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Auction Talk: Abraham Lincoln autographs |Written by ROSEMARY
McKITTRICK| |Monday, 03 December 2012 15:16| It was dry and
dusty in Ottawa, Ill., on Aug. 21, 1858. About 10,000 to 12,000
people showed up for the first senate seat debate between
Stephen A Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. The debate attracted the
attention of the whole country. There were no seats or bleachers
for the onlookers that day and it didn’t seem to matter.
Spectators and newspapermen came from all around the state and
surrounding states to witness the historic event. They traveled
by train, buggy, canal boat, wagon, horseback and on foot.
Douglas was the most intimidating politician in America in 1858.
And Abraham Lincoln was hungry to capture his Illinois senate
seat. Although he was short Douglas had a Napoleon complex that
translated into a forceful, influential powerhouse in the
Senate. People listened when he spoke. The seven debates planned
between Douglas and Lincoln were