances and
movements of every public man were closely scanned. Finally, after the
true western style, a joint discussion, face to face, between Lincoln
and Douglas, as the two representative leaders, was proposed and agreed
upon. It was arranged that they should have seven great debates, one
each at Ottawa, Freeport, Charleston, Jonesboro, Galesburg, Quincy, and
Alton.

Processions and cavalcades, bands of music and cannon-firing made every
day a day of excitement. But the excitement was greatly intensified from
the fact that the oratorical contests were between two such skilled
debaters, before mixed audiences of friends and foes, to rejoice over
every keen thrust at the adversary, and again to be cast down by each
failure to 'give back as good,' or to parry the thrust so aimed.

In personal appearance, voice, gesture and general platform style,
nothing could exceed the dissimilarity of these two speakers. Mr.
Douglas possessed a frame or build particularly attractive; a natural
presence which would have gained for him access to the highest circles,
however courtly, in any land; a thickset, finely built, courageous man,
with an air as natural to him as breath, of self-confidence that did not
a little to inspire his supporters with hope. That he was every inch a
man no friend or foe ever questioned. Ready, forceful, animated, keen,
playful, by turns, and thoroughly artificial; he was one of the most
admirable platform speakers that ever appeared before an American
audience, his personal geniality, too, being so abounding that,
excepting in a political sense, no antagonism existed between him and
his opponent.

Look at Lincoln. In personal appearance, what a contrast to his renowned
opponent. Six feet and four inches high, long, lean and wiry in motion;
he had a good deal of the elasticity and awkwardness which indicated the
rough training of his early life; his face genial looking, with good
humor lurking in every corner of its innumerable angles. Judge Douglas
once said, "I regard Lincoln as a kind, amiable and intelligent
gentleman, a good citizen and an honorable opponent." As a speaker he
was ready, precise, fluent and his manner before a popular assembly was
just as he pleased to make it; being either superlatively ludi