Lincoln, the unknown

102 • LINCOLN THE UNKNOWNChicago the people of Illinois were scheduled to elect a UnitedStates Senator. Naturally the Democrats nominated Douglas.And whom did the Republicans put up to run against him?An obscure man named Lincoln.During the campaign that followed, Lincoln and Douglasmet in a series of fiery debates, and these debates made Lincolnfamous. They fought over a question charged with emotionaldynamite, public excitement rose to fever heat. Throngs suchas had never been known before in the history of the UnitedStates rushed to hear them. No halls were large enough to accommodatethem; so the meetings were held in the afternoonin groves or out on the prairies. Reporters followed them, newspapersplayed up the sensational contests, and the speakers soonhad a nation for their audience.Two years later, Lincoln was in the White House.These debates had advertised him, they had paved the way.For months before the contest began Lincoln had been preparing;as thoughts and ideas and phrases formed in his mind,he wrote them down on stray scraps of paper—on the backsof envelopes, on the margins of newspapers, on pieces of papersacks. These he stored in his tall silk hat and carried aboutwherever he went. Finally he copied them on sheets of paper,speaking each sentence aloud as he wrote it, constantly revising,recasting, improving.After completing the final draft of his first speech, he inviteda few intimate friends to meet him one night in the library of theState House. There, behind locked doors, he read his speech,pausing at the end of each paragraph, asking for comments,inviting criticisms. This address contained the prophetic wordsthat have since become famous:"A house divided against itself cannot stand.""I believe this government cannot endure permanently halfslave and half free."I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expectthe house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided."It will become all one thing or all the other."As he read that, his friends were astonished and alarmed. Itwas too radical, they said; it was "a damn fool utterance," itwould drive voters away.Finally Lincoln rose slowly and told the group of the intensethought that he had given the subject, and ended the conference