LINCOLN to falter now? — now, when that same enemy is Wavering, dissevered, and belligerent! The re- sult is not doubtful. "We shall not fail — if we stand firm, we shall not fail. Wise counsels may accelerate, or mistakes delay it; but, sooner or later, the victory is sure to come. II ON THE FIRST DEBATE WITH DOUGLAS* When a man hears himself somewhat mis- represented, it provokes him — at least, I find it so with myself; but when misrepresentation becomes very gross and palpable, it is more apt to amuse him. The first thing I see fit to notice is the fact that Judge Douglas alleges, after running through the history of the old Demo- cratic and the old Whig parties, that Judge Trumbull "" and myself made an arrangement in J Delivered at Ottawa, Illinois, August 21, 1858. Abridged. The Nicolaj' and Hay version, used by permission of the Century Com- pany. This debate occurred during the campaign for the election of the Legislature of Illinois, which should choose a successor to Doug- las in the United States Senate. Douglas was returned to the Senate, but this debate gave Lincoln a national reputation, making him an available candidate against Douglas for the presidency in 1860. The arguments which Lincoln forced Douglas to make alienated Southern Democrats from Douglas and so lost him their support for president, Lincoln's election being made possible through the nomination of a second Democratic candidate by the South. See note to Yancey's speech in the Charleston Convention, on page 192 of this volume. 5 Lyman Trumbull, United States senator from Illinois, 1855-73, who drafted the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. 227
