Monday, September 22, 2008 11:07 PM CDT
COLUMN: Lincoln-Douglas Debate makes for great weekend
By BILL LAIR, Managing Editor
blair@jg-tc.com
Before the wonderful weekend of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Reunion fades too far into the past, I wanted to note a few impressions.
I confess my bias because I served as MC for the debate reunion.
But it really was entertaining and informative.
George Buss as Abraham Lincoln and Tim Connors as Stephen Douglas were superb. Edward Finch as Naval Capt. Silas Terry moderated the “press conference” format.
All three men are from Freeport and are performing the one-hour show at all seven sites of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debates. They also are performing in other Lincoln and Douglas programs, including one at Illinois State University this weekend.
The next Lincoln-Douglas Debate Reunion ‘08 event is at Galesburg the weekend of Oct. 4.
While there was rain all around on Saturday, the debate reunion at the Coles County Fairgrounds managed to avoid any precipitation problems.
It was overcast Saturday morning but the skies cleared and the afternoon was a little bit steamy — probably more what the day was like on Sept. 18, 1858, when the original debate drew 12,000-15,000 people to the fairgrounds.
Saturday’s program was different from the 1994 debate re-enactment sponsored by C-Span.
The original debate, and 1994 re-enactment, was almost 3 hours long.
Saturday’s look back at the debates lasted about 55 minutes.
It was written (by Finch) in a style that today’s audiences could follow.
Also different: The original debate, as depicted in the famous painting by artist Robert Root of Shelbyville, had about 55 political dignitaries on the platform with the two candidates. That scene also was repeated in the 1994 re-enactment.
Saturday’s program featured just Buss, Connors and Finch on the platform.
I came away with a greater appreciation for Douglas.
I confess that I don’t know a great deal about Douglas.
I knew he lived in Jacksonville (I have a lot of family there), that he was the incumbent U.S. senator in 1858 and that he won the 1858 senate election following the debates but then lost to Lincoln in 1860 in the election for president.
I also knew that he attended Lincoln’s presidential inauguration and that he died shortly after Lincoln took the oath of office.
But at Saturday’s program, I learned how Douglas put country above politics after the 1860 election.
“It was during the presidential campaign of 1860 and the months after that Douglas moved beyond being a politician to become a statesman,” one Web site points out. “Fearing the rumors that the Southern states would secede from the Union if Lincoln were elected, Douglas made campaign speeches in Southern states which were focused on holding the Union together. After Lincoln’s inauguration as president, Douglas, at Lincoln’s request, began giving speeches which urged that the Union be preserved.
“On 1 May 1861, Douglas spoke in Chicago in support of the Union. In that speech he delivered what many consider to be his most memorable line:
“‘Every man must be for the United States or against it,” Douglas said. “There can be no neutrals in this war, only patriots—or traitors.’”
Imagine political opponents today speaking on behalf of the other party’s candidate who just defeated him. It doesn’t happen.
“America, love it leave it.” Sure, we have heard those sentiments. But not from the defeated candidate of the opposition party!
But Douglas supported Lincoln in preservation of the Union despite their political differences.
Douglas died shortly after, on June 3, 1861, at age 47.
Buss, Connors and Finch all are affiliated with the Freeport public schools. Finch is a retired teacher while Connors is director of theater and coaches the speech and drama team. Buss is administrator of a college readiness program.
Buss has portrayed Lincoln for about 20 years while Connors is relatively new at portraying Douglas.
He was superb, really bellowing out many of his lines.
I remember when Russel Brazzel of Decatur portrayed Douglas for the 1994 C-SPAN debate here that he noted he had a hard time with some of the rhetoric in the debate because of its racist tone.
Perhaps, because there was little of the content of the Charleston debate in Saturday’s program, Connors could more fully portray Douglas in a more well-rounded manner. He seemed to enjoy the role.
Also impressive is that the three men arrived in Charleston late Thursday evening and participated in several activities.
They attended the Looking for Lincoln historic sign dedication in Mattoon Friday morning, then spent time at Mattoon and Charleston schools and attended the Ornament of Hope unveiling.
They stayed in Charleston until Sunday, taking part in the historic walking tour around the square.
All three weekend performers are members of the Lincoln-Douglas Society.
The organization was formed in 1929, was dormant through the Depression and World War II but came alive again just before the 100th anniversary of the debates in 1958.
With as much Lincoln history as there is in the Charleston-Mattoon area and as there are only seven debate sites in the state, I think history buffs should pursue a similar organization here.
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Matt Toon wrote on Sep 23, 2008 12:45 PM: