crous or
very impressive. He employed but little gesticulation but when he
desired to make a point produced a shrug of the shoulders, an elevation
of the eyebrows, a depression of his mouth and a general malformation of
countenance so comically awkward that it scarcely ever failed to 'bring
down the house.' His enunciation was slow and distinct, and his voice
though sharp and piercing at times had a tendency to dwindle into a
shrill and unpleasant tone. In this matter of voice and commanding
attitude, the odds were decidedly in favor of Judge Douglas.

Arrangements having been consummated, the first debate took place at
Ottawa, in Lasalle county, and a strong Republican district. The crowd
in attendance was a large one, and about equally divided--the enthusiasm
of the Democracy having brought more than a due proportion of their
numbers to hear and see their favorite leader. The thrilling tones of
Douglas, his manly defiance against the principles he believed to be
wrong assured his friends, if any assurance were wanting, that he was
the same unconquered and unconquerable Democrat that he had proved to be
for the previous twenty-five years.

Douglas opened the discussion and spoke one hour; Lincoln followed, the
time assigned him being an hour and a half, though he yielded a portion
of it. It was not until the second meeting, however, that the speakers
grappled with those profound public questions that had thus brought them
together, and in which the nation was intensely interested. The debates
were a wonderful exhibition of power and eloquence.

In the first debate Mr. Douglas arraigned his opponent for the
expression in a former speech of a "House divided against itself,"
etc.,--referring to the slavery and anti-slavery sections of the
country; and Mr. Lincoln defended those ideas as set forth in the speech
referred to. As Mr. Lincoln's position in relation to one or two points
growing out of the former speech referred to, had attracted great
attention throughout the country, he availed himself of the opportunity
of this preliminary meeting to reply to what he regarded as common
misconceptions. "Anything," he said, "that argues me into the idea of
perfect social and political equality with the negro is but a specious
and fantastic arrangement of words, by which a man can prove a
horse-chestnut to be a chestnut horse. I will say here, while upon this
subject, that I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfer