ENMITY One would certainly think Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln would qualify as the most dedicated enemies of all time in American history. Years ago, when American history was among the subjects taught in our schools, we studied the speeches of each of them made before, during and after a celebrated series of formal debates in which th two, avowed antagonists engaged.
Abraham Lincoln seemed to have been ordained to lead the United States during the days of our Civil War when the nation divided, yet he was born in Kentucky - well below the Mason-Dixon Line which determined who was from the South from those who were northern born and bred. He was to lead that segment of the nation which opposed human slavery in Kentucky and anywhere else in the southern states. There were other points of disagreement, of course, between Lincoln and his constant opponent in just about everything he tried.
Stephen A. Douglas, the other side of the constantly arguing twosome was , in his time a widely know and highly respected champion of States' Rights legislation favoring the slavery of humans and of slavery privileges claimed to be legal by many political powers in the southern area
Each of the two men undertook the study of the Law and Fate would have it that they both ended up in the State of Illinois at the same time. Tall, lanky, home-bodied Abraham Lincoln the log-splitting rough neck from Kentucky became an active force in Illinois's political life. In 1845 Stephen A. Douglas was elected as U. S. Senator. Within those intervening years, another question was solved for the two men - one of a non-political, romantic nature. Both men dated and courted the same young lady. We may look at the event in a different light today, but Mary Todd, courted by U.S. Senator Stephen Douglas, refused and accepted Abraham Lincoln in marriage in 1842.
The, in 1858 when Douglas was seeking re-election as Senator, Abraham Lincoln was chosen by his political party to oppose him. Lincoln was a defeated. But, largely as a result of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, Lincoln built an impressive following among the populace and he, running against Douglas, was elected in 1860 - as President of the United States.
Lincoln, removed his hat while being sworn in as Chief Executive of the nation and pictures of that historic event show a short man standing to one side of the hat of his new president firmly in hand ... Stephen A. Douglas.
Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 7-12-06 [c433wds]
