Scholars Discuss, Debate the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

In an all-day conference, "Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates," six Lincoln scholars addressed the annual Lincoln Colloquium, October 11 at Knox College.

The speakers were Garry Wills, Professor Emeritus of History at Northwestern University; James McPherson, Professor Emeritus of History at Princeton University; David Zarefsky, Professor of Communications at Northwestern University; Allen Guelzo, Henry R. Luce Professor of the Civil War Era and Director of Civil War Studies at Gettysburg College; and Rodney Davis, Professor Emeritus of History and Co-Director of the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College.

The Colloquium was moderated by Douglas Wilson, Professor Emeritus of English and Co-Director of the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College.

More than 300 registrants attended the 23rd Annual Lincoln Colloquium in Harbach Theatre on the Knox College campus.	Moderator Douglas Wilson: "The Lincoln Colloquium brings together scholars who have something to say about Lincoln and people who want to hear it..."
Knox College President Roger Taylor welcomes the Colloquium and notes the research and award-winning books produced by Douglas Wilson and Rodney Davis, co-directors of the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College.	Did Lincoln use a ladder to get from the window in Old Main to the debate platform? Allen Guelzo rummaged around backstage and found "the ladder"... In his prepared remarks, Guelzo argued that "rowdiness" and "democratic unpredictability" of the debates showed how 19th-century politics was not, as some historians have written, tightly managed by party bosses.
David Zarefsky stated that, over the course of the seven debates, "Douglas fell back on the defensive... let his anger get the better of him," while "Lincoln took over the argument [and] ended the campaign in a strong position."	Territorial expansion provided economic opportunities that defused the threat of class conflict in the U.S. But, James McPherson argued, it amplified regional differences over slavery that eventually led to the Civil War: "The United States might have been able to absorb the territories peacefully, except for slavery..."
Knox students in a history class built an exhibit that showed what Knox and Galesburg were like in 1858, when the Lincoln-Douglas Debate took place. The students also dressed in period costumes and portrayed typical audience members at the debate.	Rodney Davis described the ways that succeeding generations have commemorated the Lincoln-Douglas Debates: "The debates are no longer useful to those with a partisan agenda. Now it's a community celebration, people taking pride that a great event occurred here."
"The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were without precedent," stated Garry Wills. But they have also been without effect, no matter how much people "want them to matter," Wills argued. "Douglas spoke in the most violent language," using terms like "throat-cutting," while Lincoln used the "formal language" of trial lawyers. Lincoln and Douglas "became litigious when they could have become statesmanlike."	Following their prepared remarks, the speakers answered questions from the audience. Such as: "Is there anything that contemporary politicians can learn from the debates?" Garry Wills: "No. It's a very different world." Allen Guelzo: "Modern debates are moderated by journalists... They end up conducting interviews."

The Lincoln Colloquium is sponsored annually by the Lincoln Home National Historic Site; the Lincoln Home Museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana; the Indiana Historical Society; the Chicago History Museum; and the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College.

The 23rd Annual Lincoln Colloquium was supported in part by a Chairman's Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional support for the colloquium was received from the Abraham Lincoln Association and the Illinois State Historical Society.